I am just beginning to dig through this 88 IROC I just bought, and was wondering what the flat contact switch was for on the rear body plastic panel. It has a matching partner on the hatch, and they obviously contact when the hatch is closed. Is this part of the hatch pull down? My upper switch has a broken pin, and I am wondering what it is and whether or not it is still available new, or not. Thanks, Oldtimer.

 

The contact plate should have 4 contacts. They are for the high-mount stop light (HMSL) and the optional wiper (if I'm not mistaken - if I am, somebody please correct me).

Hope this helps.
Lou

 

You are right. There are 4 contacts. My 89 TA has only 2 in use, for the tail light in the spoiler

 

Correct. Early cars used it for the optional rear wiper motor. When the HMSL moved from the top of the hatch to the spoiler it was used for that. Just used two contact pins on the top piece from then on since that is all that is needed to power the HMSL.

Lon

 

yeah apparently theres four contacts but only an X numberof them were actually used on a given car


i found that out on an 88 camaro i stripped that had a third brake light but nothing else back there




weird stuff



or interesting

sort of

i think i still have the contact plates laying around somewhere in the building here, i rmemeber seeing one in the basement earlier this year, but dunno where now



maybe

unless i finally tossed them in scrap

goood luck

 

Thanks, guys. It looks like only 2 of the 4 were used here, too, as the car does not have the rear wiper. One of the two tabs on the hatch is broken off, but I haven't checked to see if the light works or not. I don't recall my 82 having the plate, but it was a non wiper, pre hmsl car. Thanks, Oldtimer.

 

Interesting... I have two contacts - but no center brake light or wiper in the back. I had assumed it was a sensor for the hatch pull down.

I'm curious - did all 1988 T/A's come with a center brake light? I know it was around that time they were optional, I forget when they started to become standard..

 

Overcast32, the hmsl became federally mandated starting in the 86 model year. They resided on the top of the hatch the first year, and moved into the spoiler area after that. Later on, they moved to the inside of the rear glass, but I do not know if wiring was the same through the years. If a post 85 car has no hmsl, it was removed by someone, or a hatch/spoiler was swapped somewhere along the line. Oldtimer.