tailgate overhead light randomly works when opened

[benjamin247]

8/10 times the overhead light for the rear gate doesn't light up when opened. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[Sisente]

I had an issue with both dome lights. Similar. I took both of them out, and cleaned the contacts. They work great now. Just used a small wire brush.

 

[Koch13351]

I had an issue with both dome lights. Similar. I took both of them out, and cleaned the contacts. They work great now. Just used a small wire brush.

The contacts in the lights, door switches, or both? I occasionally have this issue as well.

 

[BlazeRunner]

Check under the wire loom where the gate connects to the body for damaged wires, common issue with age.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

I had to replace the front two door switches to get the dome light to come on consistently. They're 20 a piece at autozone with life time warranty. I would not rule out a bad door switch for your rear cargo light either.

I also put CREE 5w LED in while I was at it. Much brighter now too.

 

[Sisente]

The contacts in the lights, door switches, or both? I occasionally have this issue as well.

The contacts in the light switch itself were the culprit in my case.

(Ignore the arrows in the pic) What I am referring to is the section circled in red.

 

[jeremyc74]

It could be just a bad bulb. Sometimes the filament will break, and then flop around and make contact and work sometimes.

The contacts are also a likely issue, as mentioned above.

Just a word of caution about changing that bulb though. If you're not careful it will go all the way through and end up in the headliner. My truck has something sliding around up there that's been in there since I bought it, and the other day I was changing this bulb to LED and it went all the way through and I suspect that's what it is. I fished the LED out but the other one is all the way at the front now and is going to require taking the headliner down to get to.

The easiest way is to just take the fixture out completely and put a new bulb in.

 

[Dephcon]

I only have 2 of my 5 door switches working. Pull the rubber boot and one bolt, then one wire to unplug. Very easy to replace.

 

[jgue467]

The contacts in the light switch itself were the culprit in my case.

(Ignore the arrows in the pic) What I am referring to is the section circled in red.

Same thing just started happening on my rear light. Maybe its all the humidity in central tx?