Help me behind the dash!!

-
Den's Dart

Den's Dart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2010
Messages
98
Reaction score
0
Location
Whitby Ontario
So, I have been working on geeting some of my dash wiring back to working but have come across a few oddities I could use some help with!

First of all does anyone know what this connector might be? This mysterious V shaped connector with 3 red wires...

Also, is there a way to actually test a voltage limiter? Both fuel and temp guages are dead so I assume it is pooched but would rather not waste 50 bucks if I don't have to (and dread the thought of "building a replacement!)

Third, I have a blue wire with white tracer that is unconnected that seems to be supplying 12v constant (switched at the ignition only) and nothing I switch seems to kill the voltage. Any thoughts what it is supposed to feed?

Thanks in advance,
Dennis
 

Attachments

  • mysterious connector.jpg
    93.2 KB · Views: 314
Dennis what year/ model is your car?

So far as the limiter, I would not waste my time. The gauges are worth more than the gamble. You can buy solid state replacements from different sources. I got mine from RTE
 
What year Dart if that's what you are working on.
If the wires are pink it's probably emergency flasher connector with 2 wires on one side and 1 wire to the other.
It's hard to tell color the camera flash kind of washes the color out.
 
x2


I believe the car to be 70 dart



67Dart273 said:
Dennis what year/ model is your car?

So far as the limiter, I would not waste my time. The gauges are worth more than the gamble. You can buy solid state replacements from different sources. I got mine from RTE
Click to expand...
 
sorry guys, yes it is a 70 Dart. And I assumed they were red and just faded a bit but pink is probably closer to it...

It may not matter as it looks like I will have some major wiring in my future (did I mention I HATE electrical work???)

All kinds of funky things found once I started looking around. Some of my issues are (but not limited to):
-no oil light
-dead gas guage
-dead temp guage
-blinkers work (sort of) but only with the head lights in the off position. When they are in either on or park position I get one audible click and that's it
-no blinker lights on the dash
-no parking brake light (but that's ok as the cable is snapped anyways!!)
- battery guage seems to work but swings more than I would suspect (almost like the guage is weak)

Looks like I have mucho forum searching ahead of me....wish me luck!
 
Good Luck with that...Take your time. I had to do the same thing to my car..( 1973 Scamp ). The only lights that worked were the head lights... All the rest of the bulbs were burned out..
 
Well the dash does light up when I put the lights on so that's the one thing that actually works!! LOL...god I hate wiring especially when the PO butchered the harness and now NONE of the colours match up with a normal wiring diagram!
 
I just checked mine , its the 4 way flasher plug
 
On my 71 dart, the emergency flasher is under the driver side, the turn signal flasher is on the by the glove box. Gotta be one of those. When I replaced them, they were two different part numbers, but I don't know if that's accurate
 
Den's Dart said:
Well the dash does light up when I put the lights on so that's the one thing that actually works!! LOL...god I hate wiring especially when the PO butchered the harness and now NONE of the colours match up with a normal wiring diagram!
Click to expand...

What are you using for a diagram?

Here's a 70 Plymouth (look at the Valiant diagrams) that you can download for free, from MyMopar. Unfortunately you'll have to argue with page numbers

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/servicemanuals/1970_Plymouth_Service_Manual.zip

more stuff

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31


Describe more about these mystery wires, the blue/ tracer? Is this a single connector, IE what is at the end, in what part of the dash is it located, IE what is nearby?
 
Ok, as for the mystery wire that is providing 12v it is a blue/white wire and seems to come from one of the connectors under the steering column (there are 2 separate sets of connectors under that column each with about 8 wires I believe connected at a plastic strip connector). It appears to be the same colour as one of the pins on the back of my dash panel.

The problem is that the PO decided (I am assuming in a bid to make disconnecting the dash easier) to splice the wires that lead from the back of the dash feeding the printed circuit board and splice in a 4 wire trailer wire type connector to use as a quick disconnect. Of course now, this is just another potential point of failure and at least extra resistance at the junction. The other problem is he didn't use any of the same colour wires and the wires left behind are too short to access and resplice!

Can any one tell me what each of the wires on the back of the printed circuit board are responsible for? (I believe there are 5 or 6 and connected in the upper right of the board if viewed from behind the dash)

I will attach a couple of pics in hope they help a little but I must admit is hard to get a decent photo while standing on your head under the dash!!
 

Attachments

  • wiring 1.jpg
    139.4 KB · Views: 226
  • wiring 2.jpg
    91.7 KB · Views: 223
  • wiring 3.jpg
    148.7 KB · Views: 238
  • wiring 4.jpg
    139.4 KB · Views: 245
So what I am wondering is in that bottom pic you will see a blue/white that is sliced to a white. In terms of the dash what does that feed? That is the wire that "appears" to be the same as my mystery blue/white. Currently that splice goes to a bluish purple solid wire that goes in to the harness....
 
I dont understand why folks attempt repair work there after they know just snapping a pic aint easy.
My advise, Get yourself a service manual and remove the inst' panel so you can properly repair it and the related wiring.
 
Well I did try to pull the panel without luck and was afraid I would bust one of the pins or something. I do have a clymer manual but unfortunately when the PO hacked the old wiring none of it makes sense anymore....
 
If you haven't figured it out yet I believe this is what you are looking for.
gray wire on connector: oil
orange: instrument lights
tan: I believe right signal light
blue/white: low brake warning light This is a ? it says dark blue with tracer. That looks like white with blue tracer.
red:high beam light
 
As hacked up as that connector wiring is, I'd do the same thing as I did on my 67--because the PC connectors are in such bad shape. Just scrape the board clean and solder pigtails to the board in place of the pins. Then go to Mouser, Digikey, or even you local RadioShack and get one or two Molex style connectors and replace the whole thing

So far as pulling the cluster, drop the column down, pull the speedo cable and ammeter wires, and of course the connectors and it should come right out.
 
I don't know if this is some alt batt voltage wire the PO added, but sure I don't think it belongs there. Not with a stock voltage limiter anyway
 

Attachments

  • wiring 2.jpg
    102 KB · Views: 195
Well I couldn't even look at it tonight. But thatnks for the info Norshor on what each of those Pins are at the connector in the upper right.

I am hoping to get back at it tomorrow evening (my wife is on afternoons so I am stuck being a semi-involved parent instead of a horrible mechanic!)

With luck I will be able to pull the cluster and get a better look at it from behind....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top