Plumb Puzzeled

[RocknT]

Some times the simplest things can and will kick your tail !!
I have never ever wired a car I thought it was way over my head ..
KoalaT sent me his wiring diagram and slowly but surly one circuit at a time got the start run just fine ..got the headlights & Tail lights,parking lights working with out a hitch,,Started on the Turn signal and brake lights .Ran all the wiring hooked up the brake light switch and checked to see if they work,,
Hit the brake peddle and only had the left brake light ??? Now remember I have absolutely no wiring experience yeah I can trace a short thats about it ,,Soooo here I go Tracing all my connection's double checked everything
I could think of and 2 hours went by and still only one brake light ! Well crap !!
I musta got a bad Turn signal switch and while standing there rubbing my head I see what was to be the problem ,, Seems if you dont have any other wires hooked other than the brake lights and yeah some where I had hit the turn signal switch for a right hand turn put it back in the neutral position and what do you know BOTH brake lights now work,,, So I guess the moral of this is some times you just need to step back take a breath and look at it from a different perspective ..
So this is where KoalaT get's a BIG PAT ON THE BACK and an ATABOY !!
IF I can do this I know anyone else can ,,

[LumenAl]

That's the way it aways is! Sometimes the best solution is to walk away... clear the mind and blammo ... just like that you have the solution!

Congratulation on overcoming the devil!

[Youngster]

Like I said before, wiring your own car isn't that hard to do. KoalaT has been good enough to give the most important tool for this job with his diagram. A big thanks LoalaT. Just remember to take your time and do one system at a time. Then your finished, you will and rightly so, be so proud of what you've accomplished.

I have a diagram I have been using for years and it has worked well for me. But, no two wiring jobs I have done are exactly the same even though I started with the same diagram. Usually the differences are because of the components used. For this reason I can't stress enough, take the time to draw up a diagram of your car when you're finished. If, God forbid, you have to trouble shoot your wiring somewhere down the road, you will find this to be so helpfull. As most of the older guys here know and the younger guys will learn, CRS is a real condition. Don't rely on your memory.

Ron

[Duke]

I was going to add a comment on wiring, but now I can't remember what it was ! Couldn't help myself

[tfeverfred]

Rockn, I'm glad you figured it out. WHEW! I thought this was going to be a thread about you giving up. I would have to drive up to Dumas and give ya a good shaking!

You just forgot a basic rule. When in doubt, stop, step back, take a breath and look at what you have going on. I did it a BUNCH of times, not only with my wiring, but with my whole car.

So, glad you got 'em going. Now....... get back to work!


Oh, givin' up is the DEVIL too. Yea, he has diguises and stuff.

[RocknT]

Give up ! nope when something like this happens I get like a Bulldog on a bone, till I can work it out ..,,lol
Like you guy's have said It is a Great feeling knowing I did it ,The only deviation from the wiring diagram was I didnt use the dimmer switch I cant remember who did it on here but I did use my light switch ,first pull is low beam and second pull for high beam ,,
Thanks to all you guy's for the encouragement and support ,
You guy's rock !

[Rick]

With American Autowire(my favorite wire company)You use a dimmer switch not the light switch.Hope this clears your head a little.Some use a dimmer switch as per the diagram some don't thats the neat thing about building your own car it's YOUR CAR not Bills,Or Ricks,Freds or.................See what i mean?

[blownt]

yeap started building mine way back in 1991. Didn't want no extra dimmer switch. Just wired my 3 position headlight switch for lo and hi. Also there are 4 position headlight switches that do just that, but you can get by with a regular 3 position switch because there usually are no parking or running lights on a bucket.

BT

[Coupefreak]

Originally Posted by tfeverfred

WHEW! I thought this was going to be a thread about you giving up. .

You Houston boys don't know how we do things up here in the Panhandle

quittin' ain't an option........a bigger hammer maybe.......but never quittin'

Vance

[Youngster]

That's a great tip on the light switch. I usually put the dimmer switch in the set riser and trip it with my fingers.

Ron