The first of (probably many) dash harness questions....

[Staxbro]

Hi folks.... Had my 1968 Auto Charger for a few years now.... Have generally enjoyed it "as is" but a foray into the  engine bay ignition wiring has led me to investigate my dash wiring harness, and the upshot of it is, I intend to remake the whole lot. I know excellent repros are available, but after shipping to the UK, then import taxes, It would cost me the thick end of $900....

So my question is- I have the unique shaped plug which has the violet and white wires (B2-18V and (B1-18W) hanging out of a pigtail near the bulkhead connector. This meets with a seperate harness that runs across the lower part of the dash and down into the drivers footwell near the E brake, and terminates in a 4 cavity connector (with orange and pink from fuseblock). In my car, it stops there. All other console wiring is missing.

Does the fact that it connects to a pig tail near the bulkhead connector suggest my car used to be a column shift? Or is this correct for a console car, and I need to reproduce it?

Obviously, I need to source/sort out the missing console wiring/backup switch, but trying to focus my mind on the dash harness at the moment....
Cheers in advance for any advice/info and especially pics of original harnesses in this area..

Nick

[Pete in NH]

Hi,

Welcome to the group.

My 68 wiring diagrams show the White and Violet wires into that unique plug as the back up light switch wiring on an automatic transmission car. The four cavity connector is indeed for the center console wiring. The presence of the four cavity console connector doesn't really mean your car once had a console. Wiring harnesses frequently have multiple connectors for options that may of may not have been installed so that one wiring harness type would cover various production options. fender tags, usually on the driver's side inner fender and paper build sheets , often in the rear seat springs and a few other locations spell out what options were in the car when it was built. Good luck with your wiring project building a whole harness can be quite a job!

[Staxbro]

So that connector is always next to the bulkhead connector, coming out of the top of the main loom?

[Lennard]

Many guys in the U.K. get their parts at www.sixpackspeedshop.nl

[Pete in NH]

So that connector is always next to the bulkhead connector, coming out of the top of the main loom?

It could be always there whether the car had a console or not. Rather than have two different dash harnesses Chrysler used one harness and plugged the console in if needed or left the four pin connector just hanging there if not.

If the car originally had a center console there would be some mounting brackets welded to the floor on the transmission hump and a hole in the transmission hump for a shift linkage.

[Staxbro]

I guess so, Pete... While it doesn't make sense for the extra cabling up to the bulkhead connector end of the loom, then a seperate loom down to the footwell, I guess it means "one size fits all" and the car could be fitted with the console loom if so optioned.
Have had a hunt about and it looks like it was definitely a console car from the factory. Wish it had a fender tag!

I've used  Six pack speed shop for a few years now Lennard... Unfortunately it doesn't get me past the extortionate import tax my government likes to charge on anything bought  from abroad....
So soldering iron and heat shrink it is for me!

[VegasCharger]

Hello and welcome aboard

Let's see if I can add any help. I've attached 4 pics numbered 1-4 for description and explanation.

Pic.1 - This is the back-up lamp sub harness from the main wire harness. The unique shaped plug which has violet & white wires has a curved terminal thus making it unique (different from the rest). As you said, this plugs into the main harness near the bulkhead connector. The main harness has the female receiver terminal and the back-up harness has the male terminal. Also you'll see the 4 wire terminal (pink, orange, white & violet) this is the console terminal (if car came equipped with it as Pete mentioned). It runs over to the driver's side kick panel. Finally you'll see the pink & orange wire (not in a terminal) that runs to the fuse box. I believe these power the lighting for the reverse lamps in the back & console gear selector indicator.

Pic.2 - Console 4 wire terminal w/female connectors close-up.

Pic.3 - Back up wire harness & main harness hook-up close-ups. Main harness has the female receiver terminal and back up harness has the male terminal.  Also shown is a close up of the pink & orange fuse box wires. These have the piggy back style female connectors on them.

Pic.4 - This shows the origination of the pink & orange fuse box wires to their locations on the fuse box positioning.

Luckily I took all of these pics when I removed my back up harness from the main harness. I did this because I purchased a new main under dash wire harness made by M&H thru Year One. And they do not included the sub harnesses such as back-up, A/C and/or heater control, tach (if equipped), light package (if equipped).

Hope this helps.

Bryan

[Lennard]

I've used  Six pack speed shop for a few years now Lennard... Unfortunately it doesn't get me past the extortionate import tax my government likes to charge on anything bought  from abroad....
So soldering iron and heat shrink it is for me!

I understand, good luck! 

[Staxbro]

Hey Bryan, that's great thanks.
Yep that's exactly how my back up lamp sub harness is wired... Except the Orange and pink wires are unwrapped and made up of three !! Short bits of wire twisted and uninsulated.. (Why?)
Which is why I thought it was not correct. Am now going to renew as per your pics. Thanks very much.

Further buggering about has found the detached 4 cavity male connector to console harness floating around under the back seat carpet..., all I need is the switch, bulbs and associated wiring and I'm there.

On a seperate note- My stoplight switch is not wired as per the circuit diagrams... It has a feed spliced into the ignition acc. Splice (badly) and a separate wire (not through the turn signal switch) running to the back of the car... Is the pink or the White wire supposed to be the main feed to the stoplight switch?
Thanks again for your info and tips folks- and thanks Bryan for taking the time to label and upload those pics. Very much appreciated.....

nick

[VegasCharger]

Hey Bryan, that's great thanks.
Yep that's exactly how my back up lamp sub harness is wired... Except the Orange and pink wires are unwrapped and made up of three !! Short bits of wire twisted and uninsulated.. (Why?)
Which is why I thought it was not correct. Am now going to renew as per your pics. Thanks very much.

Further buggering about has found the detached 4 cavity male connector to console harness floating around under the back seat carpet..., all I need is the switch, bulbs and associated wiring and I'm there.

On a seperate note- My stoplight switch is not wired as per the circuit diagrams... It has a feed spliced into the ignition acc. Splice (badly) and a separate wire (not through the turn signal switch) running to the back of the car... Is the pink or the White wire supposed to be the main feed to the stoplight switch?
Thanks again for your info and tips folks- and thanks Bryan for taking the time to label and upload those pics. Very much appreciated.....

nick

You're welcome Nick

As for the brake light switch, the pink wire goes to the fuse box with it routing thru the emergency flasher "relay" in between the switch and fuse box.

The white wire goes to the turn signal switch as well as the emergency flasher "switch".  These two runs of the white wire are crimped together at the steering column wire harness terminal cavity from the turn signal switch.

[Staxbro]

Cheers, Bryan.. 

Up until last year, my Charger managed to survive 10 years in the UK without the MoT (Ministry of Transport) test forcing a rear light rewire, but my tester got strict and enforced the letter of the law, so now my stoplight switch bypasses the turn signal switch. ( it is illegal in the UK for the stop lights and indicator lights to share the same bulb. Now my backup lights have Amber bulbs and work independently of the stoplights as rear indicators)
Sadly, the guy that did it has used all manner of household twin core flex and  dodgy scotch lok connectors....

I'm thinking I will make the harness as per factory spec, and then work out how to meet the test requirements after....