JUST BOUGHT A 86 FIREBIRD.
THE SELLER TOOK OUT HIS SPEAKERS, SUB WOOFER, ECT FROM THE BACK AND NOW THE HATCH WONT CLOSE.

THERE IS A WHITE WIRE THAT HANGS LOOSE AND I CANT FIND A CONNECTION FOR IT.....ANY HELP?

THANKS

 

On a 86 through 89 the white wire connects to nothing. From 90-91 it powers the interior hatch light. Use a test light or multi-meter to test that you have power at the red with white stripe wire. It connects to the blue wire of the hatch pull-down unit. If no power, check the #3 fuse (15 amp) located in the first row, third column. Also make sure the grounds are still attached just below the hatch pull-down unit on the drivers side. If all test ok, it could be the striker-sensing switch, reversing switch or motor. Also remember to follow the Tech Article I wrote on repairing these 1986-91 hatch pull-down units.

Lon Salgren
Top-Down Solutions

 

Sorry Lon,
I have to disagree with you. That white wire connects to the cargo compartment light.

 

Correct, on either 89-91 or 90-91 only it controls the interior hatch light. I'm not sure if it was model year 89 or 90 that they did the change over from a manually operated light to having it turned on/off with the striker-sensing switch. My 88 Formula is manual, my 90 RS (built in 89 as were all 90 model year cars) was controlled by striker-sensing switch. So as I said before on earlier models (such as his 1986) it connects to NOTHING.

Lon

 

As for the white wire, I didn't say it was connected to the hatch release mechanism that would activate the light when the hatch was released. It is a seperate circuit there that connects the cargo compartment light to the cargo compartment light switch which is powered by the "ACC" fuse.

 

I CHECKED THE WIRING LAST NIGHT.
1. MANUAL LIGHT, WHITE WIRE ATTACHED.
2. MOTER HAS WHITE WIRE GOING INTO THE WIRE PLUG OF 3 OR 4 WIRES.

3. THE WHITE WIRE IN QUESTION STILL HAS NO HOME, IT APPEARS THAT THE LIGHT "CLIP" IS ON AND LIGHT WORKS. THE MOTER PLUG HAS NO OTHER SPOTS FOR A WIRE TO HAVE FALLEN OUT OF AND THE 2 OTHER CONNECTIONS GOING TO THE PANEL HAVE ARE FINE.

THE PREVIOUS OWNER RAN OR HAD SOMEONE RUN WOOFER AND SPEAKERS TO THE BACK. THEY WENT THROUGH AND PLACE THE WIRES INTO THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE INTERIOR PANELS.
THE PASSANGER SIDE "SHOCK" HAS 2 WIRES HOOKED TO IT, ONE ON EACH END, ONE COMING FROM WIRE HARNESS THE OTHER COMING FROM WINDOW DEFROSTER.
THE DRIVER SIDE "SHOCK" HAS NO WIRES ATTACHED, TOOK OFF THE PANEL AND THE SEAT LOCK POST BUT COULD NOT FIND WHERE A GROUND MIGHT HAVE FALLEN DOWN......ANY CLUES...

THANKS