Topic: Courtesy light ground fastback body

[Horsman]

The left rear round courtesy light does not work. Thought it was an easy bulb replacement but not so easy. Have power but have lost ground for the socket. Can someone tell me where the ground connection is for the end of the light harness on that left rear socket.

By the way all the other interior courtesy lights are working in the car.

Thanks in advance.

[196667Bob]

Attached are from 1967 Electrical Assembly Manual.

Hope this solves your problem.

Bob

[Horsman]

Attached are from 1967 Electrical Assembly Manual.

Hope this solves your problem.

Bob

Thanks Bob, I see in the illustration the harness ground is behind the fiberglass panel. Dumb question, but I guess the panel would need to be removed to find and secure that ground?

[67gta289]

Yes. But if you pull the light out you could use a meter and test it from the connector.  If good your problem is elsewhere.

[Bossbill]

If you see the ground wire dangling you could use a magnetized socket/bit and a self tapping screw and self tap a new hole in the sheet metal through that small access hole. Or just add a new ground wire if you can't see the existing wire. The tube doesn't help things much.

But test first as John suggests.

edit => add help!

[Horsman]

Yes. But if you pull the light out you could use a meter and test it from the connector.  If good your problem is elsewhere.

I used my test light grounded at the seatbelt bolt, touched the center button in the bulb holder socket and it lit up the test light. I clipped my test light at the exposed ground lead at the back of the bulb holder socket, then touched the center button, test light did nothing. All other lights in the car are working. My guess is the ground came loose somehow.

[jwc66k]

To confirm you have a ground problem, with a bulb in the socket, one car door open and a grounded test lamp, touch the bulb's socket. Both that bulb and the test lamp should come on dimly.
Jim 

[Horsman]

To confirm you have a ground problem, with a bulb in the socket, one car door open and a grounded test lamp, touch the bulb's socket. Both that bulb and the test lamp should come on dimly.
Jim

Thanks Jim. I attached my test light to the seatbelt bolt, door opened, touched the test light to the bulb holder and side of the installed bulb. The only bulb that came on was the test light. Ground problem?

[jwc66k]

Thanks Jim. I attached my test light to the seatbelt bolt, door opened, touched the test light to the bulb holder and side of the installed bulb. The only bulb that came on was the test light. Ground problem?

That's weird. The only conditions I can think of that would do that are: the bulb in the test light draws less current than the the courtesy light; the courtesy light bulb is shorted internally; the courtesy light socket is shorted to the feed wire. At this point, I would remove the courtesy light housing and do some "disassembling" and continuity testing on the bench. You can get a "decent" pocket size multi-meter at Harbor Freight to do this for under $7.00 to do this. (I got 3.)
https://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-63759.html?_br_psugg_q=multi+meter
Jim