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Technical 59 Chevy truck electrical... again

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 59Apachegail, Jun 27, 2017.

  1. 59Apachegail
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,504

    59Apachegail
    Member
    from New York

    Yup even after a complete rewire.

    Everything was working fine for a year. I got a new original style wiring harness from classic parts. No add ons, no extras, everything original down to the T3s.

    First my cluster lights and dome light would burn up my head light fuse. I stopped replacing it after the third one. Out night driving and my head lights stopped working. Driving lights, turn signals and brake lights working fine, no running issues. I have a modern re-pop head light switch. I tried replacing with a newly reconditioned original. Driving lights worked, went to head lights and smoke. The spring contact for the dome light (on the headlight switch) was smoking up the Bakelite. Any ideas? I hate electric it is like black magic...

    Maybe something to mention, I added grounding straps, converted to an original 3 position switch and replaced the battery. Dome/cluster lights issue was per existing to upgrade. No other issues for a year, headlights just started causing trouble.
     
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    Did you carefully look over the entire wiring, especially the wires to the dimmer switch and headlights, to see if there are any places that the wires rubbed against something, and shorted to ground?

    Also, what "headlight fuse" are you referring to? the fuse on the switch? it's for the instrument lights, only, isn't it?
     
  3. Yeah, Jim is right. You have an instrument cluster light wire or dome light wire touching metal somewhere.
     
    rhoke398 likes this.
  4. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I have to go along with what they said. Somewhere in one of those two circuits there is a short to ground.
    The bulbs in those two circuits won't draw enough power to cause a worry with a fuse but a bare spot touching bare metal will blow a fuse real quick.
     

  5. 59Apachegail
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,504

    59Apachegail
    Member
    from New York

    Thanks all,

    Jim,

    I will pull the dome light and see if that is the culprit. Yes the fuse I was talking about on is on the the headlight switch. I'd lose dome and cluster lights.

    Wiring looks ok maybe internal to the wrapping? I even suspected an issue with the original high beam switch on the floor. I have done some learning on this harness over the past 5 years. Maybe I pulled it or caused a short one too many times.

    Will try and check back.

    Thanks again!
     
  6. Dimmer switches carry a lot of power, a good place to start. Is the new HL switch a quality item, OEM style? Those carry a lot of power too, look for chafed wires possibly against a sharp edge. The OG style Ford HL switch my car came with had fuses, I replaced it with a Kwik Wire switch when I changed the harness.
     
  7. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,817

    BJR
    Member

    Look everywhere the harness passes through a metal hole or clip, I have seen grommets rubbed through, so they look good but the metal is chafing the harness inside the hole.
     
  8. The wire to the dome lite gets real close to metal when in position. Be sure the wires going into the domelite socket are protected. Did you replace the domelite wire when you rewired?
     
  9. Once you determine the short is in the wiring; here is a little tool that can come in handy. Pull the fuse and jump the terminals with the light, it will stay lit until you find the short (of course, you have to remove the bulbs or unplug the components in the circuit). tester.JPG
    The inline fuse in the picture isn't actually needed; the light is all that is necessary.

    Sure beats continually replacing fuses, while hunting a short.
     
    59Apachegail likes this.
  10. 59Apachegail
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,504

    59Apachegail
    Member
    from New York

    Honestly I was dreading this comment since I set the harness up...

    God love the guys that did this the first time around. I started 4 hours ago, the original wires snapped and by the grace of god I was finally able to snake a new one through. I snaked in a spare wire for "next time" just in case.

    I am going to write up a tech article on how to do it. And damned if I didn't break the dome light housing trying to pull the old wires out of it. Simple things always cost the most time.

    Not only did I pull out the original wire but I also found another antique nest in my heap. The little bastards ate up some wire there too.

    [​IMG]

    I need to pull my cluster and make sure nothing else melted with my dimmer. Be back on this one soon. Thanks again all!
     
  11. 59Apachegail
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,504

    59Apachegail
    Member
    from New York

    Well... the jury is out on that one. I paid about $40 for it but I don't know what passes for quality replacement anymore. As a result I have been hoarding original ones from every swap meet I find one at. I take them apart, clean, grease and put them back together. I found an NOS one in a 50 cent bin at Hershey!

    The only thing that really goes bad is the release spring on top and sometimes the plastic cup that turns the dimmer. Most times they are just really dirty and full of spider corpses. I hope I didn't ruin my original, but just in case I can try another.
     
  12. 59Apachegail
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,504

    59Apachegail
    Member
    from New York

    Update time...

    I buttoned up my dome light, reattached everything. Took apart my cluster and checked back there. Everything "looks" healthy between the rubber firewall plugs and the heat resistant wire sheath I don't think there are any rub zones. My dome light, cluster lights, cluster indicators and parking lights work.

    The high beam indicator and the headlights/high beams do not work. Is it possible the floor switch went bad?


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  13. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,817

    BJR
    Member

    Sounds like it may indeed be the floor switch with high beam lights and high beam indicator involved. Do the low beams work ok?
     
    rhoke398 likes this.
  14. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    use a test light, see at the dimmer switch if it's getting power to the blue wire (from headlight switch), to the tan wire (Iow beam lights). if so, switch the switch, see if it's getting power at the green wire (high beams). The results of this testing should tell you if the switch is bad.

    Or just swap in another dimmer switch, and see if that fixed it. Might be faster!
     
  15. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,174

    Budget36
    Member

    Been there a few times, first you have to see if that near 60YO wiring to the dome light is good,,,then see ( hopefully) is was never anchored anywhere...so give a tug on it, see when ya tug it, you can see the wire (need to drop the assy) at light, will "give a little...good if it does..

    Then clip the wire, wrap up a new one to the old wire and pull it through..don't think you can insulate that wire and pull it through...won't happen..

    Now you could just clip the wire from the source and make a battery powered dome light...yeas, they are sold, and just adapt to your housing up there.

    Good luck!

    Edit:

    Sorry, seems ya figured out the domelight.
     
    59Apachegail likes this.
  16. 59Apachegail
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,504

    59Apachegail
    Member
    from New York

    Joy!! The high beam switch was the fault in my system.

    Funny how scary an electrical problem is until you figure it out. I guess if my headlights didn't stop working I would still procrastinate on fixing my dome light. Now I need to get started on my lighter and my windshield wipers...

    Thanks a lot all!
     
  17. Dimmer switches are cheap enough to replace or even swap out. Back in my towing junk cars days, I'd take one out if it looked fairly new and save it. Probably have a couple in my junk pail to this day.
     

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