Interior light wiring question

[dw1]

The gremlins are back.

In the center "rocker" position, the interior lights each stay on when the doors are closed, or when the door switch is disconnected.

Yes, I checked the door switches, they check electrically o.k.

So it looks like I have a ground short in the lead between the door switch and the light. Somewhere in the door pillar or beneath the headliner.

Has anyone been successful in pulling this wire out completely & intact from the door switch end? My thought was to attach a string to one end, pull out the wire, and look for insulation breaks, mouse chewing, etc., and use the string to facilitate installation of a new wire.

I really don't want to pull the headliner, but after checking the door switch, the visible portions of the wire at both ends, the "rocker" bulb holder switch, and the connection between the body and the bulb holder, I can't think of anything else but the wire itself.

BTW, the car is an '87 sunroof coupe Carrera 3.2. With a black interior, so having the interior lights work properly would be nice.

Thanks

[ossiblue]

Is this a new situation?

Do the lights shut off in any of the rocker positions?

[dw1]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm not sure when it started, but the problem has been there for awhile now.

I thought I had it fixed by just moving the applicable wire, and better insulating it where it passes through a sheet metal hole above the lamp, but the problem returned after driving the car a few times.

Of course, the problem return drained the battery.

In the "tilted forward" position and center positions, the light is on all the time. The light is off in the "tilted back" rocker position.

[ossiblue]

It's been a long time since I was into the headliner, but I don't think you can easily replace the wire from the door switches. I think they run from the switch through a loom and are secured by tabs at a few places along the run so tying a string to the end and pulling the wire through won't work. I guess you could test it by pulling on the wire (gently) at the door, and see if the wire to the light moves easily (careful!). Also, the wires between the door switchs are connected somewhere along their run so opening one door grounds both lights. This would make me think they cannot easily be fished out.

Save removal of the headliner as a last resort. Double check the reliability of each switch--remember they are wired together so you may get a false reading. I cannot remember if the interconnecting of the switch wire is under the headliner but if it is, it may be hard to determine which wire to which door switch is faulty if you cannot isolate them from eachother.

As I said, it's been awhile so my ideas may be off. I hope someone with more recent experiences can join in. It really is a simple circuit, and I've not heard of any wires chaffing on their own inside the sheet metal--but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

Keep us updated, please