C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Electrical gremlins

Old Nov 7, 2001 | 07:43 PM
  #1  
shoptek's Avatar
shoptek
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,123
Likes: 13
From: Hollywood, Florida
Default Electrical gremlins

I rarely have the car out after dark, but with daylight saving time and all.....
I really do not know how long I have had this problem.

When I put it in reverse, the back up lights do not come on, but all the dash lights (tach,speed, oil,etc)
come on!!!!!!!
I also noticed that the brake lights come on also in reverse.

Any ideas??? I haven't done any electrical work, so I can't trace it back to something I might have done.
:crazy:
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2001 | 08:25 PM
  #2  
daily_driver's Avatar
daily_driver
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,280
Likes: 0
From: colorado springs CO
Default Re: Electrical gremlins (shoptek)

so u dont know if it did that when u bought the car or not???

only thing i can say is break out the electrical diagrams and start doing continuity checks...

but it sounds like you might have to have a possible "dash yanking" ceremony sometime in the near future :jester

not fun!
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2001 | 08:35 PM
  #3  
daily_driver's Avatar
daily_driver
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,280
Likes: 0
From: colorado springs CO
Default Re: Electrical gremlins (daily_driver)

it sounds to me like somehow the reverse backup switch is activating the "lights on" wire on the headlights switch..

according to my wiring diagrams... the backup light switch has an 18 guage pink and an 18 guage light green going to it...

thew 18 guage pink goes to a junction were it merges with a 12 guage pink... this 12 guage pink goes to the fuse box but has no fuse in it...

the lights that activate the dash lights and such has a 16 guage dark grey and a 20 guage grey that connect through a fuse int he fuse box..

it sounds to me like someone has done some custom work on your fuse box and screwed it up...

Reply
Old Nov 7, 2001 | 08:50 PM
  #4  
shoptek's Avatar
shoptek
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,123
Likes: 13
From: Hollywood, Florida
Default Re: Electrical gremlins (shoptek)

Everything "looks" factory. I don't see any rigging, and when I had the dash apart a few years ago, everything up there appeared like the General installed it.
I have checked the wiring diagrams too and don't see a common link. It seems like I'll have ANOTHER project to work on.
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2001 | 09:33 PM
  #5  
daily_driver's Avatar
daily_driver
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,280
Likes: 0
From: colorado springs CO
Default Re: Electrical gremlins (shoptek)

well this isnt as bad as it looks...!!!

just use a DVM with a continuity function on it that beeps.....

1st thing i would do is verify the wires going from the reverse switch....

then id do continuity with those wires with the headlight switch wires (u can even just unplug the harness and do it there...)

so this really aint so bad, however it does seem that if you dont want to squeez under there to pry at the fuse box that youll have to get at the headlighgt switch harness one way or another (cough cough pull dash)
Reply
Old Nov 7, 2001 | 09:35 PM
  #6  
daily_driver's Avatar
daily_driver
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,280
Likes: 0
From: colorado springs CO
Default Re: Electrical gremlins (daily_driver)

if you locate on your wiring diagram the fuse locations that i talk about above, you can do a quick and dirty check of that juntion with the pink wire of the reverse switch at the fuse terminal.....

should take yah 5 min
Reply
Old Nov 8, 2001 | 09:08 AM
  #7  
mrvette's Avatar
mrvette
Team Owner
Active Streak: 120 Days
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Default Re: Electrical gremlins (shoptek)

IF everythng looks factory under there, no major screw ups...and the headlights seem to work normally,.....I"d be looking for a bad ground...there is a heavy black wire with ground tab on it tied to the birdcage frame up under there somewhere, I tore my whole harness apart, and discovered it.....it goes to two puch on connectors, one on the tach body, the other on the speedo body....and it also goes to a black wire on the center gauge cluster, grounding it also....
frequently these screwey operational things are a bad ground.....so check it out first.....easy way is to just take a long wire ffrom the engine frame/intake somethere to the negative lead of meter, and then induce symptoms there, and check for any voltage on say speedo/tack/gauge cluster frame....I bet that's the troubles.....

GENE
Reply
Old Nov 8, 2001 | 09:22 AM
  #8  
Alwyn678's Avatar
Alwyn678
Team Owner
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 43,136
Likes: 155
From: Thomson Georgia
Default Re: Electrical gremlins (daily_driver)

I am having to break out the diagrams as well..... I feel your Pain
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Electrical gremlins

Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:01 AM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE