Voltage drop issue- where to go from here

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Voltage drop test under hood was 1.2V before I pulled the dash... Im thinking some of it came from a burnt wire I found last night, and am going to track down today.
Any suggestions Dart on a way to protect and fuse the remnents of my cluster?
 
In my opinion.. A bunch of solder isn't the best way to go about repairing loose/broken pins. Reason being.. If the pin should pull away with the harness connector at next service it will peel and carry the copper trace with it.
I know some of these boards are reproduced today. I don't know if these same boards are. Good used boards will be difficult to find.
I wouldn't attempt to clean up and properly repair what you have pictured.
 
Just got done building out my distribution block. Tell me what you think. Im feeding small low amperage equipment out of it likes the lights on my aftermarket gauges, and a few other small things.
The individual jumpers are 14 gauge, the input power wire is 10 (the larger wire in the center of the block), with a 20 amp fuse (each individual line out is fused as well, with the fuse recommended by the product) Im going to mount it up on the firewall, next to the drivers side fresh air duct. Seems like a good out of the way place.
Think that will work pretty decently to keep things organized and neat, as well as electrically sound?
 

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Well redfish, the boards are getting removed today. The only things thats running off the board is going to be the fuel gauge, and lights for the speedo/vac gauge. I removed all the other gauges last night, and spent this morning cleaning and prepping the bezel for some paint. If anyone needs the gauges or one of the boards, let me know.
 
Well somethings not right.. decided not to cut the dash and install gauges today. Put everything back how it came out, hooked the battery up, then turned the headlights on. My aftermarket voltmeter jumped like it usually does, then went to zero, and no lights... WTF.... Ok where to start now? Everything was hooked back up correctly, I tested everything as I went... why no juice?
 
RedFish said:
I wouldn't attempt to clean up and properly repair what you have pictured.
Click to expand...

He can always abandon the original connector. I bought a couple of Molex style plugs at the local RadShack and used those instead. Soldered pigtail wires to the back of the board traces


Viper21700 said:
Well somethings not right........................... why no juice?
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Check the fuse link under the hood. You do? do not? have a service manual?

Download one or more fer free here:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1970088617
 
If you are truly getting a 1 V drop between BATT+ and IGN1, the drop is most likely in the key switch, since I don't recall IGN1 goes thru a fuse, and you no longer have a bulkhead connector. The key switch is the only thing between the two.

Insure you truly are on the IGN1 side of the ballast. Your photos are too small to tell, plus the wire colors look different than factory.

On the path from BATT1 to the key switch, I vaguely recall there is a fused junction point (for Aux loads like a spotlight?). Those junctions can get corrosion (green).
 
Dart,
I broke out my schematics from my FSM. Ive got one of the OLD school Chilton's (from the 70's.. not a auto store special mind you, an actual Chiltons shop manual.) Ive got a fusible link on the firewall right at the starter relay POS stud. Going to check that. I also have a **** load of excess red wire ran under the dash... Wierd thing is, someone tied the aftermarket voltimeter into the car. I had no lights or power at all until I plugged it back in like it was (I pulled it to trace some wiring out) what sort of idiot run's all the wireing through a damned voltimeter? Ammeter is one thing, but jesus.. I swear this car is about to get about ten pounds of detcord and C4 shoved inside for an insurance claim haha.
 
in all honesty though, after seeing the mess that the wiring under the dash is in (factory wiring harness is there, but it looks like someone spliced in a second wiring harness) Im half tempted to go order a painless wiring kit and rebuild the entire thing. Im actually scared of this car's wiring at this point in time. Anyone want to direct me to a good kit that fits the bill of what I need?
 
You have several ways to go.............

Go through your own harness and repair as necessary

Find a good used harness and repair as necessary

Buy a "repop" replacement harness

Buy an aftermarket "fits all" harness and rewire the car.

As always, the bulkhead connector, connectors at the switches, and "previous hack jobs" are probably at the top of the list

Next in line are failing / deteriorated switches and bulb sockets

Always, generally, are grounding and ground connections
 
well, heres where Im at. under the dash- coming out of aftermarket voltimeter- red wire, goes to a black wire under the dash (some wierd junction, started raining again, and is wrapped in electrical tape, so I didnt take it apart yet). black wire heads back to dash (thinking it might be one of the ammeter wires) and heads out to the engine bay
 
Ok going to wait until payday, cars going to be Out of commision until then, going to get the painless mopar 21 circuit kit. Looks like its fused and relayed quite nicely (not sure if the headlights are on a relay??) going to order a new headlight switch, and maybe the ignition switch (dillweed I guess lost the trim ring, and decided to epoxy the switch to the instrument panel... frugging morons....)
Anyone want a 66 Barracuda? lol
 
I like relays. I'm cheap so I bought a Voyager relay box, mounted under the hood. Used it for headlights, ignition / charging, the electric pump, etc and have at least a couple left over for "other stuff"

Bussman makes boxes you can configure as you like

You don't HAVE to get that crazy. Hella makes relay sockets that clip together to make a nice neat "bank" of 2, 3, 4 etc.

Crackedback makes a nice little relay setup for headlights, but it's built for a factory harness.

You can cure a lot of troubles in one swoop by rewiring.

Some caveats 'bout Painless. Take the time to sit down with an ohmeter and pad and the book, and diagram out what all the fuses feed.

This is because there are some circuits that are marked EG "power windows" that you won't use, but you MIGHT want to use that circuit for something else. Like a fuel pump

Also, something not made clear is the "specific Mopar" "stuff." You will want to ADD the original wire to the ignition switch for IGN2, brown, the "bypass" circuit. Last I knew, this was not documented

Decide what you want to do with the bulkhead, IE keep the connector, feed wiring through, or make a plate and use a grommet

Consider UPgrading the Painless main battery feed into the interior to larger wire.

You can buy replacement Mopar connector terminals for such things as the ignition and headlight switch, etc.

And, a good way to "check as you go along" is to keep a battery nearby with a "big" lamp such as a junk turn signal lamp so you can hook that lamp in series with the battery. This will allow you to check out circuits but protect against "eff ups" that might short and damage / burn/ smoke/ EPA cleanup / and we don't want THAT LOL
 
Whatever you think is the best plan. To my way of thinking a 66 A-body worked just fine with its 6 fused circuits. The aftermarket harness doesn't address any of the problems you have pictured and/or mentioned. It could actually make a bad situation ever worse for the next owner. Just my opinion. Good luck
 
So in your opinion a hacked up 50 - 60 year old harness should work

Comon Red I know you know better than that
 
67Dart273 said:
So in your opinion a hacked up 50 - 60 year old harness should work

Comon Red I know you know better than that
Click to expand...

No I'm only saying a good used harness and properly repairing, undoing all the wrong way work that has been done makes better sense.
Factory wiring diagrams are a great help where there is factory wiring.
Aftermarket harness doesn't include printed circuit boards. Is that a big deal ?
The e-body instrument panel doesn't have printed circuit boards. Those wires attach directly to there respective contacts and they all have the same type terminal too.
Sure I could do the same in my car or any car and delete printed circuit boards but... That e-body panel is labeled per the color code so anyone who can read knows what goes where.
I stated earlier in this thread that wrong colors confuse me.
 
Wrong colors confuse me too Red, but when every other color under my dashboard is red, because the numbnuts owner used red wire to replace almost everything, im forced to do something.
 
Yeah, Last night I laid in bed thinking it probably seems I'm talking from both sides of my mouth. To clarify, I did put my headlights on relays. Since the factory wires were a green and a yellow, I went to town and bought larger gauge green and yellow for the additions. I also bought white heat shrink tubing and cut it into small pieces to flag these. So there's a green w/white ring tracer and yellow with white ring tracer.
Factory wiring diagrams were modified, printed and stored in the car.
Just for the sake of mentioning... Others have thought a volts gauge could be attached to the ALT' gauge wires. Yours isn't the first. They don't realize these wires are hot at all times. This creates a small drain on the battery. A volts gauge should be attached to blue with white tracer ( hot at switch on ). When I convert these ALT' gauges to volts gauges for others I provide the correct color wire, connectors, and instructions so its done right.
Aiken aint so far from Easley. if you want to bring it. Leave it with me, I'll fix it.
 
You're in Easley Redfish? not too far at all brother.
PM me when you get a chance, I might wind up giveing you a ring after I get the new wiring harness for some advice. Im bound and determined to do as much as I can myself, at least that way I know what is under the dashboard..
Well I dug into the dash a little more today, I found one wire that was built as a jumper by someone, burnt to a crisp. The red wire going to the factory AM radio, someone had put a fuse holder inline, using a wire nut... but left half the wiring exposed and touching bare metal.
Traced out some other burnt wiring, found out its tied into my black feed wire off the ammeter. So today Ive been tracing wiring, removing wiring that is dead end wiring and slowly getting it back to semi factory wiring. Should make troubleshooting wiring, as well as installing a new harness that much easier.
As far as the back of the dash, Im going to go with Dart's idea of using computer molex connectors (those are rated for 12 Volts, and the gauges themselves (fuel gauge is the only gauge that works anyways, plus lighting on the dash) are low voltage/amperage applications.
I figure as Im going through installing the new harness, I plan on making diagrams on my computer of everything.
Guys, it seems like a lot of work, but I really appreciate the advice you guys have thrown out here. Ive done my fair share of electrical work in the navy, and Ive learned to be anal about my wiring. Thanks gents.
 
Oh- and the funniest ghetto wiring I found all day, was the PO tied into the factory splice, not with solder, not with a crimp, but by wrapping a wire around the bare splice, electrical taping it, the using two butt connectors taped side by side to make a fuse holder for one of the square ATO fuses.... pure unadulterated garbage... I probably should move this thread to the restoration forum, because this is what this job is becoming rapidly lol
 
I think your "wiring repair" is quickly escalating to "wiring replacement"
 
Dart I think you hit the nail on the head. My wife walked out and looked at the mess today (she did electrical work in the british royal navy), and said shes not letting me drive it until everything has been rebuilt... She couldnt even trace half the stuff out.. I did check all the fuses, and the fusible link today by ohm'ing it out. All the fuses and links passed... So something is fishy in denmark.
I sure hope painless appreciates my business lol. I printed out the manual last night off of summit racing's website and started going over it and identifying areas. Going to buy a decent set of crimpers as well, or a set of teeth for my good crimpers to do the factory style crimps.
So- heres my purchase plan
21 Ckt MOPAR Painless wiring kit- summit racing 428.00
Crimpers- 45$
Heat gun- 10$ from HF
One roll number 10 black wire- free from work

This car is rapidly getting expensive roflmao.. Oh well, its the price I pay for doing something I usually enjoy right?
 
Yup that I do.. she said the only reason she let me get the car was so she could help wrench on it roflmao.. plus she can outshoot all my guys at work which is funny to say the least... And to think, a lowly ol country raised navy sailor like myself could steal me a sexy british wifey who can cook, clean, shoot and work on **** lol
 
Ok update to the car... Its been a few months since Ive had any time to get on here and pay my due respects, got to love being on a ship now, and taking a 1000 dollar a month pay cut because I had to move out of the area I was in...
Worked on the car today, replaced a lot of the burnt and damaged wiring. Had a black wire heading back to a sensor on the transmission, I think its the reverse light switch or the NSS. Was burnt to a crispy critter from coming in contact with the exhaust sometime inthe past many years. Rebuilt that...
Installed an underhood fuse distribution block. Has 6 feeds off of it. Ran one feed off of a five amp fuse to the radio hot line, one is headed to my voltmeter, going to do the relay swap for the headlights tomorrow (what color wiring is the high and low beam + lines on the wiring harness I need to cut?)
Ran some number 10 wire as my feed line off of the alternator charging stud to provide power to the fuse block... Should provide more than enough good juice.

Issue I finally am getting my head wrapped around.
Coming out of the Ignition switch is a dark blue wire. looks like the I1 (on the scematics its listed as t?) That appears to run directly to ballast resistor under the hood... This also happens to be the wire that is nice and crispy... So I disconnected the wire on both sides. hooked my digital multimeter into it and get continuity. then I checked the big black wire going into the ammeter in the dash... getting continuity to that as well.... how the heck is that happening????
 
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