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I need to hire an electrican...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by unkamort, Mar 24, 2012.

  1. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 32,449

    The37Kid
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    ^^^ That sure helped a lot.
     
  2. go-twichy
    Joined: Jul 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,648

    go-twichy
    BANNED

    seems like alot of folks are willing to help you! take advantage! that lamp as a inline ground is a great idea. get it fixed, and move on to the next hurdle.
     
  3. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    OK... as I am sure it has become plain to every one here, and has become very painfully obvious to me... I am a complete*****ing idiot. I'm over 100 hours worth of upside down on this. I'm walking around a complete truck that can't be run. Now that we have got past that... There must be SOMEBODY out here that can help me make this work! My only alternative is to rip this out and start over with a new unit, or*****in' hang myself in the garage with the left over wire.
     
  4. Dennis D
    Joined: May 2, 2009
    Posts: 857

    Dennis D
    Member

    I just retired Friday. Live in St. Louis, Mo. Buy me a round trip ticket and I'll come fix it. " Have voltmeter, will travel" Dennis D
     
  5. Have a roll back truck haul it to a place that installs car stereos, fifth wheel trailer hitches, remote starts etc. They can probably find the problem and get you on the road for a small fee and your neck will not hurt and be bruised. My guess is you have a wire that has been scrapped or is pinched and is going to ground.
     
  6. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 32,449

    The37Kid
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Well, you are way ahead of me, at least you tried, and so far there isn't a real big fire. The 100 hours were your hours and you worked for free. If you don't feel safe cut the***** out and recycle it and have a professional do it, one with insurance and a warrentee. Bob
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2012
  7. tommyd
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 11,999

    tommyd
    Member
    from South Indy

    Oh man, you just made me shoot pepsi out my nose! Thats funny right there. Not because this car is kickin' you***** but because most of us have been there! Ive' had nights that if I could just get my junk running I would close all the shop doors and windows and take a monoxide nap!:D
     
  8. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    This is killing me! For about an hour last Saturday I had it all! Head/park/sigs/flashers and everything in the rear pin tested good... I made diagrams of the pin****ignments in the connectors. I turned every thing off, mounted the head light switch in the dash... no park lights. head light Oms' good. flashers head and sigs work. turn every thing off again and check rear harness for power to ground... none found. turn it back on and no flasher or park, but still have turn signals/heads. swap flashers makes no change in the condition. Today... I ran all those test again. No continuity to to ground at the front socket pins, but no power out to the pins. bulbs checked and Om'd out exactly even. whats a mother to do!?
     
  9. 56oldssuper88
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 213

    56oldssuper88
    Member

    I like to take circuits and cut them in half. Start at a middle point in the circuit. Just for an example... on an ignition circuit there is a primary(control) and secondary side. For a no spark issue start at the coil, if you have power and the coil has been tested and is good, you know your issue is after the coil in the circuit. If no power at the coil then you know your problem is before the coil or on the primary (control) side. Whether it be an ignition switch or even an icm or pcm on a newer car you know which direction to go. This can be done with just about any circuit. Im just using this example because an ignition circuit is a relatively easy circuit to understand.

    It sounds to me like you've narrowed it down already. If they worked and then stopped working again you may have bad connections or a short in the wiring somewhere causing intermittent issues. You just need to find the source of the issue. Be patient electrical stuff can be tedious and a PITA.
     
  10. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    can't get past the lights... stay tuned for how do I use a dura spark to trigger a judson coil thread , coming to a message board near you!
     
  11. 56oldssuper88
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 213

    56oldssuper88
    Member

    here this may help a little bit
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  12. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    I have the 3 spade connector at the dist as shown. my diagram shows the ground... but the other 2 go to into the module. I'm trying to by pass the module. I think its the blk/org wire to the coil. i'm spooked now... gonna fry something before this is all over.
     
  13. There was a thread similar to this on the Ford Barn model "A" part. The thing went on for a month. The guy could not get his model "A" to run. He disagreed with everything that was suggested. He kept trying the same things over and over with the same bad results. A model "A" is not that complicated. I unsubscribed from the thread because it was depressing and I think he was stringing everybody along. He finally sold the car. I think he had water in the gas.
     
  14. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member


    I can rule that one out... ain't had no fuel in it yet
     
  15. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    maybe I should be more descriptive... the gauges are not in, and the alt and dist are not wired up. The logic, twisted as it may be, is why chance fryin' some circuit board/module when I seem to have a dead short in the lights that has thus far eluded me. I am making every effort here to take responsibility for any screw up i may have commited in front of god his self... and I don't want to say that this is a defective harness until proven other wise. Check my post history... this has been going on for much longer than a mount. i'v already admitted I'm an idiot... whadoya want? I just need some help here
     
  16. I'm cant say it enough ..... your problem is probably something visual that can be quickly solved by someone with electrical knowledge ....if your not going to grab someone off the street then at least post pictures of what you got if really want to get this situation solved ..... right now its just a guessing game by you and everyone that follows this thread
     
  17. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    I would be happy to oblige with photos... what would you like to see?
     
  18. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    these were taken march 26
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Pic #1 The blue tail on the battery positive ... should go to solenoid. Or are you picking up primary hot to solenoid from stomp*****on? .... Either way, pics help. Thanks
     
  20. What a mess. How did hot rods get so complicated? With electrical stuff just laying around on the metal floor could be a possible cause for shorts. Looks like the dimmer switch and stuff should be placed in their permanent locations.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2012
  21. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    The 10Ga blue wire from the battery positive terminal is not connected to any thing. The cable is a used part that I had around, I don't remember where it came from. It was possibly originally a negative cable, with that wire going to body ground. I have, on two ocassions by accident, 'bumped it over' from the key. I am trying to get past the lighting issue
     
  22. OK the blue is not used.... so how are you getting hot to your primary circuit .... and is that a stomp starter switch in pic #1 or a hi/low switch (and if it is then why is the cable going to it?? ...What would relly be the right approach for you is to , pull all your fuses and , "dial-in" Primary circuit, starting circuit, secondary and only then go through each indivdual lighting/accesory circuit ..... its not really a mess, but you really need to attack it in the right sequence..... right now I would think scrutinizing the starting/primary circuit would be your first step .... with all that otherstuff disabled at the fuseblock.

    ...
     
  23. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    power into the fuse block comes from the starter solenoid. (as seen next to the battery, under the passenger seat) The lite purple wire you see there is a fusiable link that connects to the large red>to the fuse block... and yes... there are wires 'running wild' at this time. One lesson learned so far is not to wrap harnesses until you know they work. Again... my focus is on lighting circuits
     
  24. "Again... my focus is on lighting circuits "

    What I am saying is dont even***** with the lighting cuircuts (disable them) until you get the Primary/Starting and secondary (in that order) squared away .... then do the accessory/ lighting circuits one at a time .... that way all the work "behind" you is not going to be in question with additional hookups ..... thats the common approach.

    Your just creating additional problems by not taking this approach ... square it away as you go, and yes, your right, no need to wrap wires, etc till its working correctly.
     
  25. unkamort
    Joined: Sep 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    unkamort
    Member

    with all respect sir, and I do appreciate your response, I disagree. The starter circuit has been confirmed. I 'bumped it over'. The spark should not be that big of a deal (famous last words) as I am only trying to use a magnetic pick up to trigger a coil, without the benefit(?) of the module... the color code is my problem in that area. I have some other concerns... such as how to run a relay for a fan. The lighting problem is the segment that has driven me to drink
     
  26. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,185

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    I think the problem is in the headlight switch. Somewhere you either have the power on the wrong side of the dome light circuit (which grounds out when installed in the metal dash), or you have a defective switch which again grounds out and kills power.

    I'll study your pics a little more, see if the lights work again with the switch dangling ungrounded.
     
  27. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,291

    F&J
    Member


    this morning...I was thinking about the OP's post from last night. And he said "had stuff working, then lost some stuff"

    That sounds like a bad headlight switch...and makes even more sense when he said last week, that smoke came from that switch.

    Once a riveted connection inside the switch gets overheated, the rivet becomes loose and can have random continuity.
     
  28. bobscogin
    Joined: Feb 8, 2007
    Posts: 1,796

    bobscogin
    Member

    Yeah, it's been my experience that once you let the smoke escape from wiring or electrical components, they no longer work correctly.

    Bob
     
  29. 56oldssuper88
    Joined: Mar 3, 2010
    Posts: 213

    56oldssuper88
    Member

    what motor are you running? If you can find a pertronix style kit for the distributor it it would make the ignition circuit much simpler that trying to run the duraspark without a module in my opinion. The pertronix functions the same way and the kit would eliminate the need for the duraspark ICM. The whole circuit would be much simpler and do the same job.
     
  30. the metalsurgeon
    Joined: Apr 19, 2009
    Posts: 1,237

    the metalsurgeon
    Member
    from Denver

    erm let me think about that one......they both do have a roof !

    seriously that made me laugh ,im sorry that was your first reply.



    car... ousel.

    my weekly metal work blog,no garden gates included. www.themetalsurgeon.com
     

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