Geez it seems f-bods are known for electrical nightmares.......
I cut the wires to hook my fans to a toggle switch, because I have a 160 therm in the motor & the fan is still at 195 so it almost never comes on.
Second, the AC was cut before I bought the car, so that one doesn't come on either.
I spliced the wires (+ & -) to a hot in the fuse box & to a toggle switch, & in doing so, Ilost my gauges. No tach, speedo, oil press. or temp or nuthin. My gas gauge is running backwards too!!!!!!!!!
I hooked the fan wires back to original & I still have no gauges. I unhooked the battery to reset the computer, but to no avail.
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

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LowBuck87Formula

 

Start w/checking all the fuses.

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The mind is like a parachute, it only works when its open

 

That was my first line of attack-already checked them all; thanks for the reply.
I traced other wires that were loose & bare, & stitched them all up prior to this escapade. Still no luck. I'm thinking a ground or hot has been crossed with another existing wire attached to something else.
The other problem is some of the slots in the fuse box have the white lettering rubbed off so you can't tell what they are for without pulling fuses to see what shuts off. The haynes & chiltons have diff. fuse box pics than the one I got. I'll have to goto a junkyard to read off a good one. Only other thing I can think of is maybe the fuse I tied into for power (hot) lead may be the one dealing with the gauges. But I undid that & put everything back the way it was, & it still didn't fix it. HELP!

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LowBuck87Formula

 

Please expand on this

In all normal apps. you only need to ground out the relay to make it work the fans,, this is the way GM made the ECM work the relays

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• my Formula Homepage
• Collision P/Ns & Diagrams (Camaros & some of the Firebirds, more on the way)

The mind is like a parachute, it only works when its open

[This message has been edited by deadbird (edited August 23, 2001).]

 

I took the + & - wires off the fan (that were going to the relays) & "wired it direct". I took the hot & put it in with the fuse that normally ran the fans (for a power source), & left the ground as it was originally.
I have since then semi-fixed the problem. I have a fan, & I have my gauges back. But I still have no dash/gauge lights or parking lights. Also sometimes at night, the lights will just go out & I have to pound on the dashboard or flip the switch on & off about 8-10 times to get them back on. Seems to me to be a switch problem, but the switch has been replaced, & I think it may be in the wiring the switch plugs into.

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LowBuck87Formula