Electrical Gremlins
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Electrical Gremlins
The heater blower, radio and wipers stopped working in my 1969. Car doesn't have AC, or power windows, or alarm. Tried tracing wires, checking fuseable links. Couldn't find problem. Looked at 40+ year old ignition harness and replaced. Still have the problem. No power at blower, wiper motor, or radio (I do have power at the wiper limit switch) or their slots in the fuse block. Any ideas?
Last edited by 1969 DREAM; Nov 6, 2011 at 01:13 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,918
Likes: 27
From: New Hill NC
The heater blower, radio and wipers stopped working in my 1969. Car doesn't have AC, or power windows, or alarm. Tried tracing wires, checking fuseable links. Couldn't find problem. Looked at 40+ year old ignition harness and replaced. Still have the problem. No power at blower, wiper motor, or radio (I do have power at the wiper limit switch) or their slots in the fuse block. Any ideas?
Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 614
Likes: 0
From: Johnson City Tennessee
Check both ends of the ground on the block. Cleaning it might not fix your problem but it cant hurt anything. Its free, easy & you can eliminate that much. Mine looked fine with a meter but didn't actually work right until I pulled it off & cleaned it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,918
Likes: 27
From: New Hill NC
There is a ground that goes from the wiper motor, to the heater fan to the block usually under or near the starter bolt or a bell housig bolt.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
OK - In case anyone thought "easy fix, all done" -NOT! The common ground between wiper motor and heater motor attaches with starter mounting bolt to block -is fine -check
wiper overide has power to both sides -travels through wiper limit switch to the power input on wiper motor - red and white to red into wiper motor - all hot -check
Did the Wicox test - pulled blue, yellow, green off wiper motor - ran 12v direct to tab 2, grounded tab 3 to block - wiper motor goes click, click but doesn't run/lift wipers
I figure - bad wiper motor (but why doesn't radio or heater blower work?) So just for whatever i unplugged the hot lead tot the wiper and then put it together again - Wipers lifted, came down and dead again. Like I said -Gremlins. I don't get it!!
wiper overide has power to both sides -travels through wiper limit switch to the power input on wiper motor - red and white to red into wiper motor - all hot -check
Did the Wicox test - pulled blue, yellow, green off wiper motor - ran 12v direct to tab 2, grounded tab 3 to block - wiper motor goes click, click but doesn't run/lift wipers
I figure - bad wiper motor (but why doesn't radio or heater blower work?) So just for whatever i unplugged the hot lead tot the wiper and then put it together again - Wipers lifted, came down and dead again. Like I said -Gremlins. I don't get it!!
Racer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 362
Likes: 10
From: nashville tn
Just for starters, your wiper override switch should be grounded on one side all the time, run you a jumper from negative side of your battery for testing, operation of override swith consist of grounding the hot side, ungrounding opens wiper circuit cuasing it to stop working so you can change blades.
I belive you may have gnd problems as previously stated, get you some jumper wires try jumping all metal consol parts to gnd.
don't give up it's usually somthing simple.
I belive you may have gnd problems as previously stated, get you some jumper wires try jumping all metal consol parts to gnd.
don't give up it's usually somthing simple.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Thanks, I think the override switch works correctly. If turned to the right, power comes to switch but doesn't pass and there is no power to wiper motor. Turn switch to left and power passes through to the wiper motor. I did notice under the dash that there is a stray brown wire with a connector on the end not attached anywhere. I have been jumping terminals to ground, with no luck so far. I'll keep hunting.
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Racer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 362
Likes: 10
From: nashville tn
Thanks, I think the override switch works correctly. If turned to the right, power comes to switch but doesn't pass and there is no power to wiper motor. Turn switch to left and power passes through to the wiper motor. I did notice under the dash that there is a stray brown wire with a connector on the end not attached anywhere. I have been jumping terminals to ground, with no luck so far. I'll keep hunting.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,674
Likes: 197
From: Loveland, CO
Dream, did you find problem yet. I have same issue on my '69, no air. Don't seem to have power to fuse panel for your 3 mentioned circuits. Wipers work on manual and heater blower works if hooked up to battery power, but not through switch. Did frame off a few years back and that could be part of problem.
Ralph.
Ralph.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Dream, did you find problem yet. I have same issue on my '69, no air. Don't seem to have power to fuse panel for your 3 mentioned circuits. Wipers work on manual and heater blower works if hooked up to battery power, but not through switch. Did frame off a few years back and that could be part of problem.
Ralph.
Ralph.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 336
From: Texas
http://www.nrjvette.com/johdotukset/...tte%201969.pdf
the brown wire may be where the radio capacitor plugs in.
there is a harness plug under the hood above starter near valve cover where all the wires for the blower and wiper motor plug into,might unplug check for corrossion also. just fyi. good luck
the brown wire may be where the radio capacitor plugs in.
there is a harness plug under the hood above starter near valve cover where all the wires for the blower and wiper motor plug into,might unplug check for corrossion also. just fyi. good luck
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,674
Likes: 197
From: Loveland, CO
Speed, I agree on the brown wire. I've been looking at it lately wondering why such a thick wire attaches to the wimpy capacitor wire, but that's what the wiring diagram shows.
Still searching, but watching Barrett Jackson right now.
Ralph.
Still searching, but watching Barrett Jackson right now.
Ralph.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,674
Likes: 197
From: Loveland, CO
Finally found problem. Since I had no power at the fuse block for the heater, wiper, radio fuses, I studied the wiring diagram and followed the feed to these circuits back to the ignition switch connector located on top of the steering column. My brown wire out of this location had come loose, or was not getting good connection (slighty corroded). Put some dielectric grease on it and pushed it in harder than before. Finally fan motor works. Can't test wipers until I get everything back together, but confident they will work. Have power at all fuses now.
Dream, the brown wire you see may be supposed to connect to the ignition switch connectors, because that's how the power gets to those dead circuits.
Ralph.
Dream, the brown wire you see may be supposed to connect to the ignition switch connectors, because that's how the power gets to those dead circuits.
Ralph.
Last edited by rponfick; Jan 21, 2012 at 10:41 AM.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Finally found problem. Since I had no power at the fuse block for the heater, wiper, radio fuses, I studied the wiring diagram and followed the feed to these circuits back to the ignition switch connector located on top of the steering column. My brown wire out of this location had come loose, or was not getting good connection (slighty corroded). Put some dielectric grease on it and pushed it in harder than before. Finally fan motor works. Can't test wipers until I get everything back together, but confident they will work. Have power at all fuses now.
Dream, the brown wire you see may be supposed to connect to the ignition switch connectors, because that's how the power gets to those dead circuits.
Ralph.
Dream, the brown wire you see may be supposed to connect to the ignition switch connectors, because that's how the power gets to those dead circuits.
Ralph.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,674
Likes: 197
From: Loveland, CO
I was changing the heater core at the same time as looking for elec. issues, so I had the passenger side dash panel and seats out. With the driver's seat out you can stick your head up by the pedals and see the switch on the top of the steering column. I could see the brown wire was not seated all the way in the connector. Not easy, but possible.
Good luck.
Ralph
Good luck.
Ralph
Racer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
Good Idea
It you still are having issues:
Someone has already suggested the ground. I do a lot of trouble shooting on older Corvette electrical systems.
I always start at the ground as suggested, but what I do is run a direct ground.
A lot of people know to take a hot and bypass the switch or whatever, to see if the componant works. But a lot of people forget that on a plactic car you need to bypass the ground as well.
Ground the blower motor, then run a direct hot. (Do not forget to put a fuse in your direct hot line.)
Then work you way back to the switch or the fuse box. Leave you origina ground bypass, then put a ground bypass to the switch and work your way back if it keep firing off.
I know I did not add much,but you have to make sure each part in the system has a good ground.
The radio has a double ground with the antenna being one of them.
Bottom line is, you have to check the power and the ground with each piece of these cars.
Hope it helps.
Someone has already suggested the ground. I do a lot of trouble shooting on older Corvette electrical systems.
I always start at the ground as suggested, but what I do is run a direct ground.
A lot of people know to take a hot and bypass the switch or whatever, to see if the componant works. But a lot of people forget that on a plactic car you need to bypass the ground as well.
Ground the blower motor, then run a direct hot. (Do not forget to put a fuse in your direct hot line.)
Then work you way back to the switch or the fuse box. Leave you origina ground bypass, then put a ground bypass to the switch and work your way back if it keep firing off.
I know I did not add much,but you have to make sure each part in the system has a good ground.
The radio has a double ground with the antenna being one of them.
Bottom line is, you have to check the power and the ground with each piece of these cars.
Hope it helps.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Yup! The brown wire is out of it's connector at the switch. Tried pushing back in but really can't get any leverage on it. So, I will pull the drivers side dash and see if I can get at it from above. But that isn't the end hanging down. So, i still have to find where that connects. While the dash is out I'll replace the vacuum hoses and the frozen trip odometer cable. Anything else I should do with the dash out?