81 PROBLEMS SOLVED - Thanks SIXFOOTER!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,891
Likes: 2
From: Baltimore MD
81 PROBLEMS SOLVED - Thanks SIXFOOTER!
First off I want to give a BIG THANKS to SIXFOOTER - He not only gave me advice on here but over two nights on the phone. Thanks Danny I really appreciate all your help in solving my electrical problems with my 81.
Here what I had to do:
Installed new alternator, starter, and battery. During the Alternator install, discovered this car was wired wrong - Bubba had gotten to this car big time.
Re-ran the charging wire from the BAT on Alternator back to the positive lead on the Battery. Found and reconnected the terminal 2 wire. Now the car will charge!
Installed a Kenwood KDC-MP235 (new center console with the 1 DIN cut out). For all you that are thinking about replacing your old radio for a more up to date one - the old radios did not use a constant power source, it was all switched power (off the ignition). I wired this Kenwood as discribed by both Crutchfield and Kenwood. I had a Kenwood that I bought a year ago and that documentation was wrong. Never showed a Constant power source, consequently the radio wouldn't turn on My neighbor is an electrical engineer and figured out that these new radios need a constant power source to hold their memory. Once that was discovered I was able to take constant power off the cigarette lighter and the radio worked.
Next was a "Horn" problem. At some point over the winter the Electronic theft deterrent Control Module (ECM) went bad. If it's taken out of the circuit the horns works through the horn button (switch) when you press it. If the wire harness is plugged into the ECM the horn blows constantly - ran all the continuity checks except for the door lock switches - I'll check them tomorrow morning.
Finally as I was putting the interior back together and running my final check before I screwed the center console back into place, I discovered I did not have right turn signals or flashers through the right rear tail light, nor would my lights close once the light switch was pushed in. Took the air conditioning duct work out again, found the vacuum line had come of the light switch, double check all connections up under the dash. Reseated the Harmonica harness. Checked lights again - I GOT Right turn signals and Flashers!:
Installed speaker sound bridge across back of storage compartment. Hooked the wires up to the left and right speaker harness which is stored behind the two corner panels. Now I have true stereo and a four speaker system!
Last thing to do is to put the seats back in and replace the spark plugs and I should be on the road by tomorrow afternoon - it will be the first time this season and I can't wait!
Also had a vacuum line break from the carb into the EGR cannister - found I couldn't get the line off the cannister so I cut back to good line and spliced in the new hose from the carb.
I hope this is all for this season!
Here what I had to do:
Installed new alternator, starter, and battery. During the Alternator install, discovered this car was wired wrong - Bubba had gotten to this car big time.
Re-ran the charging wire from the BAT on Alternator back to the positive lead on the Battery. Found and reconnected the terminal 2 wire. Now the car will charge!
Installed a Kenwood KDC-MP235 (new center console with the 1 DIN cut out). For all you that are thinking about replacing your old radio for a more up to date one - the old radios did not use a constant power source, it was all switched power (off the ignition). I wired this Kenwood as discribed by both Crutchfield and Kenwood. I had a Kenwood that I bought a year ago and that documentation was wrong. Never showed a Constant power source, consequently the radio wouldn't turn on My neighbor is an electrical engineer and figured out that these new radios need a constant power source to hold their memory. Once that was discovered I was able to take constant power off the cigarette lighter and the radio worked.
Next was a "Horn" problem. At some point over the winter the Electronic theft deterrent Control Module (ECM) went bad. If it's taken out of the circuit the horns works through the horn button (switch) when you press it. If the wire harness is plugged into the ECM the horn blows constantly - ran all the continuity checks except for the door lock switches - I'll check them tomorrow morning.
Finally as I was putting the interior back together and running my final check before I screwed the center console back into place, I discovered I did not have right turn signals or flashers through the right rear tail light, nor would my lights close once the light switch was pushed in. Took the air conditioning duct work out again, found the vacuum line had come of the light switch, double check all connections up under the dash. Reseated the Harmonica harness. Checked lights again - I GOT Right turn signals and Flashers!:
Installed speaker sound bridge across back of storage compartment. Hooked the wires up to the left and right speaker harness which is stored behind the two corner panels. Now I have true stereo and a four speaker system!
Last thing to do is to put the seats back in and replace the spark plugs and I should be on the road by tomorrow afternoon - it will be the first time this season and I can't wait!
Also had a vacuum line break from the carb into the EGR cannister - found I couldn't get the line off the cannister so I cut back to good line and spliced in the new hose from the carb.
I hope this is all for this season!
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Good, another one shot down, gotta have those wires right on that regulator or those alts are all over the map in performance, this ain't a freeking boat, and even the boat I just had here, we rewired it like a car, screw the Mercruiser diagrams, put in a lightbulb under the dash, and NOW it charges all the time, no dropouts....engine idles at 1000 rpm anyway, fine for a boat....
