Bad earth or just plain wierd???
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
From: Huntington Beach CA
Bad earth or just plain wierd???
My 1980 C3 is not keeping any charge - it was dead as the proverbial door nail after just two days sitting in the garage. The strange thing is I have a misfire and the interior lights stay on even though the doors are shut. Has anyone any ideas? I'm going to get on my back and look at the earthing straps but I've never seen this wierd behaviour before!
Any ideas guys????
Any ideas guys????
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,752
Likes: 4
From: Austin Texas
Make sure the headlight **** isn't turned all the way to the left (CCW).
The door pin switch or wiring may be defective.
The interior lamp timer may be defective. (Taped to the wiring harness behind glove box, 2x2x3/4 inch box)
The door pin switch or wiring may be defective.
The interior lamp timer may be defective. (Taped to the wiring harness behind glove box, 2x2x3/4 inch box)
Just another Corvette guy
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,518
Likes: 3,865
From: Palm Springs, CA.
Originally Posted by big_G
The interior lamp timer may be defective. (Taped to the wiring harness behind glove box, 2x2x3/4 inch box)
This is usually the part that goes bad on the '80. Remove the glove box liner and unhook the orange colored timer box from the harness. If you want you can just install a jumper wire between the 2 white wires on the female end of the plug and the system will work just like all other cars without the theatre dimming option. I have cured several '80's with this same problem/fix.
Good luck,
Greg
(and stop saying "earth")
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,342
Likes: 2
From: Dayton Area Ohio
St. Jude Donor '08
Originally Posted by Greg
This is usually the part that goes bad on the '80. Remove the glove box liner and unhook the orange colored timer box from the harness. If you want you can just install a jumper wire between the 2 white wires on the female end of the plug and the system will work just like all other cars without the theatre dimming option. I have cured several '80's with this same problem/fix.
Good luck,
Greg
(and stop saying "earth")
Racer
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 360
Likes: 1
From: Meridian, MS
i had the same problem with mine. and it ended up being bubba. someone changed the starter and put and extra whire on the hot lead. this wire was small and supposed to go to a ground. i cant belive my car did not burn down!!!!! anyway make sure there are only 3 wires going to it
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 876
Likes: 1
From: Same as our leaders Out of my mind
Originally Posted by Greg
This is usually the part that goes bad on the '80. Remove the glove box liner and unhook the orange colored timer box from the harness. If you want you can just install a jumper wire between the 2 white wires on the female end of the plug and the system will work just like all other cars without the theatre dimming option. I have cured several '80's with this same problem/fix.
Good luck,
Greg
(and stop saying "earth")
Just another Corvette guy
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,518
Likes: 3,865
From: Palm Springs, CA.
Originally Posted by more_cc's
Thanks guys, so to fix it I remove the orange connector and fit a jumper between the two white wires or do I leave it in and fit the jumper before the connector?
Thanks
Thanks
Greg
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 0
From: Hudson Falls, N.Y. 76 Vette Modified L-48
Originally Posted by icanfixitforyou
I was always taught that Ground is Ground the World Around, so if he wants to say earth - who cares? With all of the bad spelling and grammar here it does not matter, all we want to do is go fast and look good at it. This is a tech. forum, not a grade school. I'll leave the grammar lesson home, thank you.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
From: Huntington Beach CA
I'm using "earth" because at school we were taught how to wire a plug and in England where I'm from there is a yellow and green wire called the "earth" wire.
Either way the fact people know what I meant when I said "earth" means my use of the "english" language was successful which at the end of the day is the purpose of a language!
Either way the fact people know what I meant when I said "earth" means my use of the "english" language was successful which at the end of the day is the purpose of a language!
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 4
From: New Baden Illinois
If it isn't the interior light timer, it may be the fuse block. I had a 1981 that had this problem. The bolt that holds the cabin side of the fuse block to the engine bay side of the fuse block was loose. It didn't make good contact. It would not charge the battery.
Tightened the bolt and it worked fine. Talk about a bear to diagnose.
Tightened the bolt and it worked fine. Talk about a bear to diagnose.