Electronics Need help wiring something up? Thinking of adding an electrical component to your car? Need help troubleshooting that wiring glitch?

Wire I.D. please help

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Old Jul 31, 2015 | 04:32 PM
  #1  
DonW's Avatar
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From: Tennessee
Car: 1983 Z28
Engine: Carbed 305
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Wire I.D. please help

1983 Z28 LG4 Power windows and seats are the only power options on the car.
I am currently chasing several shorts from PO hack wiring job. Ignition is mounted to a push button switch under dash. Straight hot wire in and then to the starter...no inline fuse...lol (not sure if that has anything to do with anything). The instrument cluster isnt lighting up and Keeps blowing tail lamp fuses and the dang headlight switch melts as soon as you install a new one (ask me how i know...lol).....The tail light fuse and headlight switch issue is going to most likely be the actual connectors that hold the bulbs. They look like they have been hot more than once, so I bought all new connector pigtails and my guess is that this will fix the short and save my headlight switch when i install the new one. I also bought a dimmer switch and connector because it too had a port that was melted. Now what the heck is this wire? This connector is mounted directly to the steering column. There is a WHITE wire in the pic that appears to have been cut intentionaly. What does it control? Any help would be appreciated...


Last edited by DonW; Jul 31, 2015 at 04:50 PM.
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 10:37 AM
  #2  
Rockguy's Avatar
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From: IL
Car: 88 IROC-Z
Engine: 5.7 TPI
Re: Wire I.D. please help

Can you trace the wiring and see where it goes? At least some idea? Is it going up to the key?
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 06:17 PM
  #3  
deadbird's Avatar
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From: So.west IN
Car: 87 Formula/ 00 Xtreme
Engine: TPI 305/ v6
Transmission: struggling t-5/ 4l60E
Axle/Gears: 3.08/ 3.23
Re: Wire I.D. please help

Originally Posted by DonW
This connector is mounted directly to the steering column. There is a WHITE wire in the pic that appears to have been cut intentionaly. What does it control? Any help would be appreciated...
I'll take a guess and say your windshield wipers don't work.
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 06:45 PM
  #4  
Scorpner's Avatar
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Posts: 2,069
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From: MN
Car: 85 SC, 86 Berlinetta
Engine: V6, V8
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4
Re: Wire I.D. please help

You need to disconnect your battery and start using a multi-meter to find and eliminate whatever shorts you have. There was a recent thread where we talked someone through on finding a short. Here, I found it: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tpi/...ease-help.html

There are wiring diagrams available here(<Click) if interested, they may tell you what the white wire goes to.
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 07:45 PM
  #5  
deadbird's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 6,775
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From: So.west IN
Car: 87 Formula/ 00 Xtreme
Engine: TPI 305/ v6
Transmission: struggling t-5/ 4l60E
Axle/Gears: 3.08/ 3.23
Re: Wire I.D. please help

Originally Posted by Scorpner
There are wiring diagrams available here(<Click) if interested, they may tell you what the white wire goes to.
(may be power to the windshield wiper switch in the steering column)
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 08:38 PM
  #6  
Scorpner's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 2004
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From: MN
Car: 85 SC, 86 Berlinetta
Engine: V6, V8
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4
Re: Wire I.D. please help

Ok, that would be easier.
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 08:57 PM
  #7  
deadbird's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 6,775
Likes: 27
From: So.west IN
Car: 87 Formula/ 00 Xtreme
Engine: TPI 305/ v6
Transmission: struggling t-5/ 4l60E
Axle/Gears: 3.08/ 3.23
Re: Wire I.D. please help

the links you posted are good help though, despite my sarcasm above
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Old Aug 1, 2015 | 10:25 PM
  #8  
Scorpner's Avatar
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From: MN
Car: 85 SC, 86 Berlinetta
Engine: V6, V8
Transmission: 700r4, 700r4
Re: Wire I.D. please help

Thank you, nothing wrong with a little sarcasm.
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Old Aug 2, 2015 | 10:53 PM
  #9  
DonW's Avatar
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 706
Likes: 5
From: Tennessee
Car: 1983 Z28
Engine: Carbed 305
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: Wire I.D. please help

Thanks for the replies fellas....any help I can get is valued! Windsheild wipers do work, but the pump and wash fluid was removed by PO ...maybe thats it ?
I dont have a multimeter, but I'm definately going to pick one up. I learned a few tricks over the years toning out lines with a test light, which is how ive been finding some of the shorts. The main trick is just disconnecting the neg side of battery cable and attaching test light clip to the neg battery post and then touch the test light to the neg side of battery. If she lights up, there is a short.....then you just pull fuses until the light goes out. That however is just showing me which circuits are shorted....the hard part is running down the actual wires..... Another trick i learned by a ummmm...shady guy....uuummm we will call him ME...lol is to attach the wire in question to a 9 volt battery and then LICK the other end of the wire. If it tastes like a lemon or sparks up your taste buds the wire is GOOD... If not....go fish!

Last edited by DonW; Aug 3, 2015 at 07:02 AM.
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