Mystery wire in headlight harness

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jcmeyer5

jcmeyer5

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Bit of a head scratcher here. I am rehabbing the underhood wiring. The headlight harness is in pretty decent condition. Will need to replace around 6” of wire at the bulkhead, but the rest of it remains nice and flexible. I ran across an odd wire today. It is green with a white tracer, and it follows the wiring up to the headlights and parking lights. It has two bullet connectors, one for each side of the car. According to the wiring diagram I am using (I got it from a link around here somewhere, and it’s attached, but I added color and the ignition I’m using), it is connected to pin Z. Pin Z on the diagram says it’s for the backup light switch (a black with tracer). That same wire is supposed to also go down to position C, which is on the washer harness.

Instead, I have a green wire with a tracer that goes to the front of the car. Anyone know what this is?

Dart Color Wiring.png
 
There are fender indicator light bullet connectors attached to the parking light harness. This one wire is all on its own, and to have both lights on one wire wouldn’t make sense.
 
Okay, studying the FSM wiring diagrams, and I shouldn’t have a wire on Z. That is for the reverse indicator light on 4 speed console cars. We have a bench seat and obviously no console. I’m gonna take that one off my wiring diagram.
 
I wonder if this is a harness from a different car? I know the seats are out of a 1972 Valiant. Maybe they did the same with the harness?
 
Where does it go inside the car?

Could be someone used an unused connector spot for some reason
 
Well that diagram is OK, sometimes, but not to be relied upon.
When you get to one of these head scratchers, factory service manual is the best source to begin with.
Then, although harder to read, the assembly drawings (published by Faxon) have many of the harness details.

I assume from your photo this is '69 Dart???
Yes it matters. Dart, Valiant, Barrcuda all had different wiring details those years.
'72 Harness is unlikely. Obvious differences ito look for will be the triangular plug for the ground controlling voltage regulator (starting 1970), and the 5 wire pentagon shaped plug for an ignition ECU (phased in '72 Model year IIRC).

Let me get you a link to a good version of the factory '69 diagrams.
There may be more info in the paper copy but IIRC this covers the wires and most of the identification codes.
 
Dark green w/tracer and bullit connectors= are side marker lights, left and right, and unused in 1969 (a leftover from '68) as 1969 had reflectors and not lights. I own the same schematic as you and think it looks great hanging in my garage. It is full of inaccuracies. The only good diagram is in the FSM, not as pretty- just better.
 
I have both the diagram (that I colored) and the FSM. In this particular case they match. I’ll check out the pdf you linked as well. All good stuff

Thanks for the knowledge!
 
I dont see any green/wh tracer on any of my 69 Dart diagrams.
just green/red tracer for horn...Like Murray sez, Could this harness also apply to the lighted marker lenses for 68 or 70 and up applications?
 
By the way the FSM has some mistakes here and there. "Somewhere around" 68-9 plus or minus, they screwed up the start wire and horn wire in the bulkhead connector. Easy to "figure" that one, tho.
 
From the FSM- found on "Front End Lighting-Barracuda". There are four schematics that cover the Barracuda, another reason that the FSM is superior. My FSM is Plymouth, I would think that Dodge is similar. Hope this helps.
 
It would not take long to disconnect the harness at the bulkhead connector, and "ohm it out" to see where they go.
 
So I checked on the otherside of the bulkhead connector... same dark green/white stripe wire. I haven’t tried tracing it yet. The only reference I have found is on a Charger diagram in the FSM. Z for a 1969 Charger is dark green/white stripe I have, but it doesn’t go anywhere. See attached. I’ll see if I can trace it to something.

5C596D0B-5441-4C2D-9964-EB14E9F240F7.jpeg
 
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I wonder?? If this could be the stubbed out unused wiring for the "fuel pacer" nonsense. This was a vacuum switch connected to the left turn fender indicator, and turned the indicator on if you had "too big a foot" lowering manifold vacuum
 
So a bachelor's "nagging wife" telling him to slow down. Were those available in 1969 (the "fuel pacer," not the nagging wife)?

I am looking to move that wire (I am relocating the horn wire to the headlight harness since that makes more sense than the engine harness). Is it a key on wire (talking out loud, dont expect anyone to know)? I need one to feed the reverse lights switch (it should be in the wiper harness, but it is not, and I didnt find it anywhere else). If it is, I can use that one.

Time to research!
 
67Dart273 said:
I wonder?? If this could be the stubbed out unused wiring for the "fuel pacer" nonsense. This was a vacuum switch connected to the left turn fender indicator, and turned the indicator on if you had "too big a foot" lowering manifold vacuum
Click to expand...

That system didn't come along till 74 or 75. My friend had one on his 75 Dart Sport. It actually worked. Until he swapped in the 340. :D
 
So best I can tell, that green with tracer wire is a leftover from 1968 when there were marker lamps in the fenders (I think someone up above said as much). If you look at a Charger or a Dart diagram from 1968, you can see it. So it appears it is NOT a "key on" wire. I will check it tonight with the light switch. Theoretically, when I turn on the lights, this thing should have continuity with the battery wire at position J
 
jcmeyer5 said:
So best I can tell, that green with tracer wire is a leftover from 1968 when there were marker lamps in the fenders (I think someone up above said as much). If you look at a Charger or a Dart diagram from 1968, you can see it. So it appears it is NOT a "key on" wire. I will check it tonight with the light switch. Theoretically, when I turn on the lights, this thing should have continuity with the battery wire at position J
Click to expand...


Yes,

Dark green/ white Trace from Z terminal is for 68 marker lights and park lights. See drawings attached.

Page 4.

You either have a leftover early production harness or more likely it has been swapped over the years. I would guess the later or incorrectly ordered replacement.
 

Attachments

  • 68 Barracuda Factory Wiring REV 2.pdf
    120 KB · Views: 111
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It is pretty common the harnesses being swapped around. Too many folks think 67-69 were all the same. This is far from the truth as many and sometime not so subtle changes were made each year.
 
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Z bulkhead term in 67 was really different! Main power feed to the ammeter! And in 69, like said the 4spd reverse indicator.

I surmise that this has gone on many times and lots of stuff burnt and Or destroyed because of the lack of understanding in the differences present between the 3 years. These are cad re-traces in color from the FSM’s , Dash sheets are combined into one.

I am still working the Dart drawings but suspect the same for them.
 

Attachments

  • 67 Barracuda Factory WD REV 1.pdf
    72.5 KB · Views: 104
  • 68 Barracuda Factory Wiring REV 2.pdf
    120 KB · Views: 119
  • 69 Barracuda Factory Wiring REV 3.pdf
    127.2 KB · Views: 100
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