My A2 Combat Class Resto: Last few problems....

[armybuck041]

Just a bit of background,

I bought 2 CDN 74 A2's back in the late summer in order to build a decent Combat Class runner. Things have gone really well so far. I managed to get my donor body all cleaned up and the re-weld re-welded correctly, pulled the Power Pack from the other, cleaned up and swapped over. Now i'm in the process of getting everything all back together. I have put a great deal of NOS small parts into this rather than fooling around with the plethora of bits from both of the donor rigs.
I was able to fire up the engine again yesterday for the first time in a few months. All of the Carb tips paid off, as it flashed right up and ran pretty darned good considering it had no exhaust installed and was being fed through a hose and funnel through the Fuel Return line.

Anyway, my woes are not over. In the process of the build-up, I replaced the entire wiring harness with a NOS one. I have a few annoying electrical bugs to work through. I havn't put much time into chasing them, but thought i'd get a few tips here before I start trouble shooting.

Heres what I noticed right off of the bat, and what i'm thinking:

- The Headlights only have one setting. When I hit the Dimmer Floor Switch, they turn off, hit it again, and they turn on. Bulbs worked fine on both High and Low Beam prior to teardown. I'm wondering if I plugged in the 3 wires to the Dimmer Floor Switch incorrectly?
- The Signal Lights only work on the Right Side. Left Side doesn't work, Hazards only light up the Right Side. No idea on that one. The little Bulb on the Column Signal Switch jibby wasn't working either, but its a good bulb.
- Brake Lights seem to be stuck on. When I jiggled the Brake Light Switch, there was no change. Toasted Switch?
- None of the Gauges or Instrument Cluster Lights work except for the Battery Gauge. Looking at the Wiring Diagram, the Gauges get their Voltage from a common circuit which passes through a Circuit Breaker, except for the Battery Gauge. Do these Breakers fail often? Also, could the Panel Lights and High Beam Light not working be tied to the Floor Dimmer Switch as well?

- I used Die-Electric Grease with all of the connections, was this a no-no?
- I also swapped to my spare Light Switch, no change to anything.

The Wiper Motor, Horn and Heater are all working just fine, and ironically, so are the Blackout Lights.

Heres some pics:

Before I bought it:




Tearing it down:




Getting it back together:






Its further along now, so i'll post up some new pics soon.

Thanks for all of the help.

Scotty B

[rickf]

The turn signal problem is going to be a bad ground at the fender, the turn signal indicator is the switch is not grounded to the column. Tighten the clamp a little and move the switch around to get through the paint and ground the switch. Headlights could be a bad dimmer but I think you will find that you have the wires on either the switch or the lights wrong. The brake light switch could be bad, just unplug it and see if the lights go out. If they do then it is a bad switch, if not you have the wrong wires plugged together. Don't get the wires for the trailer socket mixed up with the tail light wires. Could have a bad breaker but they don't go bad all that often. Make sure you have power to the breaker and then check to see if you have power coming out. Use a voltmeter or make a quick test light by soldering a wire to the center post of a tail light bulb and another wire to the brass side of the bulb. Instant 24 volt test light. Hint: make sure the bulb is good first.

Rick

[rickf]

By the way, You sound a little older than you look in the picture.

[armybuck041]

By the way, You sound a little older than you look in the picture.

Hahahaha, ya, I think thats the previous owners son sitting in it...

I'll check all of those things you mentioned Rick. In addition, i'm going to check all the Bulbs in the Composite Lights, as they aren't new.

Scotty

[rickf]

By the way, You sound a little older than you look in the picture.

Hahahaha, ya, I think thats the previous owners son sitting in it...

I'll check all of those things you mentioned Rick. In addition, i'm going to check all the Bulbs in the Composite Lights, as they aren't new.

AHA, I had ASSumed you had checked the bulbs, that is why I did not mention them.

Rick

[k8icu]

I have to second what ric said. Espically recheck all your grounds. Make sure every ground point is good and making good contact. Get some internal and external star washers to make a good ground. Make sure you have a good ground for the engine and the battery.

[rickf]

Probably 90% of all automotive electrical problems are bad grounds. It is even more critical, much more critical, on new cars.
Whenever you have a light out first check the bulb and then the ground.


Rick

[armybuck041]

I'm going to check the grounds on everything when I get home.

I didn't realize that the Composite Lights got their ground through the housings, and same with the signal switch. I'll check all of that out.

I didn't want to sound like a dummy with the light bulbs, but they did all work before the teardown.

I think with the Headlights, i've just plugged in the switch wires in the wrong order.

I think there is going to be some time spent with a Multi-Meter.

Scotty

[rickf]

The composite lights have a separate ground wire in the harness, the turn signal switch bulb is the reason the switch has to be grounded. The grounds for the lights in front are screwed to the inner fenders, I am not sure in the back. What you can do is make up a ground wire. Attach one end of a long piece of 14 gauge wire to the battery ground, Attack an alligator clip to the other end and go around and clip it to the ground wire at the mounting point and see if the item then works. You can also unplug the ground wire at the light and attach the light end of the ground wire to your temp ground to see if that works. If you put an alligator clip on both ends you can also use it to send power to a questionable item. You have to be very careful doing that because if you short the free end it will vaporize the wire instantly! Needless to say you are going to get burned if that happens.


Rick

[moose53]

RickF: Attack an alligator clip to the other end and go around and clip it to the ground wire at the mounting point and see if the item then works.

If it doesn't work would you then have to attack it again, until beaten into submission???


Jim

[armybuck041]

Geez Rick, I didn't realize I needed an actual Alligator to attack the Wiring...

Will a Crocodile suffice?

[rickf]

OK Guy's, you got me! It has been a long week with little sleep. Sharp eyes and no mercy here.


Rick

[Rainman]

Ha, look who's askin for mercy



Rainman

[rickf]

Ha, look who's askin for mercy



Rainman

Careful there O Genius Purvayer of bent Mutt hoods. I was not asking for mercy, I know better than that. I was pointing out there is no mercy here.

Where in hell did you find that sign?!
Have you been hangin out with Ralph?

Rick

[halftracknut]

Rick, those kind'a signs are all over ohio..... .......