I tried to use the search function, but couldn't find an answer to my problem.
I went to se an '86 Bird today, that a friend of mine used to have a few years back,that I am considering to buy.
I remember last time I saw the car, the instrument light dim switch did not work as it should. It would light up
the instrument cluster in just one perticular position.
It had an aftermarket radio in it, and I seem to recall that the wiring done there, was not to be very proud of.
My girlfriend drove the car once, and said she could see/smell smoke for a little while from under the dash.
Now, about two-three years later, I went to look at the car. The headlights would not work, instrument cluster lights or the radio.
I am thinking headlight switch? Caused by the wring to the radio? (read on coolcats)
What do you guys think?
I went to rockauto to see if they had headlight switches for these cars, but they didn't.
Don't they make them anymore? Do I have to buy a used one?
I am trading my daily driver to get this car, so I kind'a need lights :)
Thanks,
Thomas
check the ignition switch. If I remember the common point to all three is that they all feed from the same wire at the ignition switch.
Thank you for your answer!
Ok, so that is a thing I can try. You don't think it's a critical problem?
Burned wiring harness or something?
You see, I'm not able to work/look on the car.
I looked at coolcats.net, and under help-center there, it says:
"The wiring behind the radio can get pinched very easily due to its proximity to the back of the radio. The main culprit is a light blue wire with a red stripe; that's the one on the same circuit for the dash lights. It's for the light in the radio, clock, and lighter panel/ash tray. When that wire gets pinched, it causes a short in the system, and since the dash lights are on that same circuit....no more dash lights. Even worse, if the fuse doesn't blow, then you've got power overload running through the car, and the common gateway is the headlight switch."
That's why I thought headlight switch.
Maybe I should just buy the car, get it home, and hope it's not a big problem. I have done a few electrical repairs before. Just thought I should read up on it first.
Who knows, maybe it's just a fuse :)
Turns out they don't run off the same feed, you could have multiple problems with multiple causes. Have diagrams? If not just ask, I'll PM you the ones you need.
The dimmer switch is very easy to burn out, and go bad often. I used a headlight switch out of a 91 crown vic for a while until I could find the proper switch. I have had 2 headlight switches go bad, as well as the fuseable link to the headlight harness.
Shouldn't be a big deal.
The dimmer switch is very easy to burn out, and go bad often. I used a headlight switch out of a 91 crown vic for a while until I could find the proper switch. I have had 2 headlight switches go bad, as well as the fuseable link to the headlight harness.
Shouldn't be a big deal.
Well if you cant find a switch you can slave out the headlights to come on with the ignition switch. It is like running daylight running lights. other than finding a good used switch and then slaving it out you are stuck. Those switches are very underrated and burn out. So other than using a slave relay with a good used switch your options are limited to a daylight running set of lights. I have dun this many times on many cars. People wanted daylight running lights and i OPINED!!!
As far as the dimmer section i always bypass that option as most people run them at full brightness any way. You are also dealing with DIMS (running lights through the switch) They normally have a separate circuit and fuse arrangement. I did not pull a print untill you explain exactly which lights and accessory's are actually out. So post a detailed outage and i will pull the prints. Once again those switches are garbage and once one fails you would be hard pressed to get another good one and burn it out also. I would have slaved it out the first time it failed!!!:hick::hick::mullet::mullet:
"Well if you cant find a switch you can slave out the headlights to come on with the ignition switch."
I kind of like this idea, I turn mine on when I drive usually any way.
SOUL the 88 TC headlight switch is long gone. I have 2 left that are brand new. You have to slave it out to protect the switch. Otherwise it is going to burn our and take the harness with it. Using a BOSCH relay as a slave can get you a daytime running set of lights. This will bypass the headlight switch and you can also slave the MFS as well. This way you will never need a MFS switch ans accomplish DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. Note i would suggest an alt up grade to a 130A unit with this mod!!!
I just put a set of relays in for because of melting plastic head lights syndrome
Tom, I don't agree with the part you're saying, that DRL are useless (in other words). I've found, that I can't have turned on low beams and A/C at the same time in the traffic jam (all day lighting is mandatory in our country). After few miles, I drained my battery even with rebuilt (original) alternator. It needs to have at least 1300 RPM to produce more current, than it's being consumed.
In this case I really suggest to use the DRL instead of using low beams during the daytime.
So what you are saying is you cant use your car at night also. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seems like you need an UP DATED ALT or you have a sereyous wiring or electrical problem. What if it was 1 AM and you were stuck in traffick with the AC ON??? Do you park the car till MORNING??? Just asking!!!
:hick::mullet::burnout:
Put a volt/amp. meter on your battery and check the draw w/o anything on, then w/lights on, then w/a/c on. Does the battery hold a charge? Check you alternator and see if it's charging alright (basics). 1300 rpm sounds awful high. Seriously, if your smelling smoke in the dash, I would have to agree with Tom, you better find out what is causing it before you do anything else. If it's a fuse, then some one might have put too large a fuse in the fuse block and you still have a serious problem (smoke). If I were you and you see a fire hazard in your car (radio) I would disconnect it or re-wire it right away. You should be able to find the schematic for it on line. Also remember when your working on a car that someone else has worked on you need to make sure they did it right (I know PINA). If the radio wire color coding does not match, your better off starting from scratch. I have a 57 olds. that when I looked at the wiring under the dash, the first thing I noticed was the ignition switch had all the wires bare and each wire was twisted together without any protection. Most of the wiring harness also had bare spots. Needless to say I ripped it out and put in new wire before I tried any electrical.
That's kind of how it was for me with mine in the beginning. I couldn't run my lights defroster and blower together. What do you expect from a 60A alternator? I did the 3g upgrade and now it's not a problem anymore, period. The first 3g unit just died last week, but since I had ponied up and bought a new one, it had a lifetime warranty and I just got another one. The new one pushes just a little harder than the old one did. Full load test yielded a max output current of 155 amps.
This should not happen if everything electrical is stock and stock size pulleys driving the alternator.
There is a 40 amp and a 60 amp version of the 1G rear terminal alternator. You should have the 60 amp. The 40 amp should have an orange stamp and the 60 amp a green stamp.
Rebuilders sometimes repaint them and they look the same. I had the same problem you have after I installed a rebuild alternator. I suspect I had gotten a 40 amp unit.
The loss of one of the three phases (bad diode) in the alternator will cause the same problem.
@softtouch
I disagree with your assertion that the 60A alternator is somehow adequate. My first replacement alternator was a stocker, a 2nd gen unit. I ran out of available output current easily. First you may say that I have electrical problems then, but you would be wrong. I spent a lot of time working out electrical problems as soon as I bought the car and afterwards I could draw more than the alternator's output. The charging system tech the car came with is simply inadequate. To prove this point, I was able to use only electrical accessories that came on the car to achieve that 155A max load test result with my latest 3g alternator. That means that the car can draw 155 amps all by itself. Hows a 60 amp unit supposed to support that.
my 20th has a stocker alternator and with all things on that can be turned on including leaving trunk, hood and doors open with turnsignals flashing and brake lights illuminated, i draw 54amps.
the stock alternator is "sufficient" but i would not engineer it so close to current limit. the 3g is a good upgrade with the right wiring to complement it.
i agree with all the points being made, the idea that the alternator is so close to current limit over time though drasitcially effects the electrical connections due to high current draw and heat deterioration. im not saying anything you all dont already know, just sayin, softtouch is right, the alt worked for many of us all these years and eventually things start to break down.
This is how I do full load test: blower at max, defrost on, AC on, flash to pass, brakes, 4 way flashers and hold window switches in up position. Additionally I have an electric fan (installed AFTER 3G upgrade) that is wired to a thermoswitch, but I also have a bypass switch for the relay, so the fan is on (my fan is regulated so draw is about 12 amps). All together over 150 amps. Also I installed a Mustang GT/Police alternator pulley (has a 1 way over-running clutch) to prevent belt squeak on hard upshifts. It sounds really cool when the engine stops and the alternator keeps spinning few a few seconds.
gotta love how things are engineered "min specs"..... your right though, stock is cuttin it close but..... thats why we need good mods to get the hell of that ignition and headlamp switch as a begining to a 3g upgrade. im not runnin 3g yet, kinda afraid to mod the 20th to that level of a visual change.