Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped working.

[jacobdavis1979]

Re: Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped workin

if there are any other fusible links i havent found them yet. but its possible there is. ur just gonna have to start following ur wireing untill u get to the point where u see voltage drop. could be a short or u never know.

wireings a b*tch but at some point in everyones life its gotta be done sorry dude lol id love to be there and help if i could

 

[hotrodoldsman]

Re: Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped workin

if u follow the hot wire from the battery to the starter youl notice a few other hot wires coming from that spot. follow them then u should see fusible links somewhere check and see if any are black now even if one of them isnt black doesnt mean its not bad this is where a wire test light will come in handy and out of the factory there will be more than one link there.

even if they do check out good id get rid of them anyway and replace them with a couple of inline fuses. i ditched the links on mine and put a couple 60 amp inline fuses there insted. easyer to replace and last longer than a link does

Is there a way to test a fusable link? I'm all for replacing any anyway, but just to test prior to tearing my starter wires off again(just did that today, I ran a heavy wire/cable down to the starter from my new alternator and I had the wires off, nothing looked burnt, but the one factory connecton left is wrapped in electrical wrap.), its a really short stud and long tubes make it fun! At least its a mini!

 

[jacobdavis1979]

Re: Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped workin

if u follow the hot wire from the battery to the starter youl notice a few other hot wires coming from that spot. follow them then u should see fusible links somewhere check and see if any are black now even if one of them isnt black doesnt mean its not bad this is where a wire test light will come in handy and out of the factory there will be more than one link there.

even if they do check out good id get rid of them anyway and replace them with a couple of inline fuses. i ditched the links on mine and put a couple 60 amp inline fuses there insted. easyer to replace and last longer than a link does

Is there a way to test a fusable link? I'm all for replacing any anyway, but just to test prior to tearing my starter wires off again(just did that today, I ran a heavy wire/cable down to the starter from my new alternator and I had the wires off, nothing looked burnt, but the one factory connecton left is wrapped in electrical wrap.), its a really short stud and long tubes make it fun! At least its a mini!

autozone can test them. to test them myself i just put one end of the link on the battery then grab my volt meter and see how much voltage if any im getting on the other side. but if ur afraid to take them off thinking thats not the problem u can leave it on the car where it is now then splice a straight wire on each side of it. if that fixes ur problem then u know where to look

 

[hotrodoldsman]

Re: Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped workin

autozone can test them. to test them myself i just put one end of the link on the battery then grab my volt meter and see how much voltage if any im getting on the other side. but if ur afraid to take them off thinking thats not the problem u can leave it on the car where it is now then splice a straight wire on each side of it. if that fixes ur problem then u know where to look[/quote]


Thanks for the input! I will check that tomorrow or the next day, I guess then I could use a jumper wire and jump past sections of the circuit to see where/if it solves the problem. I am hopeing thats it!!!! when you installed a 60 amp inline fuse, was that in one of those universal fuse holders, or does it need to be something heavier guage?(60 amps sounds like alot, maybe its not)

 

[jacobdavis1979]

Re: Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped workin

autozone can test them. to test them myself i just put one end of the link on the battery then grab my volt meter and see how much voltage if any im getting on the other side. but if ur afraid to take them off thinking thats not the problem u can leave it on the car where it is now then splice a straight wire on each side of it. if that fixes ur problem then u know where to look

Thanks for the input! I will check that tomorrow or the next day, I guess then I could use a jumper wire and jump past sections of the circuit to see where/if it solves the problem. I am hopeing thats it!!!! when you installed a 60 amp inline fuse, was that in one of those universal fuse holders, or does it need to be something heavier guage?(60 amps sounds like alot, maybe its not)[/quote]
yea its a holder. pretty decent size fuse. but the links i pulled off it were 60 amp so i went with a 60 amp fuse. or u could use 2 30 amp fuses. ive seen that done too but i prefer the 60 cuz thats the amprege it had and i can fit heavier gauge wire on the 60 if i choose to do so

 

[hotrodoldsman]

Re: Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped workin

Ok... here's where I'm at now...

Before I disconnected anything, a buddy at work suggested using another 12v source and jumping current to the marker and headlight pins where the switch plugs in, that worked for the markers and tails, but not for the headlights(seemed odd), I replaced the fusable links at the starter(there were 2 of them, one burned off the other just cooked a little, did both), now I have markers and tails with the headlight switch plugged in but still no heeadlights(just like the jumper situation).

One of the wiring diagrams that I have(autozone.com actualy), shows the fusable link coming off the starter(denoted as A, but shows only 1 and there was 2). But on the next page, with the headlight switch, it shows a second fusable link(denoted as B). Neither one is connected to anything on the diagram, they just start in out in the middle of nowhere!

Does any one know if there are any fusable links up in the dash( seems like a dangerous place to me)? Or does a fusable link starting out in the open on a wiring diagram always come off the starter motor?

On a side note(and yes a bit desperate!), I bought a set of 3 factory gm 1984 service manuals(incl. the gm 1984 electrical troubleshooting manual ) on ebay and they should be here this next week, and I hope they have good diagrams in them!

 

[hotrodoldsman]

Re: Headlights, markers, tails, and dash, all stopped workin

Ok, heres where I'm at #2...

Replaced the dimmer switch with a used one I had laying around, :shock: I now had high beams + one filiment in right low beam, went and got 2 new low beam lights YES!!!! I have headlights again!

BUT!!!

I started the car back up and now my alternator isn't charging anymore I am thinking this is coincidence and not related to the headlights/dimmer switch... I switched to a one wire alternator and it will charge above 3000 rpm but not below, am I right in thinking the voltage regulator is maybe either bad or just not set up to be self energizing for a 1 wire setup? The alternator is a summit racing brand and says in the instructions that it can be run either as a 1 wire OR 3 wire.

I'm gonna have the regulator replaced in the alternator with another "self exciting" one and we'll see what happens with that... but to 81Regal and jacobdavis1979 and the other people here that helped me with my headlight problem, the fusable links at the starter were at least a major part of the problem! Ended up that I had quite a few issues thoughout my headlight circuit, but the burnt off fusable link at the starter let me find the rest! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!!!