AWG, FSM and the late 60s

[vdk2010]

By modern standards, the wiring of these cars leave much to be desired in the circuit protection department...

I have had some similar thoughts, but I won't let myself tear a car apart unless I have the ability to finish the job in short order... It's a space consideration for me.

I wouldn't do that on a running car either, but because I'm changing all wires during restoration anyway, it's a good time to think about it now.

 

[Slantsix]

I will do upgrades also. Has to check all wiring before even thinking to get car running. Sitting desert since 89-90, wiring is little crispy..
An Error Has Occurred!

 

[commando1]

And you learn a LOT about your car, while studding the OEM harness, wiring diagrams and searching for options to add circuits and relays! That's complicated (at least for me) but a lot of fun!

Whenever I have an electrical problem, I make a b&w photocopy of the wiring diagram. I then requisition my wife's 180 color drawing pencil set. Starting at the problem, I then appropriately color just that circuit. It's tedious, especially if you have shitty eyesight, but it is easy to now pinpoint the problem. For me, it's actually fun in that my OCD unravels the mystery of a circuit and why my left turn signal turns on when when I open the glove box. .

 

[vdk2010]

Whenever I have an electrical problem, I make a b&w photocopy of the wiring diagram. I then requisition my wife's 180 color drawing pencil set. Starting at the problem, I then appropriately color just that circuit. It's tedious, especially if you have shitty eyesight, but it is easy to now pinpoint the problem. For me, it's actually fun in that my OCD unravels the mystery of a circuit and why my left turn signal turns on when when I open the glove box. .

I did that exactly one time. Like you said, it's horrible tedious, that's why I digitized and colored all my wiring diagrams! And as a nice side effect, again a great opportunity to learn a lot about your car. By far the biggest until now!

 

[commando1]

I fantisize about digitizing my wiring diagram and being able to light up one circuit at a time on the monitor.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

Whenever I have an electrical problem, I make a b&w photocopy of the wiring diagram. I then requisition my wife's 180 color drawing pencil set. Starting at the problem, I then appropriately color just that circuit. It's tedious, especially if you have shitty eyesight, but it is easy to now pinpoint the problem. For me, it's actually fun in that my OCD unravels the mystery of a circuit and why my left turn signal turns on when when I open the glove box.

I did that for all the circuits on my truck...

On the Polara I do them as needed.


Alan

 

[commando1]

Adding relays to the headlight wiring system when you have Headlamp delay and hidden headlights still has me stumped, tho...

 

[Big_John]

Adding relays to the headlight wiring system when you have Headlamp delay and hidden headlights still has me stumped, tho...

I can get you through that one.

It took me a while to figure it out, but basically there's nothing returning the ground now that the headlights are on a circuit isolated from the switch. I think there's a couple ways to fix this and one would be to jumper the wires from the new circuit (relay) back to the old circuit (switch). That puts the relay in parallel with the switch and would return ground through the headlight circuit the way the factory did it. Your headlight relay will take care of the high current and give you the benefits etc. Think of it as putting the relay in the system without cutting the wires.

I can sketch a diagram if you don't follow what I'm saying.

The other way to do it is to change the stock headlight door relay to a Bosch/Tyco relay. The Charger guys have it worked out here: An Error Has Occurred!

Believe it or not, the way the factory system is wired, if both headlights were burnt out, you wouldn't be able to close the headlight doors. The ground is returned through the headlight filaments.

 

[Big_John]

I grabbed a diagram off the web and modified it to show the jumpers between terminal 87 and 86. This is where the wires are normally cut to add the relays. In this case, you just don't cut the wires. The majority of the current still runs through the path of least resistance (the relay).

 

[vdk2010]

Thanks John! Until now, I never thought about that could be a problem. The "Charger guys way" seems to be the cleaner way if you build a new harness anyway, right?!

 

[Big_John]

Thanks John! Until now, I never thought about that could be a problem. The "Charger guys way" seems to be the cleaner way if you build a new harness anyway, right?!

It does save you from using the stock headlight door relay that's hard to find and $$.

 

[vdk2010]

Mine should be still good I think but going with a bosch relay from the beginning protects me from a convertion afterwards should the oem relay ever fail.

 

[Big_John]

Mine should be still good I think but going with a bosch relay from the beginning protects me from a convertion afterwards should the oem relay ever fail.

I've probably already posted this, but here it is again. I use a board and finishing nails to lay the harness out and replace the wires, one at a time. I've seen this method for building wire harness done in factories making everything from voting machines to towed sonar arrays.

 

[vdk2010]

I've probably already posted this, but here it is again. I use a board and finishing nails to lay the harness out and replace the wires, one at a time. I've seen this method for building wire harness done in factories making everything from voting machines to towed sonar arrays.
View attachment 118921

I've seen that before and I will do the same when making my new harness as well! But I'll need a waaay bigger board for the Imperial harnesses. The dash harness is arm thick ;)