rear defogger

[MikeyP]

on my 73 charger my rear defogger just quit running and the fuse is good and all the wires are good. is there something i'm missing??

[Ghoste]

The relay?

[MikeyP]

where is te relay at then? i stole it out of a 72 charger and put it in my self and i don't remeber a relay

[Nacho-RT74]

no relay, is just a direct wire run.

I just can say check on tipical places:

fuse.
Accesories source ( could it be accidentally unplugged )
loosen plugs at switch, kick panel area and motor.
Damaged resistance
Damaged motor

[Ghoste]

My thinking was screwed up on this one.  I was thinking of the more modern type with the timer and everything in it but you don't have all of that stuff do you?

[MikeyP]

thats what i thought. then why wouldn't it be working ?? it was working one morning when i drove it to school and the next morning it wouldn't work. do they burn up easliy or something??

[MikeyP]

i don't know. but also lately i've been haveing an overchargering problem and i changed the regulator and it was still overcharging. but it only happens when i'm driving it. AGHHHHHH Mopars. lol

[Ghoste]

Man I don't know.  I think there's a resistance cable in there, could it have burned up?

[Nacho-RT74]

thats what i thought. then why wouldn't it be working ?? it was working one morning when i drove it to school and the next morning it wouldn't work. do they burn up easliy or something??

well being ther are sold PRETTY CHEAP I don't think they burn easy, since there is no market pushig out for them.

Overcharging ?... is the amm needle playing fun on ammeter or is ALLWAYS on charge side ?

[MikeyP]

the volt meter i put on it along time ago keeps spiking out at 17 volts but my fuse keeps blowing for the ammeter and the rest of the gauges.

[Nacho-RT74]

Man I don't know.  I think there's a reistance cable in there, could it have burned up?

resistance is attached on blower housing

[MikeyP]

i'll have to just trace the wire all the way back... wait. i haven't checked the place where it pluges into the wireing harness under the dash. i'll have to look at the .. if i can find it in the rats nest i have under there. lol

[Nacho-RT74]

the volt meter i put on it along time ago keeps spiking out at 17 volts but my fuse keeps blowing for the ammeter and the rest of the gauges.

ammeter doesn't have fuse, just the fuse link on starter relay.

rest of gauges do have the fuse, but fuse is feeding really the cluster voltage limiter

Fuses on fuse block doesn't blow because you have extrapower coming from alt, they blow because devices ask for more juice than fuse resist. let's try to rememeber amperes are not just given by alt/batt, they are given if devices need.

let's take an example. Maybe you have a 600 amperes batt however you are running devices that barelly use 20 amperes. Batt DOESN'T SEND 600 AMPERES, are the devices what uses just what they need... 5, 15, 8, 10, 20 or whatever amperes

[Nacho-RT74]

i'll have to just trace the wire all the way back... wait. i haven't checked the place where it pluges into the wireing harness under the dash. i'll have to look at the .. if i can find it in the rats nest i have under there. lol

is easy to locate... around the pigtail runing to ignition switch ( close to radio ). Is a Yellow rubber source to fit 3 bullet terminals.

Just a question. Is Standart cluster or Rallye cluster ?

[MikeyP]

yeah your right it was my coolant temp gauge i was thinking of. but why does it keep blwing?? it just started doing that like two days ago and the only thing i did to the car recently was put headers on it.

[MikeyP]

it's a rallye from a 72

[Nacho-RT74]

yeah your right it was my coolant temp gauge i was thinking of. but why does it keep blwing?? it just started doing that like two days ago and the only thing i did to the car recently was put headers on it.

lets' forgett by the moments of the voltimeter...
do you have ammeter hooked ? is playing fun or keep on charging side.

halogen beams ?

Rallye cluster ... mmmm I though it could be standart and maybe more relationship with alt, regulator and fuse ( gauges are on same line on standart cluster )...

anyway.. alt need to be checked... also blue line from ignition switch up to ballast/regulator/electric choke ( if equiped )/alt brush.

I'm thinking on a short somewhere on blue line or inside alt.

Or maybe cluster voltage limiter shorted

[MikeyP]

the ammeter peaks out with the voltimeter and i have halogen on my high beams, not for sure about the lows. the car origanaly had a standard but i pulled out the whole dash and swicthed the gauges and harness with the 72's. and i'lll have to check the blue wire because i hde to replace it before and my connetions might be bad

[Nacho-RT74]

ok. you could have TWO or THREE diff problems somehow relationed.

check for plugs and conections everywhere. Clean and tight!!!... is not a GREAT AND EASY job to do, but is better and safe to do it. You can start on basic lines at bulkhead conector

just a read to let you know:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,33574.0.html

that info is MY suggestion, based on MaMopar extra wiring made to tow packaged cars with more than 60 amps alts and making the explanation about WHY by myself... there is more options around.

with 60 amp alt you will have ON THE LINE of overheat original charging line, specially with that ammeter playing and halogen beam relay mostly sure hooked to batt. Rust and dust helps on that.

You can get overheat and weird electrical stuff also with dirty/loosen/rusty lines, not just because extra alt load

[MikeyP]

so i'm sure it doesn't help it any that i have one those powermaster 75 amp alt.? but yeah, my engine wiring harness is a mess. the guy i bought it from like 5 years ago( yes i was 12 when i got it ) had it butchered. there are wires that go nowere but they're not hurting any thing so i don't mess with them.

[Nacho-RT74]

yeah, sure does help!!! if you have a PERFECT wiring... check the link!!!

[MikeyP]

ok, so the bigger alt helps keep things going at idle. but what is making it overcharge??? that link kindda makes some sense.

[Highway by the Sea]

Mikey, I have one of those on my 73 Plymouth that I stole out of a 74 Charger, and get this!  Mine will blow, but will not heat up when shut on!  The only time the heater coils will heat up is if I apply a power source directly to them without using the shut off switch.  Perhaps that switch is your problem too.

[MikeyP]

i didn't know it heated up. i thought it just blew air on it. also i keep blowing the fuse to my fuel and coolent temp gauge and i can't figure it out.

[Ghoste]

Hmmm, I'll bet you'll find they're related problems.  I think Nacho was leading you to the right answers.

[MikeyP]

yeah, he did help out alot. now i just have to go out in the cold freezing wind and look at it.

[Nacho-RT74]

guys what are you talking about what is heating up ?... I can't get it !

rear deffog doesn't heats anything, just blows air to the glass to save from fog inside ( or outside )... takes same cab air, on same temp.

the resistor what controls speed located on blower housing heats on low speed juts because power is going throught, and then the same blower keeps cooler as posible to save from blow, thats all...

switch sends 12 volst on both positions, and then goes or not to resistor depeding if power comes from white or black wire ( low or high speed )

[MikeyP]

yeah, thats what i thought. just regular air from the cab.

[Highway by the Sea]

My rear defogger has a heater coil in it that will heat up if power if applied directly to it.  I thought it was supposed to heat up to melt frost off the rear glass or burn off inside moisture.  It never has though.

[Nacho-RT74]

something like one of these ?:




( not the same but similar )

[Highway by the Sea]

Yes, very much like that.  What is it for if not to heat up when turned on?  My defogger switch (from a 72 charger) had two settings and it would turn on the blower (from a 74 charger) but it would never heat up like that.

[MikeyP]

i thought that was just the resistor for the low setting

[Nacho-RT74]

thats the low speed resistor. Cuts the power when 12 volts comes from switch on LOW speed to get the proper voltage to teh blower and get LOW speed. Is not a heater coil

as stated, from switch arrives 12 volts on both speeds, then when arrives to blower, takes power directly from wire or coming throught resistor

Is inside the blower housing just because ( like on front A/C-Heater box ) blower will keep the resistor cold at the same time is working and feeding the blower

[Highway by the Sea]

It may very well be.  I am not an expert on this sort of thing.  It sure heated up like a heater coil when I applied 12 volts DC to it!  I am glad to now know that my rear defogger (a junkyard find) is apparently not broken after all!  But it has never done a good job of defogging my rear window either.  Nacho says that it is a resistor and I believe him.

[Nacho-RT74]

of course the coil gets hot when power goes throught, but then that's the reason to be inside the blower housing... keep it cold for a while blower is working, saving from coil melt.

[MikeyP]

that good and everything, but i have another problem  today after work i got into my car and went to start it and.... Nothing i tryed neutral i tried park, i tried every postion and nothing. so i had to start it with the handy dandy srew driver trick. so is it my neutral safty swith or what??? P.S electrical sucks. lol

[Nacho-RT74]

-damaged brown wire on tranny harness.
-Unplugged or loosen NSS
-Tranny link out of adjustment.
-NSS damaged
-Starter Relay Damaged

[MikeyP]

yeah, how do you adjust the tranny linkage anyway? because when i'm in drive it is in between D and 2 and i can't lock it in first. don't you like how this went from a rear defogger to this? LOL all i have to say are you guys are realy helpful

[Nacho-RT74]

down the driver floor pan, will find the linkage adjustment

[MikeyP]

i know where it is at. i just don't know which way to adjust it. i went though 3 904's and i finally got a 727 and it's the only one that has held together for at least a month 

[Nacho-RT74]

take it to the top end on shifter ( P ) then loose the adjustment bolt... be sure tranny lever get to top too, and then tight the bolt

[MikeyP]

oh, thats it?? thats to easy.

[Nacho-RT74]

that's how I have made Dunno if there is some other MORE SCIENTIFIC way . Oftenly needs some MINIMAL extra adjustement back and forth to get the proper P and N ground due the worn parts around and VOILÁ.

with adjustment bolt loosen you can feel the steps on tranny lever, and simply try to match with shifter.

Once I simply put a tester over windshield on starter relay brown wire to check for ground continuity when I was shifting to be sure everything was done.

[MikeyP]

i'll have to try that tommorow. so on my to do list so far is:
-fix linkage
-check NSS
-find out why i keep blowing the gauge cluster fuse
-try out my new exhuast dumps 
-fix rear defogger
-flush Cadillac motor
-redo the head gaskets on my cadillac for the 3rd time

i think i have some work for me to do. LOL

[Ghoste]

Nuthin' like keeping your plate full.  Just remember it's a hobby and if you keep on telling yourself, "it's therapeutic, it's therapeutic, it's therapeutic" over and over, eventually you'll come to believe it.  That or you'll grow slowly insane like the rest of us. 

[MikeyP]

i think i'm already insane. thats what most of my friends say anyway. they are always like " you should sell you two pieces and get a newwer reliable car that get at least 20 MPG" i think i'm going to have to  sell one of them though because i need money, but i love them both. AGHHHH, what to do

[Highway by the Sea]

My rear defogger switch illumination light no longer works (73 Plymouth Satellite). I cannot figure out why.  I have ordered a NOS switch to replace my broken one and I hope to have this working by the time it arrives.  Any ideas?  I have replaced the bulb already, but no good!

[Nacho-RT74]

did you check for propper wire plug on orange rubber source ?

ground on dash ? switch assembly needs to be tight on dash to get the ground once bulb is inside the housing

[Highway by the Sea]

I checked both, even bypassing the normal ground, but nothing worked.  It used to work fine.    I did not find a blown fuse either.    Is this hooked up to the middle console gear shift light?  The wire to mine is disconnected and I cannot reattach it until the dash cluster is removed to fix my speedo.

[Nacho-RT74]

Is hooked at the same place where the console shifter light wire it is, orange feed around A/C control area, but each one has its own plug, bullet male terminal.

Console shifter light has an intermediate plug, spade kind on passenger kick panel area, or very close down the carpet.

If you have lights on cluster, is not a fuse problem.

[Highway by the Sea]

It must be some wacky ground issue that I cannot access until the cluster is removed to do the other work it needs.  My tach and speedo need work.

[Highway by the Sea]

My NOS rear defogger switch arrived and is now installed!  But I still cannot find the problem with the light that illuminates it!    There is no power in the orange gauge light wire that the defogger light harness attaches to, but the light does test good from other power sources.  Bizarre!