# reel out trunk light trouble



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

:willy:well i found a nice reel out trunk light on ebay, bulbs good, cords good, sockets good but were the cord gos in the bracket there some sort of connector, its spring loaded but dont stay in, you push it in and wiggle it and the light will come and go some but when you let go it gos off, is this a combo switch connector or what? since these were made to take out i know they didint have a mercury switch so what kinda switch did they normaly have when you got that option? and i see some have a switch but mine has the connector were the switch is, is it a fuse holder? hows it come apart?


----------



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

heres the pics


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Dan, That is a Mercury switch. It stays on the mounting bracket. When you open the trunk lid, the switch turns the light on (so the light MUST mount to the lid). You can then reel the light out and it will remain lit. The wire frequently becomes detached. It isn't really servicable. I have seen them removed and replaced with a toggle switch....Eric P.S. Some guys have glued the wire back in with crazy glue ...Personally, I'd go the toggle switch route.:cheers


----------



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

ok well im gonna be hooking it up in my tempest, i know it was a dealer option at that time seeing has its in the dealer stuff that came with the car when new o na list f things the dealer could add, soo where is the sam hill would it plug up? or hookup?


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I have a NOS one in my stash....I will see if the install instructions give a "suggested location" ....gimme a few minutes. Eric


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Dan, sorry, no instructions in the box. I have seen them mounted on the trunk lid, to the left of the jack instructions. There is a hole for you to snake a wire through...down to the left, is where it should come out and clip onto the trunk hinge, then tap into the rear light harness near the left wheel well. best I can tell ya' ...E


----------



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

thanks for the info, i put a metor on it and tilted and it works, i had it flat when i tested it the first time but i didint know they had the switch on theme. well ok thats good to know, ill paint it silver to make it look new and then hook it up, thanks for the insight and thanks for opening the nos one to see for me, anyone know how many years you could get these lights? i know 50's and 60's but when they stop making theme?


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I had one that looked "dealer installed' in a 73 riviera....Also, If you polish it with steel wool it will look like shiney aluminum. E :cheers


----------



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

yeah well my car getsdriven so i need a trunk light in case i get a flat at night so why not install one of these right? ha thanks steel whool is easyer then painting


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

They are pretty cool! I'm puttin one in mine! E:cheers


----------



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

:confusedyeah i got mine installed and wire ran but when i fliped the switch it didint come on, i had power in the socker but the bulb wouldint light, even the new bulbs wouldint. the light on the switch would come and go so i bypassed the switch and it came right on, not only is it much brighter then a normal trunk light but the cord is so long i can reel it all the way out and lay it over the mirror on the driver side and sit the light on the air cleaner! man i love this thing, first time the old family car has ever had a trunk light. why the ever quit makeing these things?


----------



## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

They stopped making them because they were cool things. Now everything sux.:cheers


----------



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

ha im you you man, the last true american cars to me were the box caprices in the 80's and early '90's and the f body cars.


----------

