Hi guys,

I finally got around to fixing the lights on the new hatch today. The first time I hit the passing light the door popped open and the light came on. But now the door won't shut. The light workks fine.

Any ideas?

springs?

ask mc brat

Is this the 81 or 83 hatch? I ask because I am wondering if its the stock wiring or if you have done a DPDT or other type of setup for it.

It's the '81, the wiring is all stock

There is a sensor wire that tells the system when to stop the motor from running - it stops in the closed and in the open positions. I would check the connection at the plug, and if that doesn't do it, then maybe the soleniod that is responsible for turning the motor on and off with that signal.... if not there, then the motor itself might have bad contacts in the drive mechanism where the sensor contacts are located.... I've messed with a couple a little, but not in depth... I do have a wireing diagram around here somewhere of how the center lamp is supposed to be wired up from the factory. There's a bunch of wireing in there - mostly to handle that sensor signal, and some step-down resistors for the solenoids.... at least that's as much as I could make out of it from my cursory inspection of the system.

 

GD

My '82 did the same thing when I first got it. Was just playing around with it to see if it worked at all, I don't have the interior dashswitch for it.

 

By using jumper wires at the connector for the light, I could get the lamp to work, and get the door to open, I just couldn't get it to close.

 

Pulled the unit out of the BRAT, for a better look at it, thinking maybe something was amiss in the motor itself.

 

What I found was the wire to power the close circuit, had corroded off at the connection on the motor itself, where the pigtail is soldered to the motor. A little cleaning of the area, and some freshly applied solder fixed it.

 

Now I just need to wire in a control switch for it.