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Brenton --
All the wires for electrical functions inside the tailgate (wiper, defroster, lock, third brake light, and license plate lights) go through harnesses in the right and left hinges. After 12 years or 250 openings 'n closings, whichever comes first, the wires break.
The hinges also have a black ground wire, which is riveted to each side of the hinge, spanning the pivot. To make life interesting, this ground wire breaks early (it's a feature, not a design shortcoming).
This wire is essentially non-repairable (too short). On my various wagons—and I'm up to four in the yard now—I've first removed the broken ground, and then successfully run an auxiliary ground.
You can replace these harnesses, ot you can repair then by pulling up excess wire and splicing. I like to rebuild the harnesses using instrument test lead wire. This wire is highly stranded, so withstands much flexing. Also, good test lead wire has rubber insulation (not plastic) so remains flexible in the cold.
For the ground, run an extra wire, and attach it to the metal chassis under the headliner (first sand off the paint), and under a screw head near the wiper motor. This ground will insure that the electrical accessories in the tailgate have a good return path without interfering with each other. The hinges, latch, and gas struts do NOT provide a reliable ground.
Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)
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