Chasing Gremlins! NOW IT WONT START!

[73ChargerSE]

Hey guys, I have a few problems with misc. things in my car.  I'd like to get these fixed as soon as possible.  Can anyone offer any help.

1. Brake Lights don't work. 
Is there a fuse for these?  They are illuminated when the lights are on, but they don't come on while braking.

2. Low beams don't work.
All 4 lights come on when switched to high beams, but when switch is clicked, there are no headlights at all.  I've replaced the dimmer switch to no avail. Bulbs are recent.

3.Oil pressure gauge isn't reading correctly.
When the car is started, the pressure gauge is at full pressure and then the needle goes down.  I've got a new oil pressure sender on it and a new engine wiring harness. Motor definitely has oil pressure but it scares me a little.

4. Fuses
What are all the fuse locations for?  I can't find my owners manual, I'd like a breakdown of the numbers on the fuse box and the corresponding circuits.  Maybe wishful thinking, but it'd be nice.

Thanks!
Paul

[histoy]

2. Headlights - make sure that you have a good ground between the battery and the radiator support.   That ground got corroded on my '71, and the same thing happened with the headlights on my car.....

Please disregard this answer.  My problem was the opposite of yours... had low beams, but nothing when I switched to high beams.

[Nacho-RT74]

1-the brakes fuse is the same than the dome. If you have dome, fuse is ok. Check if pedal switch is working or not. Jump the white and pink wire wires at pedal switch. If you still haven't brakes light and you have hazzards and turns, then steering column turning switch got damaged on rest position, what would give continuity to rear lights ( dark green and brown wires under column )...or white wire arriving to same switch under the column. That white wire is teh same than the one coming from pedal switch.

2-Violet wire is the one what feeds the low beams from dimmer floor switch. Could it be loosen at bulkhead conector or broken violet wire somewhere. You can jump between green and violet wire on floor dimmer switch to check if switch is still coming bad or the violet wire is not feeding to low beams. green wire is definitelly working because they are feedeing red wire to high beams.

3-have you grounded the oil sender wire to check if you have full reading without fail ?

4-This will work to track your rest of problems too

[73ChargerSE]

Replaced all of my fuses.  Neither my dome light OR brake lights are working.  Didn't get to check the dimmer switch at all, it's getting wayy too hot outside.  So now the plot thickens

[Nacho-RT74]

once happened to me on a Dart's buddy, back of fuse box terminlas were SO SULFATED that power wasn't able to run from fuse terminals to wires, NOT EVEN JUMPING ON BACK OF FUSE!!! directly in to crimped wires to fuse terminals. We used battery ends cleaner, and stuff began to get better

It is happening to me that PRECISELLY THAT FUSE isn't making good contact and got melted the fuse box at that cavity STILL HAVE SOME BAD CONTACT and quite often I loose dome and brakes. still have to check that further.

[BB1]

Here you go buddy. Oh wait...

[73ChargerSE]

Well, I finally got my dome light and brake lights working.  Had to get some electrical parts cleaner and spray it in the fuse block to clean it out. Still can't figure out whats wrong with the pressure gauge or the headlights.  I'll look more into those maybe next weekend.  Feels good to have turn signals, brake lights, and a dome light though.  Thanks guys!

Paul

[73ChargerSE]

Well it seems like my turn signals are intermittent.  What could be causing this?

Headlights are still the same story, I tried jumping green to violet with nothing happening. Where do I go from here?

Also, I put a new bulb in my key courtesy lamp.  When it this supposed to turn off? Or does it stay on all the time (what mine is currently doing)

[Nacho-RT74]

Normally it turns off in 8-15 seconds. Full turned on courtesy light is simpthom of faulty flasher, not able to cut the power once is heat. probably elements are stuck and/or heating element coil broken. $15 onm a new flasher will fix that. UNLESS you have constant dome light working too. What turns on the dome light is what turns on the courtesy stuff.

If you are not getting power on green wire at floor dimmer switch then you have bad switch or bad plug at switch. Is not uncommon get melted the switch plug at input wire cavity. Is a black wire on plug coming from main ammeter splice, so is a constant ( not keyed ) source.

If you have power on green wire and not headlights even jumping with violet, the problem is at bulkhead OR radiator support ground. Or if relay upgraded, faulty relay.

Intermitant stuff could it be bad contact ANYWHERE on teh wiring system... from fuse, to ANY plug. talking about specifically turning function Flasher is located at a side of ashtray. Check if you have power there with key in ACC at black wire. If not power there then fail is between ign key and fuse box or mabyn splice at radio plug since flasher power comes from that plug splice. have you ever noticed if Radio works when you don't have turning lights ?

With flasher in, then power arrives constant to column turning switch Red wire. Is constant because no load on flasher able to heat and cut the power until gets cold back. When you send power to left or right side is when you have load and that's what makes the flasher work.

Same concept to hazzards, but arriving to column switch with a pink wire.

[71 Bee Man]

Replaced all of my fuses.  Neither my dome light OR brake lights are working.  Didn't get to check the dimmer switch at all, it's getting wayy too hot outside.  So now the plot thickens

OK....just off the top of my head.

Definitely replace the dipper switch. Did the same thing in an old Valiant of mine - high beams on, driving lights not.

As for tail light and indicator problems......check your contacts in the trunk. Make sure the screws are all tight. This sounds like one of those problems you have to simply eliminate. Wish i wasn't in Australia or I'd come round and give you a hand.

Peter

[73ChargerSE]

Well I got the turn signals working again today, had to clean out the fuse box again.  This is after I've pulled the steering wheel twice 

As far as the headlights, I have a new dimmer switch. The contact was melted so I put a new spade connector on the violet wire, but that didn't help so i took it off again and touched the violet wire to the green wire, nothing happened. Could this be a problem with the headlight switch?

[73ChargerSE]

I traced a lot of the problems to a bad connection on the fuseable link (dome light being intermittent, etc.)  I had the car running earlier today and I redid one of my spark plug wires.  Took the car for a test drive and it seemed a little bit shaky.  Also, the idle speed kept changing, not sure if that was my cam or what was happening. I turn the car off and try to start it a few minutes later. It just keeps cranking.

-The car has fuel (clear bowl sights)
-Thought it was a coil or coil wire, tried both of those, didn't work
-For a while my oil pressure gauge wasn't working at all, finally got that to come back (engine harness related)
-I've messed around and unplugged the engine harness connector a few times and plugged it back in and that didn't help.

I'm at my wits end with this, as soon as I get one SMALL thing fixed, another LARGE thing comes in.  Could this be distributor related?

[Nacho-RT74]

check if you have power on RUN at ballast blue wire ( 12 volts ) and coil ( 9-10 volts )

on START at + lead of coil ( 12 volts )

if you have juice there then probably, bad ECU ground, Lossen ECU plug or Dist plug

[Nacho-RT74]

so i took it off again and touched the violet wire to the green wire, nothing happened. Could this be a problem with the headlight switch?

yes if you are not getting juice on green wire. but of you do, then problem is after the green wire, not before.

[73ChargerSE]

Does the ECU ground to the firewall through the screws? I'll try to get a multimeter today to test some things.

[73ChargerSE]

Went out and bought a multimeter and tested what you said to test.  I'm getting full power from the blue wire, but I am only getting from 4 to 5 volts to the coil.  I tested 3 coils and they were all about the same.  I'm assuming the coils are good.  What could be causing this? Faulty ECU?

[Nacho-RT74]

Ballast. Should get around 9 volts when cold. Unless ballast is hooked reversed ( if dual ballast ) between brown and green wires, sending voltage to coil from secondary resistance, instead from primary.

primary rsistence is around 1.5 ohms, secondary is around 5 ohms

yes ECU gets ground through chassis.

[73ChargerSE]

I havent changed anything on the ballast since when it ran last.  Tomorrow I'll go out and get a ballast resistor although this was was NOS in the box.

[Nacho-RT74]

well, ballast and plugs carries stud and hole to make imposible to hook up reversed, just on one position... of course that is if stud on plug is still present.

[73ChargerSE]

Well I got it fixed.  Turned out to be a combination of both the ECU being bad and the ballast resistor.  Ordered a new Mopar orange box and got a new ballast resistor.  Thanks Nacho for the help!