Wiring Problem(s)

[Bob Rooks]

Consider:

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[Yogi05]

Good links Bob. Thanks.
Went to NAPA and Benson and 2 other local places. No one had what I would consider proper connectors. All as said before, they all wanted to know what vehicle it was for. I told them pick one, I don't care.
I ended up buying the flat 4 way trailer harnesses.
I have the right rear tail light working properly. Turn, 4 way, brake and tail. I'll do the other side tomorrow.
So far I still have that wonky backbleed going on for the signals. That'll be next weekend as I look at other connectors etc. Headlights still don't work and work lights either.
One thing at a time I guess.
My challenge is my work schedule. Only leaves me an hour here and there for things like this. And I still need to get this working around the property too. Summer goes fast.
Again, thanks for the coaching.

 

[OzKioti]

An interesting and informative thread, so thanks to all who've contributed.

My only contributions are that essentially I don't trust crimped connections* - my soldering iron is my well-used friend! Also some years ago, the airconditioner pump stopped working on my tractor. Pump was belt driven from the Mitsubishi diesel engine, with an electro-magnetic clutch. First thing to check was whether the clutch was getting 12v power when the aircon was switched on, and sure enough, according to my multimeter, it was indeed getting 12v yet not engaging.

Puzzled, I asked an auto electrician whose advice was to use a test light with a filament to test for power (actually draws a little current) rather than a voltmeter. And it turned out to be a dodgy connection somewhere in the circuit (can't remember exactly where) which provided 12v under "no load" but failed to pass any current.

So after locating the bad connection (might even have been a flaky ground connection) all was good again.

Prior to that, I always thought it was better to go "hi tech" with a meter, rather than an old-world test light!!!

*Except possibly in high current situations where I've been told the heat generated could possibly melt the solder and bang - you're back with a dodgy connection.

 

[Bob Rooks]

I work with medium voltage equipment (4.16 kv, 16 mw), and all wire ends are crimped.

 

[Yogi05]

So put the dash all back together confident that because the right rear was all set up, I just needed to wire in the left rear and
get the same result as the right.
Wired up the left rear and nothing worked. Not left, not right.
I'll leave out the embarrassing part how I got signals and 4 ways working again (there's only so much I'll admit to in the name of other people's entertainment)
As I was playing with the switches yet again my gauges went out. Any indicator lights and the tach quit.
I was taking the top dash panel off again (getting good at that) and the gauges popped on again.
Pulled, poked, prodded, and massaged a few different places in the harness and found I could touch a brown wire in one of the light switch harnesses and cut the
tachometer on and off. Poked some more and found if I moved the main electrical harness a certain way I get the same result.
I didn't see anything with the switch connector (brown wire) but I will address a possible loose connection next weekend.
I was running out of patience for the day but I think I'll have to fully expose the main harness and look for rubs or fuzzy green stuff.
kind of wish I had the self discipline to ignore lack of electrical functions like the previous owner did, but at some point I will need to do snow removal in the dark, and travel local roads (and police want to see lighting).
The previous owner only did stuff in the daylight and never left his property.

 

[Rebeldad1]

if it were mine..... remove all wires and start from scratch. draw up your own wiring diagram and follow that.
I have built street rods from scratch and done a few classic boats as well. after it was all done everything worked.
Its not as bad as it sounds. Chasing a bunch of problems and still living with old wiring is a lot worse . My opinion.

 

[Yogi05]

Valid choice Rebeldad and may end up doing that.
I would have a lot less trouble wiring a car. Well, an older car.
This thing has 3 relays that feed one to the other (instead of a relay for each circuit) and then back to 3 position switches etc.
I guess my reluctance to start from scratch is if I had to do that I would want to use the original switches so the interior stays the same.
I have wired boats from scratch and used 10-switch panels. Pretty basic.I find it a big difference if you don't care about keeping things original.
I'm pretty sure these problems are a combination of one system after another quiting over time as opposed to one thing causing all the problems
at once.
A specific schematic would make all the difference, but double digit hours looking for that has come up with nothing.
Frustrating as it all can get, it's sort of a challenge. I guess.

 

[Bob Rooks]

Once I saw a gauge panel "grounded" to a fiberglass dash, and lights "grounded" to fiberglass fenders. Of course nothing worked.

 

[Yogi05]

Not sure what you mean here. Gauges were working until this recent "wiggle the harness" business and the whole body is metal. Fenders included. Lights are not grounded to the fenders as far as I can tell. 4 wires. One is to a body ground I assume, but in a harness, not to a bolt in the fender.
There was a ground wire hanging loose in the dash that I attached to metal, but it seemed to make no difference in my list of problems.

 

[TTTTTT]

https://www.princessauto.com/en/dielectric-grease/product/PA0008886046

Here's dielectric grease at princessauto.com. Noticed the Canadian . eh