tailpipe

I spent the evening chasing a dead short in the parking lights on the pass side.(fuse 29) All lights except the headlight on the pass side are out including no fog lights or lower high beam lights, except the signal lights still work and the brake lights and reverse lights work on the back. I have found the the wiring diagrams in the wsm don't seem to match what is in the car? is 78 not covered in the wsm ? any sugestions?


Paul

WallyP

It's not clear what your problem is. Are you blowing a fuse? A dead short will always blow a fuse or burn a harness.

Are the lights simply not burning? That isn't a dead short, it's an open circuit. Very different problem.

If it is a dead short, possibilities include a pinched wire, a short in a bulb socket, and a melted harness.

For a desperate, last-ditch effort, make a test rig:
- Get four feet of lamp cord (sometimes called zip cord).
- Attach a blown fuse to one end of the cord by soldering one connector to each end of the blown fuse.
- Attach a small 12 volt light bulb to the other end of the cord.
- Install the rig in the circuit to be tested. the bulb will light.
- Disconnect everything on the affected circuit. If there is a dead short, the bulb will still burn.
- Start looking for the short circuit. When the light goes out, you just disconnected the short.

Alan

The wiring diagram (current flow) are most definitely in the WSM's Page 97-1

As the first model there is no year listed but its for a '78.

The WSM (as far as it goes) will match whats in the car (barring PO work) - but the early year's diagrams don't tell you much about locations...

I think you need to explain more on what exactly doesn't work (& how) and what you have done so far...

Alan

Alan

Wally you mean unblown?...

Alan

RicerSchnitzzle

an unblown (good) fuse will complete the circuit. You want the bulb to do that instead. It will then light up. The blown fuse simply provides an easy way to "plug" the zip cord into the fuse panel.

Alan

Ok I guess I didn't understand what he was suggesting the fuse was used for... I see the idea.

I was also thinking of a Blade ATC fuse - where this doesn't realy make as much sense - but on the barrel fuses in the early models its easy to solder to, install and even snip the fuse element off.

With the later ATC fuse using crimp on make quick disconnects is a good solution for the same thing (and allows this to be used for relay switching terminals too).

Alan

tailpipe

ok so far I have all the light sockets removed from the running lights on pass side still have a short ie the fuse still blows as soon as I turn the lights on. The fuse pannel does not match whats in the wsm but it does match whats in #38s twin sister that I have here # 131 except that there are relay differences. wsm indicats the the front light wiring harnes for the lights is plug "N" (red) there is no plug "N" on my board its an empty socket with one thick red wire in it. so i'm a little confused I have found the rear light harness plug and its not where the wsm says it is either, could I have the wrong fuse/relay pictorial for #38?

soontobered84

Maybe your "N" plug is not plugged into the right socket? That could cause your short.

tailpipe

All the plugs seem to be marked with a letter in marker on the side(same in #131 must be factory) there is no plug "N" plus there is no place to plug in said plug "N" the place the wsm indicates to plug it is occupied with a big heavy red wire

tailpipe

solved: front short was bad wireing after PO tried to hook up the running lights wrong repossitioned the 4 pin plug conections then np
right rear ended up being a broken wire going into the fuse panel into plug N had to replace the wire to the harness just inside the door
on to the intermittent power windows tomorrow