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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 05:52 PM
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Default 63 Electrical Problem

We are having trouble locating a electrical problem on my 63 corvette convertible. It has no air or other accessories. We seem to get power to the firewall but not thru to the ignition. All wire connections look
good but when you turn key there is nothing. It has a new battery,
starter, alternator and regulator. Any ideas?

Steve
Mechanicsburg, Pa.
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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 07:23 PM
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look up red wire. it is the connection between the outer (engine side)
box and the inner box of the fuse box. jim
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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 07:29 PM
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Originally Posted by jdk971
look up red wire. it is the connection between the outer (engine side)
box and the inner box of the fuse box. jim
It should be the lower left hand wire on the left hand firewall connector, direction looking at the firewall. The connector pin in my fusebox snapped off when I was cleaning that terminal (caused me the same problem you're having now), so I stuck a 1/2 inch lone piece of solid 12 ga. wire in there. Just call me Bubba, but the alternative is a $400+ complete dash harness.
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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 10:18 PM
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Default 63 electrical problem

Originally Posted by jdk971
look up red wire. It is the connection between the outer (engine side)
box and the inner box of the fuse box. Jim
do i have to remove the fuse box to see this red wire?
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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 10:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Reds
do i have to remove the fuse box to see this red wire?
Initially just disconnect the harness at the firewall from the fuse panel, and look at the pins on the harness and the fuse panel to see if the connector pins are corroded.
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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 10:43 PM
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Remove the connector at the engine side of the firewall. Bill
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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 11:03 PM
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Originally Posted by 62Jeff
Initially just disconnect the harness at the firewall from the fuse panel, and look at the pins on the harness and the fuse panel to see if the connector pins are corroded.
Check both the connector and fuse box and there are no signs of
corrision. But will apply a little sandpaper just in case. The contacts
look fine.
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Old Sep 22, 2010 | 11:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Reds
We seem to get power to the firewall but not thru to the ignition.
Did you check if you have power to the fuses? Easy to check - bottom 2 fuses should be "Hot" at all times. If you have power at the fuse box, then it sounds more like an ignition switch or connector to the switch.
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Old Sep 23, 2010 | 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by cookie_monster
Did you check if you have power to the fuses? Easy to check - bottom 2 fuses should be "Hot" at all times. If you have power at the fuse box, then it sounds more like an ignition switch or connector to the switch.
What color wires are suppose to be hot going into the fuse box at the firewall? The seems to stop at the firewall. The two bottom fuses
are not hot.
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Old Sep 23, 2010 | 01:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Reds
What color wires are suppose to be hot going into the fuse box at the firewall? The seems to stop at the firewall. The two bottom fuses
are not hot.
The heavy red wire in the RH bulkhead plug
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Old Sep 23, 2010 | 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by magicv8
The heavy red wire in the RH bulkhead plug
The black wire and orange wires are hot but not the red one
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Old Sep 23, 2010 | 04:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Reds
The black wire and orange wires are hot but not the red one
On the engine side of the bulkhead?

If you are telling us the engine side RH plug orange wire (to the blower motor) has 12volts, but the red cabin supply line from the alternator/hornrelay/battery does not have 12volts, I believe the harness is toast.....

The red supply wire would have to be fused to the orange line inside the engine harness AND burned off the bulkhead plug for that to be the case

Last edited by magicv8; Sep 23, 2010 at 04:23 PM.
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Old Sep 23, 2010 | 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by magicv8
on the engine side of the bulkhead?

If you are telling us the engine side rh plug orange wire (to the blower motor) has 12volts, but the red cabin supply line from the alternator/hornrelay/battery does not have 12volts, i believe the harness is toast.....

The red supply wire would have to be fused to the orange line inside the engine harness and burned off the bulkhead plug for that to be the case
i will have to remove the tape on the harness to check that
out. We could have missed something when we taped it the first time
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Old Sep 24, 2010 | 10:00 PM
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Originally Posted by magicv8
On the engine side of the bulkhead?

If you are telling us the engine side RH plug orange wire (to the blower motor) has 12volts, but the red cabin supply line from the alternator/hornrelay/battery does not have 12volts, I believe the harness is toast.....

The red supply wire would have to be fused to the orange line inside the engine harness AND burned off the bulkhead plug for that to be the case


Originally Posted by Reds
i will have to remove the tape on the harness to check that
out. We could have missed something when we taped it the first time
Let us know what you discover. It's impossible for you to have juice to the orange (blower motor) wire if there is no power flowing into the fuse box unless it's as magicv8 described.
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Old Sep 24, 2010 | 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by cookie_monster




Let us know what you discover. It's impossible for you to have juice to the orange (blower motor) wire if there is no power flowing into the fuse box unless it's as magicv8 described.
I will let you know. We are going to put it in the shop on October 7th
if we don't solve it ourselves before.
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Old Nov 22, 2010 | 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Reds
I will let you know. We are going to put it in the shop on October 7th
if we don't solve it ourselves before.
Well, I did take the car to Don Bressler's in Lewisberry, Pa. and Don did
a real nice job. The problem turnout to be a loose connector in the socket on the end of the harness that goes in the the firewall. Don
fix it and said it will work for a while but a new harness will be needed in the a few years. There was also one other bad connection up front near the regulator. Since then the car has run well. Next up will be a newtop.
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Old Nov 22, 2010 | 04:19 PM
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Go back and look at post #3. That's a permanent fix.

Many, many 60's GM cars had this same problem. NOT just Corvettes.
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