Sudden electrical problems
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: Fremont CA
Sudden electrical problems
I have had my 78 corvette for less than a week now, and it has some really bad electrical problems. Actually, I don't think they're anything major, but they are very irritating and causing some bad problems.
The windows don't go up or down anymore. One minute they both work perfectly, and now neither works! It was completely all of a sudden!
Now, the lights on the dash, like the parking brake light, don't work. However, the hi-beams light still works! Woohoo! Also, the instrument dashes no longer work. That includes gas, battery, etc!
I checked all the fuses, and they all seem to be fine. My multimeter is officially broken, and tomorrow I will purchase a new one and check everything. The 30 amp breaker for the windows works fine too. Will check the terminals tomorrow too.
I am out of ideas now, though. Any advice at all would be much appreciated!
The worst part is that one of my windows is down, and I can't put the car in the driveway or even wash it!
If it makes a difference, the car was sitting, only driven occasionally, for about 6 months before I bought it, and the drive home was a 45 min freeway drive and not-so-great roads.
Last edited by IronMaiden; Mar 31, 2013 at 10:41 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 128
Likes: 2
From: Leesburg VA
I would start with making a new clean ground from your battery. I recently had an electrical ghost that caused issues. I found it was my main bundle of wires on the driver side was sitting on top of my hood pull. It finally rubbed through after 44 years and started to glow red hot and smoke. It is patched up now and no more electrical problems.
These Vettes are bad for grounding issues.
These Vettes are bad for grounding issues.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 15
From: Oxford Ohio
These Vettes are bad for grounding issues.[/QUOTE]
When you have a bunch of strange electrical issues the first place I'd look is the ground. That can make everything act in an odd manner. Extra grounding won't hurt anything.
When you have a bunch of strange electrical issues the first place I'd look is the ground. That can make everything act in an odd manner. Extra grounding won't hurt anything.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Didn't you check out ALL of the 'operations' hardware to make sure it all worked before you bought it? [sorry....rhetorical question; but I needed to make the point for other folks who are thinking about it]
For a car you know nothing about, you need to test/repair/replace power and ground main battery cables, alternator power feed wiring, and ALL chassis ground lines. Doing so eliminates these items from any other operational concerns you may have in the future (as well as fixing some of them now).
For a car you know nothing about, you need to test/repair/replace power and ground main battery cables, alternator power feed wiring, and ALL chassis ground lines. Doing so eliminates these items from any other operational concerns you may have in the future (as well as fixing some of them now).
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: Fremont CA
Didn't you check out ALL of the 'operations' hardware to make sure it all worked before you bought it? [sorry....rhetorical question; but I needed to make the point for other folks who are thinking about it]
For a car you know nothing about, you need to test/repair/replace power and ground main battery cables, alternator power feed wiring, and ALL chassis ground lines. Doing so eliminates these items from any other operational concerns you may have in the future (as well as fixing some of them now).
For a car you know nothing about, you need to test/repair/replace power and ground main battery cables, alternator power feed wiring, and ALL chassis ground lines. Doing so eliminates these items from any other operational concerns you may have in the future (as well as fixing some of them now).
Thanks for the tips. My dad's an electrical engineer and is willing to help me out, so hopefully this will lead to my windows and such working again!
