ok so i thougth i had everything bak togeather on my car but i was wrong. my headlights dont work neither does the guage lights or the raido.

i managed to figure out that the problem was the power wire that runs from the positive terminal on the starter and goes into the dash had been dissconnected.i did this since i found out that it had a short so i left it unnconnected since it didn't seem to effect anthing i assumed it wsa for my alarm. well i was wrong its is the power for the lights.

so next logical step is to reconnect it so the lights work again but there is still the short so i figure i have to track that down and fix it before reconnecting it. this is where things get interesting.

i had tracked the wire from the starter through the harness to the main connector on the drivers side firewall. i disconnected the main plug so i could seperate the stuff under the hood from the stuff under the dash.

i test the wire in the engine compartment, it is no longer grounded. ok so my problem is within the dash.

i follow the wire inside the car. it goes from the connector into the harness running up inside the dash. it also is split off and runs into the fuse block.

so i decide to find out which side is the problem the wire into the dash or the wire to the fuse block. i cut the wire so it is no longer connected to the rest of the harness going into the dash. i test the end thats in the dash. and it comes up as a ground. so i figure hey my problem is further up.

then i test the wire to the fuse block and it is grounded too. so at this point i'm like wtf i thought fuses were between 2 power wires.

should there be a ground going to the fuse block anywhere?


then i have to figure out why the rest of the line is grounded. the chiltons manual wireing diagrams are worthless, i have no idea where this wire goes and it is verry difficult to keep untapeing everything and following it with my fingers through the dash.

maybe the wire is supposed to be a ground but its unlikely if it also connects to the positive starter terminal.

anybody have any ideas on whats going on. the wire in question is a thick red wire that goes from the starter into the dash at the drivers side connector and then up into the dash and the fuse block.

i'm just lost as of what i'm supposed to do now. i really wana find sombody who knows car electronics and tell them to fix it and remove my viper alarm while there at it.

 

Well, the easies solution if you are confused is to find a junk yard car with a good dash harness. But before you do that, check continuity in your wires as well. To check continuity, you need to separate the circuits from all others to get a proper reading. If you don't it will confuse you to thinking that it is grounded. The wires at the starter for your lights have an inline fuse built in it. I had this same problem and found the problem right away at the starter. Again, if you find that this is the problem, use fusable links from a doner car and splice them in. Make sure you get a good, solid connection. Also check the wires under the dash for any chaffing. You may not need to remove any tape, but look for any cuts in the tape. Also look for small burn marks on the metal edges. As for the alarm, check all the wires coming off the alarm module and separate them from everything. I believe the only wire it connects into is to interupt the ignition key signal to starter if the alarm is tripped. On mine it was a thick purple wire. Don't forget to reconnect that purple wire. The rest is probably connected to the fuse block and other various places. The wires for the alarm sensors are usually very small. Good luck with this.

 

OK here a a few things to check.

First when you were under the dash checking the red wires to the fuse block and the dash did you have either door open

With either door open, the door jamb switch closes to ground and creates a current path from the red wire feeding the fuse block thru the 20 A CTSY FUSE thru the dome, and if equipped, right and left courtesty lamps, to either door jamb switch to ground.

So pull your CSTY FUSE AND your TAIL FUSE. Also make sure your dimmer switch in not in the full Counter Clockwise position, as this gives a ground to some of the interior light circuits, turning them on if power is applied. Check the red wire feeding the fuse block to ground. Hopefully your ground is gone. Now, retest first with only the CTSY fuse installed (should see a ground here) and then with only the TAIL fuse installed (hopefully no ground here). Don't forget to reinstall both fuses when finished with the testing.

Both the other red wire you are testing and the circuit fed from the TAIL FUSE go to the light switch. If you get a ground when testing the red wire to the fuse block with only the TAIL FUSE installed, I would think you have a bad ligth switch assembly.

If you just get the ground only on the red wire going into the dash, then the short may be somewhere between the light switch and your headlight circuit grounds.

I did not post circuit diagrams be cause I have an 82 Service Manual, and it will take about 5-6 sheets. However if you would like to see them, let me know and I will scan them in. For the circuits you are tracing, they appear to be the same as the 84 circuits from the link in the sticky at the top of the forum.

Let us know if this helps you solve your problems.

Dave

 

yes i had the door open when testing. i had the pos battery cable dissconnected from the car and was just useing my test light to figure out what was grounded.

i did figure out the the tail light fuse and the ctsy fuse ar connected on the fuse block and that was causeing them both to be grounded.

i'm gonna have to test the stuff with the doors cosed to see what changes.
it's a pain in the a** working up under the dash i had to take the seat out so i could lay on the floor with my feet in the back seat lol.

i'll keep you guys updated

 

ok so i checked that stuff and no help. the tail fuse and the ctsy fuse are both connected. so i figured i would try to figure out which one is grounded.

i look at the back of the tail fuse and there is one orange wire connected to it. thats it just one. i would think there should be 2 wires right?

so i cut it and test it and that wire is getting ground. so i'm thinking thats the problem.

then i test the side still connected to the fuse block and its still grounded. so that means that the orange wire running to the ctsy fuse is grounded.

so now i have 3 ****ing grounds all connecting to this one wire. wtf is up with that? i'm really confused since i dont know whats supposed to be grounded or not.

dave you said that the ctsy fuse should show a ground when i test it but the tail fuse should not.

how is that possible when the two fuses are interconnected on the fuse block? i have a ground on the ctsy fuse, which i dont think should be there and a ground at the tail fuse.

i'm lost. where do the orange wires on those fuses run to? and isn't there suposed to be another wire to the tail light fuse?



edit-------------------------------------------------

ok so after looking around some more i think i have an idea. if the wire is showing ground it dosent nessaserily mean a sort in the wire it could be a bad switch drawing power when it shouldn't right?

with that wire connected back up everything will still work but it will be drawing power from the battery with everthing off.

do you think i should just reconnect it?

what stuff is connected to the ctsy and the tail fuses that i could check ot see if it is bad and drawing power?

this car needs to be fixed by tommarow sine i'm loseing my garage space. i wanted to try to pull the headlight switch out to check that but when i try to undo the 4 screws around it on the dash the torx screws just start to strip.

is there anthing else the ctsy fuse is hooked up too? maybey if i just start dissconnecting things and retesting i can find my problem.

 

ok guys big deveopment. the big red wire leading into the dash is no longer grounded.

tada! i had the headlight switch on duh. so that is no longer a problem.

so i've got everything ungrounded except for the orange wire from the ctsy fuse. that runs to the door lock switches.

is that wire supposed to show ground with the doors closed and unlocked?

i would guess that now i can either take off the door pannel and test the switch or i can just leave that wire cut and not have power locks?

by looking at the diagram it shows that the orange wire runs to the passenger door then the drivers door. i'm thinking that if i open up the drivers door and cut the wire running to the switch i can determine if the problem is in that door or the other then replace the switch accordingly right?

i just need to know if either one of the door switches should be showing ground to the ctsy fuse or not.

 

ok well i have tested both switches and neither one of them is the problem. its somewhere else in the orange wire for the ctsy fuse.

now as far as i can figure out the ctsy fuse powers the door locks the windows, hatch relese the radio, the dom light, and the horn.

now out of all of those things before i cut the wire to it. the horn was the only thing that didn't work, so i wanna know where the horn relay is located so i can test it. because the wireing diagrams i have show that the ctsy fuse only powers the door locks.

also when thinking about it i had a question about weather it is supposed to be grounded or not, sine it is the power for the radio, wouldn't it be constantly drawing power to keep the clock and preset settings on the raido? and if thats the case then my power draw on that line is normal right?

right now i'm just really confused as to weather i have a problem or not.

dosent anybody know what i'm talking about?

 

ok so after a long day i have everything back togeather for now.everything works, except the radio. i'm gonna have to figure that out tommarow. pretty much i figure that the radio and lights and stuff should be drawing power without the key in anyway so its not a problem. i thought it was a short but i think its just supposed to be that way. now if i can figure out whats wrong with the stereo then i would be golden, but i think that and the test drive can wait untill tommarow

 

Cool84

Glad to hear that you are making progress and figuring a few things out. One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier message was that any load that was connected to power would present a "ground" at the fuse block, as all those circuits are "grounded" when they are ON.

In my 82, the TAIL, STOP HAZ and CTSY fuses are ALWAYS hot, or energized when the battery is connected.

The TAIL fuse supplies power to the tail lights, through an orange wire to the light switch.

The STOP HAZ fuse supplies power to the Stop and Hazzard Lights and the Audio Alarm System on the Convience Center. (Audio Alarm = lights on, fasten seat belts, ect.)

The CTSY fuse supplies power to Power Antenna, Digital Clock/Radio (presets and clock only), Junciton Block (feeds Power Door Locks, Cargo Campartment Light, Power Seats, and Remote Mirrors), Interior Lights, Hatch Release, Cigar Lighter, and the Horn.

On my car the Radio/Stero is not powered unless the Ignition Switch in in the ACCY or RUN positions.

Look farther down in the electronic section for the thread entitled BAD RELAY? In it you will find the horn circuit and some test hints.


EDIT ---------------------------
Here is the link to the above mentioned thread.....

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/elec...bad-relay.html
Dave

 

well like i said for now everything with the exception of the stereo works. theres a draw on the battery when its just sitting in the off position but i dont know how much is normal. mine is drawing over 2 amps. also where does the stereo get it its power from. i have yet to remove it to find out. its an aftermarket xplod unit so i dont know how its bee tied in but right now it wont even turn on. not that big of a deal but i would still like to know whats wrong. i really wanted to get the car finished tonight so it could get inspected tommarow but i guess i will have to spend another day on it. but you dont know how happy i was when i hooked everything back up an dcrossed my fingures and poof evrything came alive. i swear i used every electronic device on that car. untill i went to see if my subs worked and the raido wouldnt even light up. so what do ya think the chances ar that its just not plugged in? i hope i dont have to pull the dash apart again. because i would rather sell the stero than spend another entire day picking through wires blindly. from now on i only by stock stuff. it would make it so much simpler!

 

Glad to hear that you got everything hooked back up and it all seems to be working.

For the stock radios, there is a 30A or so RADIO fuse in the fuse block. I have no idea how your aftermarket unit may be hooked up. I would check the radio fuse first and make sure it is not blown. Then pull the radio and check the wiring. As you suggest, it may not be connected. You may also need to get an installiton guide from the radio manufacturer to see what its power and connection requirements are.

Dave

 

yeah i pulled the radio out and it was hooked up, but it was a fricken mess back there. i dont know why people cant just use butt connectors when puting radios in, there are wirenuts and just straight electrical tape holding most of the stuff togeather. but right now its at the shop awaiting inspection.

and its running like complete crap! sputtering and shakeing, i need to find some way to get the 5 year old gas outa the tank, i'm going to the speed shop in a little bit so i'm gonna pick up some high octane fuel so when i get the gas out i can flush the system with that and then run some 94 for a little. good thing the car is emmisions exempt, if i had to figure that out i wouldnt be driveing it for another month, i just barely finished in time for the inspection (i just put the hood on this morning and drove it right over)

wish me luck that the bird is up to snuff