The previous owner attempted to replace the high stop bulb with and LED insert. He apparently achieved this by removing the connector, bending the wires on the bulb and wrapping them around the terminals that he ripped out of the connector. Oh and did I mention he used scotch tape to hold it all in place.

After a few minutes of profanity I went to the salvage yard and found the pig-tail wire, connector, and the reflector that was also missing. Hooked it all up and I have no fire reaching the bulb. I know the wiring runs across the roof and down the driver side pillar, but where does it go from there?

 

runs down the driver side rocker panel inside the car up under the dash to the brake switch mounted to the brake pedal mount.

http://www.austinthirdgen.org/mkport...ithout_T61.jpg

if you are electrically inclined, then you might understand the diagram. Its for a 92, but my 88 has the same wiring colors for at least the brakes, so it should apply to 91. To the right of the diagram you will notice the "Brake Switch". activates when depressed, you can see the top wire coming from a fused 12V (orange), but below that there are two wires, one carrying to your tail lights (light blue), and one, looks to be yellow from your brake swtich, that is for just your high mount stop lamp. Hope this helps.

Jon

 

I think I may know what happened. After I posted, I went in for an oil change. They told me that my brake lights didn't work. I pulled across the street into an auto parts store to see if it was a fuse. Sure enough the 10 amp fuse was blown. So I bought another and I was off. Funny thing was the girl at the store said it used a 20 amp fuse. When I got home I looked up the fuse panel in my Chilton book and sure enough it calls for a 20 amp. What gives? Did the previous moron, I mean owner put the wrong one in and I have just been lucky that it was enough to run the stop lights?

BTW, I took a look at your thread, nice work. I can't wait to see some finished pics of your car. Did you have to do anything special to put the 4th gen console in, or did it just bolt in like it should. I'd love to see a pic. I need to replace mine anyway and that would be a great upgrade.

Thanks.

 

as far as the "moron", you should be happy that they didn't put a 30 Amp in there, at least they were smart enough to put under the said voltage. . It's alright to underrate what manufacturers call for, it's bad to over. Your brake light would still work, it's just usually worst case scenerio, that curcuit calls for 20A, while on a normal basis it may use 5-10 give or take.

Thank you, it's taken a lot of work, but by the time i'm done it will be well worth it. I just wish that i lived in a warmer climate that i would get more than 7-8 month. Yea the car isn't complete as my signature sounds, lol. Right now it's a bare metal carcus, lol. Test fitted the center console, and as mentioned in other threads that i've read, the two rear bolts that go in the center console bolt in, and the radio pod holds the front down. Just got to trim the front two tabs. I actually just picked up some MINT formula 16" rims with the dimples. They look awesome, an IROC wonder bar for the steering, trans am stage 2 sway bar package, and the "Custom" trans am/gta door panels where the arm rests are molded into the panel. They look awesome. So the car is coming along nicely, there isn't one original body panel, and the entire interior is revived to new, so it should look phenominal when done, it's just the patience to do it, with the rush to get it out, ready, and painted for spring. All in all i'm pleased

 

Well I split the difference and put a 15 amp in and now everything is working. I guess I figured the same as the last guy. Better to go to low, than to high and blow something. It just scared me to death. It seems every time I try to fix something, something else stops working. I ran to the store and suddenly the dome light would not come on. Just bad bulb but its timing could have been better.

Sounds awesome. I'm going for a custom stock look myself. The interior will be all black and red. I am actually thinking about painting the existing grey panels instead of tracking down the black ones. A couple of hundred dollars worth of vinyl paint and a spray gun is better than all the time and money to track down the real ones. I've been thinking about the 4th gen console because it is already the color I want, and they seem to be more readily available. Basically I want onlookers to wonder if it came from the factory that way, or is it a custom car.

 

yea too high of a fuse you risk fire in some situations.

i do have to say, the 97-02 center consoles look clean (even though 93-96 are alright) after all is said and done, and i love the fact of the 4 cup holders. Don't get me wrong, i love the heritage and what not...but i'm the type that like leisure at times, and honestly i can't go anywhere without a drink it seems so cupholders are good, it's just in my firebird unlike my truck, i will indefinally keep them empty instead of stocking the car with empty cans, lol.

With my original door panels i was going to get the door cup holders from the 91/92 firebirds, but then i found these and already had the console with 4 cupholders so i coudln't turn down the door panels. I will just hold onto the door cupholders for the next project car.

 

Mine had those but I took them out. I would rather hold my drink next to the console with my let for the time being. At least that way it doesn't splash all over me, or come out in the floor board when I hit a bump in the road. But I think I am going to find the newer console now and I won't have to worry about either.