EA-vette

I am new to the forum. As I progress on this 1989 C4 restore I am finding fix one thing...find a hand full of others to fix. Yikes...but that's why it's a challenging hobby.

Here's my new head scratcher. I removed all the carpet for either cleaning or replacing. When I removed the rear deck carpet the switch that releases the deck glass stopped functioning! Good thing I surfaced the manual release cable before I took the carpet out. Since I have all the door panels, and console out I am just using the driver door switch. Literally worked to open the back glass removed carpet no work no more. (I did remove the negative battery cable to stop the alarm that fired up when I opened the passenger's side door).

Any ideas on why?? Corvettes...doncha just love em!!

Eldon

confab

I may be talking out of school.. But I think I had the same problem and (If I remember right) it was the interior light timer?

I am wanting to say it burned up and the door hatch switches didn't work, but the console switch did?

It's an 85 so it may be different, but the int lights in the halo quit working too. When I jumped past it, the lights worked again and so did the door switches.

belairbrian

Did you reconnect the battery?

EA-vette

Yep. Thought that with the battery disconnect maybe a "reset" was in order so I hit the ignition key, also.

I'm going to freshen up all the grounding connections as this little electrical gremlin isn't the only one I have experienced (radio playing then stopping then playing again...environmental controls on then off then back on).

Confab may be on to something. As I strolled out to continue on the "restore corvette" experience I hit the switch again. It worked.

Thanks for helping me out.

EA-vette

You hit the nail on the head. Since this Vette is in an advanced state of interior dismantle I was leaning in the window to hit the switch...nada. I opened the door...dome lights cam on...presto...switch worked.

Thank you ihatebarkingdogs.

Cliff Harris

I don't know about other years, but my '86 (with auto trans)... The hatch release buttons on the doors are grounded through the interior light delay timer. The interior lights must be on for the switch to work. Seems stupid to me because you can't get to the switches with the doors closed.

The center console release switch is grounded in two different ways, depending on whether you have an auto or manual trans. If you have an auto trans, it gets its ground from the starter solenoid (the hatch can't be opened while the starter is cranking -- weird). The manual trans grounds through the emergency brake. The brake must be engaged to open the hatch.