Electrial Problem need help
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,876
Likes: 1
From: Jersey Shore Exit 98
Electrial Problem need help
I have a 66 coupe that eats every battery I put in it. I have a quick disconnect that if I remember to use saves my battery. I know there is a drain but its like finding the needle in a hay stack. Here's another thing I noticed. When I put on my lights my brake dash light comes on w/the brake off & when I pull out my brake w/the lights off my dash lights come on. 
any clue what I did or didn't do to fix this latest problem.
Thanks
Jim
any clue what I did or didn't do to fix this latest problem.Thanks
Jim
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
From: Pensacola Florida
Here is the easiest way to localize a short. Take a battery cable off and uplug your wiring harness at the fire wall. Use a test light and check between the battery and battery cable. If it light up your problem is in the engine compartment. If it dosen't light up then you need to look elsewhere. Plug the harness back up and go to where where the dash harness plugs up to the rear harness and unplug it. Go back to your battery and cable with you test light. If it lights up your problem is in your dash harness if not then it's the the rear harness. Hope this helps you find your short or at least help you to know where to look.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,552
Likes: 99
From: Lake Villa Illinois
St. Jude Donor '14
You could try pulling all the fuses and take voltage readings across the fuse clips for each fuse. If no voltage, no problem in that circuit. If there is voltage, then that circuit will have current flowing when you replace the fuse.
Divide and conquer!
Gerry
Divide and conquer!
Gerry
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,246
Likes: 21
From: Going too fast over the hill. Iowa
That would happen if you plugged a dash lamp socket into the park brake hole in the back of the cluster if the bulb does not flash. If the bulb flashes, the correct socket is in the hole and the wiring to the bulb is crossed or burned together with the dash lamp (gray) wires.The park brake lamp runs off the pink wires from the key switch. The park brake switch grounds the park brake lamp bulb via a tan wire. If the park lamp bulb wire is shorted to the dash lamp gray wires, when the ground is applied to the tan park lamp bulb line the dash lamps can be powered.
IMO if the main dash harness has not been altered, the harness has been damaged by a short, resulting in the park brake lamp ground wire being crossed to the dash lamp power wires. Look carefully at the plastic wrap on the harness to see if the wrap shows damage. If so, replace the harness, or remove the cluster and unwrap the harness to repair the damage.
There is a wiring diagram link in the Help List near the bottom of this web page: http://www.corvetteforum.net/classics/magicmachine
PS: If the harness has been altered, anything is possible.
IMO if the main dash harness has not been altered, the harness has been damaged by a short, resulting in the park brake lamp ground wire being crossed to the dash lamp power wires. Look carefully at the plastic wrap on the harness to see if the wrap shows damage. If so, replace the harness, or remove the cluster and unwrap the harness to repair the damage.
There is a wiring diagram link in the Help List near the bottom of this web page: http://www.corvetteforum.net/classics/magicmachine
PS: If the harness has been altered, anything is possible.
Last edited by magicv8; Apr 14, 2008 at 09:47 PM. Reason: ps
