I've repaired problems with both my top and to my tail lights in the past, but at this point I am stuck and would love help.

If I attach the grounding wire that I put in to resolve the tail light issue, then I blow the 5 amp fuse whenever I try to engage the convertible top mechanism, but the taillights work properly. (5 amp Fuse #1 in the luggage compartment next to the battery: "Convertible: Reversing lamps; rear quarter windows raise/lower relays").

If I remove the grounding wire, the top works fine, but some of my rear lights do not work properly.

Any thoughts? Thanks!!!

 

When you drilled the hole, did you catch some of the circuit tracks?

 

I didn't drill, Wayne. I wound a wire around a portion of the track and attached the other end to the small bolt on the body.

 

Which fuse blows? Can you please snap a photo of the ground connection (both sides)?

John

 

^^+1

 

The common point in the lighting and roof pump circuits is the ground point for the righthand side rear lights and the roof pump relays power outputs. That's the rearmost ground point on the righthand side of the trunk.

Sounds like the tags on the grounding wires for the lights and the roof pump are connecting to each other, but not to ground itself for some reason. The low power of the lighting circuit can ground through the pump thus seeming to operate the lights correctly, but the high power pump draws much more current and so when grounding through the lighting circuit blows one of the 5A fuses.

When you remove the lighting circuit ground wire, could the pump ground wire for some reason, correctly connect to the bodywork where it wasn't before?

When it's not working, use a meter to check for resistance between the the actual ground wires and a definite ground point, High or low?

 

I'm guessing you are correct. I thought the whole circuit board could be used for grounding and I have the wire around one of the thinner portions in the middle. Oops. I'll relocate to the outer portion and see if that works. If so, I'll drill a small hole and affix permanently.

 

Seems to be working properly. Thanks to all!