need electrical help
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham Al
need electrical help
Last night after the local club meeting I was heading home in the 64 top down side pipes singing big ole moon just thinking to myself how much fun this car was going to be this fall---anyway the head light dimmed and flickered a few time and I said that is strange about that time bang (not real bang) but everything is dead all lights go out engine dies-----am looking for place to get off the road------hit the key and it fires and lights back on----headed home and light flickered couple more time but did not die----where do I look for this problem not too comfortable knowing it might leave me standed thanks :confused:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 9,506
Likes: 6
From: Out East L.I. NY
St. Jude Donor '03, '04 & '05
Re: need electrical help (apple)
Possibly the connectors going from the underhood harness to the firewall; drivers side ... similar thing happened to me, that's what it wound up being...
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 207
From: Franklin, TN
Re: need electrical help (apple)
Had a similar problem. Check the hot wire going to the starter. Mine had just vibrated loose. The car would die. Another vibration would be just enough to make the connection again and the car would start right up. Just tightened the nut and the problem never happened again. Easy fix for once.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 2,489
Likes: 32
From: New Smyrna Beach FL
Re: need electrical help (apple)
If you try these and have no luck, check the wiring at the horn relay. Mine were loose and the car would die for no reason. I tightened up the two connectors and that fixed it.
Bob
Bob
Racer
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
From: milwaukee wi
Re: need electrical help (67435animal)
apple
"i am a c-2 owner; i need electrical help". now here is a major oxymoron if i ever heard one. the only case where this would be a bigger oxymoron is for british sports car owners with lucas electrical systems [the prince of darkness-heh, heh]. well, it seems to me that every c-2 owner ought to have the wiring diagram tatooed to his inner forearm so that when [not "if"] he needs it, he'll have it handy. :D
"i am a c-2 owner; i need electrical help". now here is a major oxymoron if i ever heard one. the only case where this would be a bigger oxymoron is for british sports car owners with lucas electrical systems [the prince of darkness-heh, heh]. well, it seems to me that every c-2 owner ought to have the wiring diagram tatooed to his inner forearm so that when [not "if"] he needs it, he'll have it handy. :D
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette & Porsche 911: How Two Icons Conquered the Last 25 Years
Joe Kucinski
2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 First Look: Everything You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained
Joe Kucinski
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
Moderator
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 7,117
Likes: 51
From: Dove Mountain Arizona
Re: need electrical help (apple)
It's the big red wire going into the firewall. Guaranteed. You can check though, by jiggling the wire bundle, stuff will go on and off, on and off. The cheesy blade connectors simply will not hold after 30+ years. I got so tired of messing with mine that I finally soldered a 'jumper' wire to the engine side of the connector, pushed it thru a convenient spot and soldered it to the same wire on the inside. No problems for 3 years now. :cheers:
[Modified by MasterDave, 7:11 AM 9/15/2003]
[Modified by MasterDave, 7:11 AM 9/15/2003]
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham Al
Re: need electrical help (apple)
Thanks for all the suggestions-----Sunday I checked them all-------no obvious loose or broken wires but cleaned and tightened all suggested-----car is running great-------and I will just keep my cell phone handy---car has never actually stranded me yet---------------If anyboy happens to remember my post with too much oil------changed filter and left little over fill but pulled the plugs and they were so fouled------it is a wonder the car wa running lousy---replaced them and it is running great--------------thanks again Apple :cheers:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 8,914
Likes: 283
Re: need electrical help (apple)
It may not look broken, frayed or anything obvious.
I had this problem and noted that corrosion had built up and created a poor connection. This made it worse because it is now a resistor of sorts. This creates more heat and then more resistance etc. The red wire (hot batt. bus) feed had gotten hot enough to melt and deform the plastic cannon plug so the red connector pin would wobble in it's seat. This made it impossible to interface on the respective pin well.
Nobody will sell just the cannon plug with 6" of trailing wires to splice into the wire harness. I bought a new harness from M&H for $140.00. Seemed like a waste for just that one bad pin. I had tried some fixes but to no avail and did not want to risk damaging the interface on the fuse block. There is a peace of mind with a new engine harness. Installed in about 2 hours.
Mark
I had this problem and noted that corrosion had built up and created a poor connection. This made it worse because it is now a resistor of sorts. This creates more heat and then more resistance etc. The red wire (hot batt. bus) feed had gotten hot enough to melt and deform the plastic cannon plug so the red connector pin would wobble in it's seat. This made it impossible to interface on the respective pin well.
Nobody will sell just the cannon plug with 6" of trailing wires to splice into the wire harness. I bought a new harness from M&H for $140.00. Seemed like a waste for just that one bad pin. I had tried some fixes but to no avail and did not want to risk damaging the interface on the fuse block. There is a peace of mind with a new engine harness. Installed in about 2 hours.
Mark