S13 Rear Hatch Wiring HELP!

[s73]

Just purchased a new rear hatch with clean glass for my S13 yesterday. When I got home I realized that there are no wires AT ALL left in this hatch. Its last owner also shaved the 3rd brake light, so no 3rd brake light (it was 40 bucks, cant pass this deal)

After looking around online and studying the FSM i couldnt find a clear answer to my questions, so i am posting here to see if anybody knows. this is what i need to do.

1) I need to wire the rear defroster

2) wire some sort of a 3rd brake light to keep the po-po off my ass

i know it would be a major pain to remove my old harness from the rusty hatch and try to snake it back in my new hatch. So i was thinking....is there a way to make a new harness from scratch to wire to the defroster? Where are these wires located on the body side? How do i know where i should tap in to wire the 3rd brake light?

Sorry if my post was a bit hard to read, any info on this would help.

thanks in advance

[TypeXFan]

Im not sure if this will help, but when my 3rd brake light, defroster, and rear window wiper wasnt working I found out that the wires running back there were cut right at the location of where the wire runs from the hatch to the body. This is the location of where the wires run.

http://i25.servimg.com/u/f25/16/55/79/62/dsc00021.jpg

[s73]

thanks for the reply!

i guess i can take off the interior covers and try to trace it back to the harness.

i was just hoping someone knows which wire is what, it could save me a lot of time trying to ID each wire. Plus, i need to re run the 3rd brake light, not to the hatch itself but to the deck cover thingie. I am thinking of using some random light bar or something and mount it to the deck cover. Hopefully that will get me pass safety inspections etc.

thanks for the pic tho.....anybody else?

[camaro379ss]

I pulled the wires out of my old hatch and put them in the new one with mechanics wire. Pulling them out was a PITA but putting them in was easy.

[s73]

Cool, so you have done this before. Did you have to cut any wires? Any hints on removing the interior trim pieces and the location of the clips?

any info on this would help! i am thinking about making a hatch harness from scratch. (call me crazy i am going to try to repair my rusty hatch since new hatch have no wiper. so i would have "back up hatches" plug and Play)

I pulled the wires out of my old hatch and put them in the new one with mechanics wire. Pulling them out was a PITA but putting them in was easy.

[camaro379ss]

I didnt cut a single wire. To pull them its alot of pulling back and forth, just be patient with it. You will be fighting the foam material wrapped around the wires thats the only thing that makes pulling them difficult.

removing the trim pieces is pretty simple...if you just pull towards you straight not at any angle then the clips will pop out and you wont break them. Otherwise jsut get an interior trim remover kit taht comes with differnt plastic tools and use those.

I would waste my time with making your own harness. Exactly what did you old hatch have and your new own doesnt? Just the 3rd brake light?

[s73]

thank for the quick reply...

i just took another look at the new hatch that i purchased. I was able to fish out bits and pieces of wires that was all hacked up...i will post a pic when i get a chance.

when you pull the trim pieces you just pull downwards towards the floor of the car? or towards the front or rear of the car?

My old hatch have: Wipers, 3 brake light, defroster

New hatch only have defroster.....so thats the only thing i need to wire to the hatch. But i also need to find the 3 brake light wire so i can rig up some sort of of a third brake light (prob going to screw into the rear hatch cover) just to get pass safety inspection.....and plus po-po in my area pulls people over for the smallest things......

I didnt cut a single wire. To pull them its alot of pulling back and forth, just be patient with it. You will be fighting the foam material wrapped around the wires thats the only thing that makes pulling them difficult.

removing the trim pieces is pretty simple...if you just pull towards you straight not at any angle then the clips will pop out and you wont break them. Otherwise jsut get an interior trim remover kit taht comes with differnt plastic tools and use those.

I would waste my time with making your own harness. Exactly what did you old hatch have and your new own doesnt? Just the 3rd brake light?

[s73]

Here are the pics of the wires that i fished out of the new hatch:


Pass side:
[http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7026/passq.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/638/passq.jpg/)
Pass side close up:

I am guessing here.....white plug to 3rd brake light, and black plug to defroster?
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/2145/passcloseup.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/709/passcloseup.jpg/)
whats left of the driver side
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/6128/driverog.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84/driverog.jpg/)

Can any of you guys ID this???

thanks a lot

[s73]

Ok guys...after looking at the wires that i fished out the hatch and the FSM....i think i figured some of it out, but not 100 % sure about the driver side wires.


Pass. side wires:

The white plug (red/green and black wire) = 3rd brake light.

The black plug = goes to the defroster on the glass

Driver side:

???????????????????

connect to the defroster on the glass, then to a body ground?

anybody knows if this is correct please let me know!

thanks again for all the replies guys

[camaro379ss]

I have an old complete wiring harness in the garage I will go take a look at here today to see since the one in my car has the wipere wiring removed. that last pic is a connector that goes on the drivers side for the defroster if I remember corrrectly

[s73]

any info on if its correct that the driver side defroster goes straight to a body ground?

[s73]

Bump to the top

[KiLLeR2001]

Only way to know for sure is to bust out the multimeter and see which wire is (+) and which is ground. Generally speaking, a blue with red stripe is a positive wire. There's two black wires that connect on the driver side. One with the plug is the exact same as the blue w/red stripe that goes to the transistor and then to the black plug on the passenger side. The other black wire on the driver side is near the top of the glass and appears to be soldered into the metal piece. This wire may be the ground wire, although I'm not sure, you need to find out.