1974 Plymouth Valiant Scamp - Restoration is a strong word
I spent hours trouble shooting wiring today. After fixing my cheap Chinese turn signal switch the other day, I got it installed, but I was getting some weird behavior. Flashing, no instrument panel lights. I pulled the headlight switch out, then disassembled it and cleaned everything. I lost a spring and ball bearing pulling it apart, so I had to scavenge my electronic parts bin for a small spring that I cut in half and made work, and then a found an odd wheel bearing from a moped or something that I took apart just to rob one ball bearing. It worked! The map light switch was wonky, so I pulled that apart too and cleaned it up. It feels way better now. Same with the door switches.
After all that, I still had some odd stuff going on with the instrument lighting. Also, I was getting 12v at the red wire on the headlight switch connector, but I couldn't use it to light a lamp. It was so weird. The black light would light the lamp no problem, but even though the red wire was showing the same voltage, it would not light the lamp. I thought I was losing my mind for a bit. I decided to pull and clean every fuse and fuse terminal on the block. I also found a ground wire in the trunk for the taillight harness that was loose. After all that, I could illuminate a lamp off that red wire and felt like enough was working that I could move forward.
Before I put the instrument panel back, the steering column in, the ignition switch wiring and the turn signal switch wiring, I thought it would be a good idea to change the wiper arm bushings since at least one was missing. Bad idea. Even taking the arm out of the car and trying to press it in with a socket and clamp, I couldn't get the damn thing in. So after 45 minutes or so, I resigned to kick that down the road and put the interior back together. While doing so, I discovered the horn works!! It had not before. Once I buttoned everything up, I tested for all lights. Everything but the right side low beam headlight works (I put on the high beams for the photo), and I knew that one had a bad terminal. A replacement is on the way. Turn signals work, side markers work. I did not test emergency flashers because I robbed that flasher for the turn signal circuit, and because I had so many struggles with the hazard switch on the cheap turn signal switch, I didn't want to deal with it anyway.
The brake system is all assembled back on the car, but the bleeding process didn't go great with my helper. I'll probably give that another go tomorrow though.
I spent hours trouble shooting wiring today. After fixing my cheap Chinese turn signal switch the other day, I got it installed, but I was getting some weird behavior. Flashing, no instrument panel lights. I pulled the headlight switch out, then disassembled it and cleaned everything. I lost a spring and ball bearing pulling it apart, so I had to scavenge my electronic parts bin for a small spring that I cut in half and made work, and then a found an odd wheel bearing from a moped or something that I took apart just to rob one ball bearing. It worked! The map light switch was wonky, so I pulled that apart too and cleaned it up. It feels way better now. Same with the door switches.
After all that, I still had some odd stuff going on with the instrument lighting. Also, I was getting 12v at the red wire on the headlight switch connector, but I couldn't use it to light a lamp. It was so weird. The black light would light the lamp no problem, but even though the red wire was showing the same voltage, it would not light the lamp. I thought I was losing my mind for a bit. I decided to pull and clean every fuse and fuse terminal on the block. I also found a ground wire in the trunk for the taillight harness that was loose. After all that, I could illuminate a lamp off that red wire and felt like enough was working that I could move forward.
Before I put the instrument panel back, the steering column in, the ignition switch wiring and the turn signal switch wiring, I thought it would be a good idea to change the wiper arm bushings since at least one was missing. Bad idea. Even taking the arm out of the car and trying to press it in with a socket and clamp, I couldn't get the damn thing in. So after 45 minutes or so, I resigned to kick that down the road and put the interior back together. While doing so, I discovered the horn works!! It had not before. Once I buttoned everything up, I tested for all lights. Everything but the right side low beam headlight works (I put on the high beams for the photo), and I knew that one had a bad terminal. A replacement is on the way. Turn signals work, side markers work. I did not test emergency flashers because I robbed that flasher for the turn signal circuit, and because I had so many struggles with the hazard switch on the cheap turn signal switch, I didn't want to deal with it anyway.
The brake system is all assembled back on the car, but the bleeding process didn't go great with my helper. I'll probably give that another go tomorrow though.