Connector nut?
almost sounds like he hooked one ammeter wire to a chassis ground stud.
does he know FOR SURE the smoke was inside the car not under the hood?
a puff of smoke and now nothing 69 valiant electrical issue
- Thread starter sketch
- Start date
-
almost sounds like he hooked one ammeter wire to a chassis ground stud.
does he know FOR SURE the smoke was inside the car not under the hood?
dirty white boy
50 yr old Juvenal delinquent
most positive ground systems ive seen were 4 6v battery's run in parallel on big trucks of the 60s!
sketch
Well-Known Member
so he hooked up the hot wire (red) to a bolt that held in the temperature gauge. Needless to say, the gauge temperature meter pinned at hot when he hooked it up and now the needle is gone. No power whatsoever to car anywhere now. Did he just create a 3000 pound boat anchor?
sketch
Well-Known Member
he was unsure. I know that the fuse box smells like a fuse box should not smell. the nut was one of the nuts that hold in a gauge
dirty white boy
50 yr old Juvenal delinquent
boat anchor no,..big big head ache, sure seems so, every mopar'enthooosist gotta roll up there sleeves and skrate'in out there wiring sooner or later!!
sketch
Well-Known Member
notice the missing line for temperature gauge.
The circle is where he had the red wire screwed in to.
dirty white boy
50 yr old Juvenal delinquent
whats the wires look like that go to the back of the dash?? burnt? melted? all stuck together?? need to remove wraping from wiring to see if its good or a melted mess! if good hook it all back right and see what you got! if not theres 4 or 5 places to get new wiring harness kit!
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
If the alternator is connected that is what blows everything up. It forms a dead short through the ammeter/ bulkhead connector/ fuse link to the battery.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
THIS HERE
Get your son to chime in here. ***** getting lost in translation and it's taken 2 pages to find out what he did.
No offense, but if hes gonna work on it he better learn. Or yes itll be a 3000 lb anchor in short time. Get a fire extinguisher, not joking.
No offense, but if hes gonna work on it he better learn. Or yes itll be a 3000 lb anchor in short time. Get a fire extinguisher, not joking.
sketch
Well-Known Member
see photo above from ammeter. I (son) connected red wire to the bolt my dad circled. that was not the right place. so, we will check wires first. if they are melted, new harness, right? it they are not and it still doesn't work....what next? thanks
sketch
Well-Known Member
so if wire is not melted, suggestions?, Fuse link?
1969FB & 1967NB Cuda
Well-Known Member
Maybe I can help Disconnect both battery terminals!!! Double check your ammeter connections on the back of the dash. One wire is a 12 Gauge red wire, this comes from the battery to the ammeter. The other is a 12guage black wire and runs to the ignition switch. If theses are correct. You need to check the Fusible link, it is basically a smaller gauge wire that will burn first, the weak link in the chain. This to protect the wire harness. Unfortunately sometimes they locate this in the cluster of wires at the bulkhead connector which is not very accessible. The connection here at the harness which carries all the high current and is notorious for starting fires at the bulkhead due to corrosion/resistance which cause it to heat up. Then you need to check the fusible link. You can use a cheap voltage probe with power on but in your case I would be hesitant as you may have a created a short grounded. the safe way to check the fusible link with power disconnected is to use any cheap DVM set to low resistance or continuity mode. Connect the DVM meters black wire to the ammeter 12 gauge red wire, then use the other to probe the 12 red gauge wire that comes from that red wire at the starter relay. You may need a long extension wire to reach it. What your looking for is continuity between the ammeter red wire and that same 12 gauge red wire that goes to the starter relay(which the battery is connected to) This will tell you if the fusible link is blown and or the resistance of that infamous dangerous high current connection between the firewall and passenger compartment. I am working on my car now going through all the wiring. I am going to bypass that firewall connection by running a new red 10 gauge wire through a another firewall grommet. I have heard one to many stories of that high resistance connection starting a fire right at the fire wall. I am moving the fusible link to the starter/battery side instead of at the firewall. When these fires start they will take out your entire bulkhead harness. I hope this helps. A note is if I remember, fusible links are 2 gauges smaller that the wire it protects and has an improved insulation and keep it short like 4 inch's. I recommend using non-insulated connectors, then soldering and use at least 2 layers of good shrink tubing. hopes this helps
Last edited:
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
IF nothing melted in the harness, yes, fuse link
HOW TO START OVER
Unwrap the harness following the red wire. It will go to the bulkhead connector. If you see no evidence of meltage after "a foot or so" you may have lucked out
When you get the fuse link repaired, instead of hooking it all up direct to the battery, connect your battery positive cable, leave the ground off. Now scare up an old tail/ turn lamp socket or solder up wires to an 1156 or 1157 bulb, or an old headlight. You want a fairly heavy wattage bulb
Now connect that lamp from the NEG battery cable clamp to the battery NEG post. This puts that large wattage lamp in series with battery ground and will protect the system.
Now make certain EVERYTHING is off in the car, and that the doors (dome light) are closed. If the lamp lights, you either still have something powered on, or you still have a short.
If the lamp is dark, reconnect battery and go from there
The ammeter is a part of the battery power feed. There are two different colors used so the ammeter reads correctly.
When the wires are connected, black is hot, just like the red is hot.
The black wire is connected to the MAIN JUNCTION. This is a WELDED SPLICE.
Everything connected to the welded splice is hot.
The splice joins the two power sources, battery and alternator, with the dircuits that feed everything else.
When the key is off, half of the fuses are off.
With the key off, there should still be power at the fuses for the dome light, brake lights, tailights. There should also be power for the headlights (no fuse - circuit breaker inside the headlight switch).
If none of them have power, then the break is in the circuitry before where they all join. Right?
Last edited:
The cable routing and hookups on a '69 Valiant should be lke this.
Note the ammeter red wire comnnection is labeled red.
Items noted as E Series is wiring for model year 1969.
Note the ammeter red wire comnnection is labeled red.
Items noted as E Series is wiring for model year 1969.
Last edited:
sketch
Well-Known Member
yeah, no power at all. my son thought he saw the dome light on for a second after i fixed the ammeter wires but no
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Where are you on this? What have you checked tested and what have you replaced
"No power at all" is pretty limited. Battery wiring to starter relay stud, fuse link, "big red" through the bulkhead connector terminals, continue on to ammeter, and black leading out of ammeter. That black splits off a few inches down (wrapped up) at the "welded splice" and branches off to headlights, to ignition switch, to fuse panel "hot buss" and on out through bulhead (big black) to alternator output stud
"No power at all" is pretty limited. Battery wiring to starter relay stud, fuse link, "big red" through the bulkhead connector terminals, continue on to ammeter, and black leading out of ammeter. That black splits off a few inches down (wrapped up) at the "welded splice" and branches off to headlights, to ignition switch, to fuse panel "hot buss" and on out through bulhead (big black) to alternator output stud
sketch
Well-Known Member
still checking things. Is it possible i fried the whole cluster? like none of the gauges will work? If so, any idea where to get another cluster?
sketch
Well-Known Member
see picture in 31. that gauge the needle went all the way right and disappeared. I reviewed the diagram but i am confused. there is literally no power anywhere. No headlights, no door dome, horn, etc. I used a light meter to check if the battery fried and it is showing power. A restoration mechanic said the whole cluster was shot and the nuts on the back were corroded/worn like someone had busted some of them off and that it was from the electricity coming back when my son hooked the hot wire to one of the bolts that is not the ammeter.
sketch
Well-Known Member
he is unsure. there is a photo of where he hooked the red wire. now, nada in the eletrical works
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Then he may have but THAT IS NOT THE CAUSE of you not having power. Take a "working car" Let's remove the cluster............Unhook battery.........remove ammeter gauge wires and BOLT THEM TOGETHER AND TAPE THEM. Now, with the cluster completely removed, the car will start and run normally.
So what changed? As I said it's in the diagram I referenced. Follow along for about the third time:
Power comes off the battery and to the BIG STUD on the starter relay which is one of the relay contacts and also a junction point. From there power goes through the FUSE LINK (RED) and to and through the BULKHEAD CONNECTOR. From there it goes inside the passenger compartment and connects to the AMMETER (RED)
So check that far: Power at the starter relay stud? Power at the BIG RED wire cavity in the bulkhead connector? Power at the BIG RED wire at the ammeter? You are losing it in that area somewhere "I bet"
dirty white boy
50 yr old Juvenal delinquent
it is possible he blew the lil gauge cluster relay, but if you ant got power back any wheres else then you need to trace your power wires from battery to bulkhead connector, threw bulk head connector and to dash!!
What is it that you are confused about?
How to read thee diagrams ?
That the mechanic said one thing but your observation show something else?
Last edited:
-
