licence plate light wiring

[rmk57]

My 66 plate light doesn't work. I'd like to know where it enters/ exits the tailgate. Cant seem to find any holes anywhere, but the tailgate has had body work done at the bottom. Could be filled over?

 

[Attac]

One of the 66 guys will chime in as I don't know if they are different but all of mine has a hole in bottom curvature of tailgate and there is another hole usually behind the tag in the angled part of tailgate where indent is. 2 wires with a grommet on upper hole and lower.

 

[rmk57]

I have only one wire going inside the tailgate. I'm guessing the bulb housing is used as the ground though.

I'm suspecting the hole at the bottom has been filled over.

 

[DirtDonk]

Very likely. And yes, the housing grounds to the gate, and there are three holes if I remember.
One all the way on the underside, one at the first step pointed upward, and the third at the upper section facing roughly downward towards the other.
Never understood why they couldn't have just made a pocket for the wire along the side to connect to the two cavities, but this is how they chose to do it back then.

Because of the design of the socket wiring, it also takes a slightly unusual bulb. Forget the number, but it's not one of the standard ones you see everywhere else. I think it's got two contacts, but the alignment pins are of the same size and no offset like on an 1157 bulb.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[Attac]

here is a quick visual reference for ya.
Red circles are where all the holes should be. top hole is behind tag bracket

 

[rmk57]

Yes mine has the holes just as you described, minus the one exiting to the harness. My bulb is a single contact, I think a G3.

Thanks, Randy

 

[DirtDonk]

Ok, I certainly could be wrong on the bulb. Whatever fits and works is the right one!;D

 

[thegreatjustino]

Yes mine has the holes just as you described, minus the one exiting to the harness. My bulb is a single contact, I think a G3.

Thanks, Randy

Single contact bulb isn't correct for an OEM socket.

1178 is the OEM bulb

 

[ryan97]

Yes single + wire thru the underside curve of the tailgate below the license plate. Grounds thru the fixture

 

[Mikej2244]

Anyone have any good advice on grounding the tailgate itself. As noted, the license plate lamp grounds to the gate, but on my truck the gate is apparently not grounded well because my light does not work unless I jump the ground wire to the frame or body.

 

[Mikej2244]

Oops...nevermind...I just extended the ground wire down to the frame.