Electrical problems....

cobrakidz

cobrakidz

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Picked up my car from the paint shop today, ugh, more trouble. I installed the lights about 4-5 weeks ago and all was well, yet today I had no brake lights or turn signals. Also the volt gauge was dead.....I found out that the battery died and they charged it up, I am afraid they had it on boost and fried a few things.
I checked the voltage at the alternator and battery, it was jumping all over the place--I think they fried the internal voltage regulator. As soon as I disconnect the battery the car dies which tells me it's the alternator. As far as the lights I am guessing that the flasher unit went bad, where is it located, I could not find it? The headlights and taillights work fine, jjust no brakes and turn. thanks for the help......:(
 
Flashing Unit

Most often, I find the metal style flash unit base screwed (bolted) to the left side lower dash support arm . . . . . .it depends on previous owners busy handiworks. amen
 
The only thing bolted to the left side support is this box with green wires to it. Should the 2 red wires (tied together) be attached to this? One red wire goes to the volt gauge (probably why it's not working) and the other goes towards the passenger side of the car.
24gu1yf.jpg
 
Hooked the red wire to the small box (regulator I think) and the volt gauge and brake lights work. No turn signals yet. UGH!!!!
Found out they welded some small rods on the car to pull a dent, that most likely fried the alternator. Getting closer.
 
The flasher canister is attached to the support bracket Randy mentioned much higher up under the dash. It should be near the high beam warning light between the tach and oil pressure gauge if it is still in the factory installed socket. Loop your arm deep under the dash and then bring your hand back high and to the back side of the dash. If you try to go straight up, you will never find it.

That "regulator" in the picture is the factory "instrument voltage stabilizer" for the fuel and temp gauges. Those red wires do not make sense color code wise. Look to have non-factory terminals on them so the PO may have done some rewiring. Per the factory manual wiring diagram the wires in to the stabilizer are green and the ones out to the gauges are light green and green combination on each. I believe there is a manual/wiring diagram on tigersunited.com site if you do not have one. Might help in further tracing your other non-functioning circuits.

Gene
 
Ditto Ditto

Gene did a much better job of describing the factory location. And ditto too to those odd red wires. Consult a good wiring map . . . . . .
 
Thanks for the help--I will search for the flasher unit, and the brake lights stopped working today, must have a loose wire. As much as I hate electrical work I am going to try and get through this. :)
 
problems

get a large wrench and smack the brake light switch real hard. it usually sticks and a good wack does the job. learned that about 45 years ago.
 
Say WhaH ?!

65beam said:
get a large wrench and smack the brake light switch real hard. it usually sticks and a good wack does the job. learned that about 45 years ago.
Click to expand...

How did you find enough swing room to bat that little thing, buried where it is?
 
Brake light switch testing Plan B

On a less dramatic note, if you are not into potentially destructive testing, a plan B option is to just jump (short) the two wires together at the switch and see if the brake lights activate. If they do the switch is bad... or just stuck...

It is good to know a good whack might suffice in an emergency, on a road trip situation. I for one would just feel more comfortable with replacing it if jumping the wires together makes the lights activate if I were doing this at home.

Gene

BTW, are you using silicon brake fluid? Although some disagree, I am in the camp that says that fluid can cause stop light switch failure.
 
cadreamn67 said:
BTW, are you using silicon brake fluid? Although some disagree, I am in the camp that says that fluid can cause stop light switch failure.
Click to expand...

I used silicone fluid and had 2 fail quickly.. switched over to normal DOT4 and not had issues since.. maybe just bad luck.. and I have heard the new switches are not as good as the old.

That said.. these are hobby cars we should be changing fluid often enough that moisture shouldnt be an issue so silicone is not that vital. :eek:
 
Well today I "smacked" the switch, pulled all the wires to check the connections with anything that had to do with the brakes, pulled the bulbs and after all that was done they worked, so, not sure which one fixed them but they are working. Thanks for all the input, and I am using traditional fluid.
 
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