Rear hatch dome light button

[Red Ryder]

The factory dome lights ARE pretty dim, even after updating with LED bulbs. We went with this to illuminate the cockpit area. Works well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FTFDJT4/ref=cm_sw_em_...&psc=1
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“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland

“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red

[jcannon]

Duncan,

You are technically correct and I tried that. The wire behind the air intake louver makes a 90 degree turn to go through the grommet. On the backside of the grommet it must make another 90 degree turn then go to the dome light. I pulled from both ends, as hard as I dared, and the wire would not move in the grommet. To free it appears to require undoing part of the headliner. I could put lube on a q-tip, hold the q-tip with the 12” forceps and try lubing the grommet......

At that point I saw the humor in what I’d gone through and decided not to make it worse (break the wire) or more involved (removing headliner). Splicing the wire where the mice got it was akin to laparoscopic surgery but I made a beautiful solder splice using resistive soldering tweezers and double insulated it with double heat shrink tubing shrunk with a hot air pencil. The mice knew just where to chew.

I’ve checked a few times and the dome lights still come on when the rear hatch is opened.

Yet, it still gets more complicated. The right rear dome light has cracked plastic and the spring tab is missing. They are still available so I decided to order a new one. But wait, the other two will be brittle after 35 years -so why not get three. AND— now that I know how the dome light system works it will be an easy 1/2 hour to add the fourth over the passenger seat. Thus I ordered 4 new dome lights. There goes another $50 with shipping. When I point out the new passenger seat dome light to my wife will she’ll say “I don’t need that, I’ve got my battery powered lantern. Besides, it’s too dim.” So, to justify the 4th dome light I ordered a green LED bulb for it. She’ll think that is great. Useless, but great. I’ll probably add a rear interior switch to turn on all the dome lights at once. Do they make a 12V clapper?

[Red Ryder]

Glad you got it sorted out. And I love the “ego trip” comment. Your wife definitely has the patience and required sense of humor for those of us similarly addicted. “Hi, my name is Red Ryder and I am a Vanagonholic…”
_________________
“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland

“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red

[DuncanS]

Use the wire you have spliced together as a messenger to pull a new one piece wire so there won't be any failures in the future. Chewed wire could be in another place you didn't see and could fail.

Duncan

[jcannon]

Thanks Duncan S. Eventually I traced out the wire. It goes from the rear hatch, along the engine compartment back lip to the right tail light, up through the channel where the snorkel is, behind and just in front of the the right air intake louver, then into the interior dome light channel though a grommet. The grommet is on the same horizontal level as the dome lights. Finally, the wire connects to the right rear dome light.

If you don't have the rear hatch dome light switch, the factory wire route may be hard to replicate unless you headliner is out.

My van, which is an 87 syncro, has a spot for a 4th dome light over the passenger seat. There is a plastic block off plate in the hole. If you are rewiring your dome lights you can easily add one over the passenger seat. My wife would find it the most useful location.


Mice had also chewed off the wire between the air intake louver and the grommet. They chewed about 2/3 of the foam from the snorkel tube while they were at it.

It was very difficult to reach the wire stump that was left behind the louver and the wire did not want to pull through the grommet. I was able to solder new wire to the chewed stump and the switch works!

Honestly, it wasn't worth the amount of effort it took to fix. I don't need the dome lights to work via the tailgate. My wife said I only fixed it for the ego trip.

I hate mice. I really hate them. Besides clipping the dome light wire in 4 places, and chewing up the snorkel foam, I found they disconnected the snorkel at the bottom elbow. Also, they gnawed large access holes through the plastic panel that has part of the air intake.

[DuncanS]

The brown wire goes to the light. Run a new one from the light to the button switch and it will work.

[jcannon]

I have the same tailgate switch and it doesn't work. Mice got to the wire and chewed it off near the button. With that fixed, still no light. Tracing the wire it heads left to another chew off, fixed by the PO. But, the PO wired it to the side marker light, which is wrong.

Behind the right tail light I found a 9" section of the same brown wire chewed off at both ends. I can't find the original "end". This wire appear to not be in any harnesses.

Does anyone know where the brown switch wire is routed. Again, mine goes from the switch, along the rear of the engine compartment, and ends by the right tail light.

[DuncanS]

https://www.amazon.com/Dome-Light-Dimmer-Delay-Tim...&psc=1

[Timwhy]

Does anyone do the delayed off dome light for a mod anymore?
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'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary

http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee

[dougass]

Bumping my thread for zoning the interior lights & adding 3 position switches. For the hatch, I ended up isolating that zone completely and added a on-off-door switch to the D pillar.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=676948&highlight=
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'91 GL - 2.1 automatic named Klaus for weekend adventures.

#klausvan & @thisisklausvan

[jwallis]

[Red Ryder]

Remember each factory dome light can be individually switched, and each has three positions: On—Off—On with open door. In our Carat there are four door “plunger” switches, including the liftgate. Troubleshooting an issue on this circuit can be difficult. In addition, the plastic dome light fixture can be brittle and easily broken upon removal or reinstallation. Fortunately, replacements are readily available.
_________________
“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland

“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red

[Timwhy]

Another of Allister's pics

_________________
'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary

http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee

[jwallis]

I'm also trying to add a switch in this location. Can someone please take a picture of the bottom of the rear hatch on a van where this switch came standard? I imagine there's a bumper there that presses this switch that my van doesn't have, curious what it looks like. Here's what mine currently look like:

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[andy52]

[Timwhy]

[andy52]

[andy52]

[jimf909]

FWIW, there is not a plunger switch on my 1990 2WD Vanagon Westfalia...

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- Jim

[dougass]

Check to see if there is a rogue wire in the engine bay behind the license plate. It’s been a while since I fixed mine, but I recall the connector broken and wire tangled up in there somewhere.
_________________
'91 GL - 2.1 automatic named Klaus for weekend adventures.

#klausvan & @thisisklausvan