Hi Gang,

The license plate lights on my '83 245 are not working. I checked and reseated the fuse... no change. I pulled the headliner in the rear (driver's side) where the wiring connects to the tailgate harness... I unplugged the square 2-prong connector and put a voltmeter on the contacts. With the lights on, I should be getting 12V here, right? Is there some kind of inline fuse, or a ground point I can check? The wiring to the tailgate (thru the hinge) is in good shape. Thanks.

-Josh in Seattle

Check your tailgate wiring harness in the upper hinge area. This is a known problem area for wagons. Also verify the ground wires are also in good shape.

the license plate lights have bulbs inside them and u should be able to unplug them fromt he socket to see if the bulb is burned out u can buy them at canadian tire store not expensive and also check the fuse panel for burned out fuse
samm

Forgive me for asking an obvious question: have you pulled the license plate lights off and checked the wiring there? The gaskets on those plastic lamps are wimpy and the wiring gets wet alot. Eventually the connectors and wiring turn all green and crumbly in there... soldering on new connectors is helpful, and replacing the lamps is not too expensive (10-15 USD each) if the metal parts are too far gone.

I'm not sure about the connector you mentioned, but I'd guess you'll need current there in order for the lights to work...

I guess I should also have stated that I checked the bulbs, the wiring in the tailgate, and the plastic light housings. They are all fine. The problem is not in the tailgate.

I started looking at the wiring diagram in Bently last night, and I will probably trace some wires tonight. Must be a broken wire or short somewhere. Thanks.

-Josh