I recently acquired a 1988 SR5 3.slow automatic and for the most part it’s solid. I have two pressing problems that I haven’t quite been able to find the solutions to online.

1. When I got the car, I rolled the back window down and tried to open the tailgate but couldn’t. I tried pulling up the lock on the inside but it did not move. When I went to roll the window up, I had to push the tailgate closed while someone pressed the switch inside the cabin. About an hour later, the REAR DOOR light appeared on the dash but the tailgate is closed. Any tips for being able to open the tailgate and fix the issue?

2. The lights in the shifter have never come on but once since I’ve had the car. They briefly came on once a few days after I got it and I haven’t had any luck since. Could this be a faulty bulb, wiring issue, or a fuse? Also how can I remove the shifter bezel without destroying it or the center console?

Anyway, sorry for the lengthy post and thank you in advance for any pointers or solutions! If anyone has links to threads on these topics that I may have missed please send them my way. Thanks!