1961 wiring

[Norm W.]

without tearing into all of the stock wiring, any advise as to where to begin looking for a short that produces the following symptoms/results?

1. headlights - work
2. ext. turn signals - work
3. int. dash turn signals - work
4. dash lights (speedometer, gauges) - don't work
5. tail lights - don't work
6. brake lights - don't work
7. courtesy lights - don't work

I thought an easy test would be the headlight switch, but proved no different results, after replacing with a new unit.

NOTE: before the outage, I had recently replaced the old battery with a new Optima...

[Terry D.]

Re: 1961 wiring

Are we correct in assuming you check all the fuses? Did you use a test light to make sure you had juice on both sides of the fuses? Do you have a wiring diagram? If so start at the fuse box and follow each wire checking for power till you find the break.
Terry

[Donald H.]

Re: 1961 wiring

If all you did was change the battery, then I would agree with Terry that you should check your fuses first. By the way, do the other electrical things work, e.g. clock, radio, heater blower? Doesn't answer anything, but just know all of what works or doesn't work then if the fuses are good, start with the wiring diagram.

A lot of stuff goes through the turn signal switch, or at least that what the wiring diagram of my 1960 shows. So that may be a good place to look also.


Don,

[Norm W.]

Re: 1961 wiring

sorry, I should have indicated that I checked all of the fuses, but I did not check both sides of the fuse holder. I'll do that next, as I do have a wiring diagram. In addition, the turn signal switch is fairly new, but I'll check that too. Thanks!

[William C.]

Re: 1961 wiring

"Short" would indicate a blown fuse. Do you see or have you tested for a blown fuse? Otherwise you are looking foe something not connected or not grounded. That does not seem to be your issue, are fuses blown? What did you do prior to this problem arising?

[Richard M.]

Re: 1961 wiring

Norm, technically you have a "open", not a short. If you're certain the top fuse is good, I suspect you have a open from the fuse box to the harness, or the feed to the fuse is open. After you check voltages there it'll point you to the next step. Here's probably more info than you need but may help.......


The top most 15A fuse marked TAIL LPS is the feed for Tail, Brake, Instrument Gauge, and Courtesy light.

The right side of that fuse is 12v source(Red). The left side is the fuse output which is the Orange wire in the harness.The Orange wire feeds the Brake Pedal switch, the Headlight Switch for Tail/Instr, and the Courtesy light. As shown in the fuse box picture below, the Orange wire feeds all of those items giving you trouble. It's connected to the fuse panel via a spade connector and someimes these loosen or get corroded.

The light switch Gray wire, via the dimmer in the light switch, is fed from orange when the switch is in either 1st or 2nd position, then goes to the bottom most 3A fuse in the fuse box, marked INSTR LPS. Then comes out ALSO as a gray wire(s) going to all of the instrument gauge lights.

The Headlights and Front Park lights are unfused and are fed from the Red wire from the main harness directly to the light switch. Directionals are fed from a different (unfused) circuit, as they come from the flasher. Pink is source(from Ign switch), yellow is the load to the directional switch.

Headlight Switch

Position 1
=======
Red -> Violet (Park lights)
Org -> Blk (Tail/Lic lights)
Org -> Gray (Inst lights via knob dimmer)

Position 2
=======
Red -> Lt Blue (Headlights)
Org -> Blk (Tail/Lic lights)
Org -> Gray (Inst lights via knob dimmer)

Knob fully CCW
===========
Switch Case Gnd -> White (Courtesy Light ON)

Fuse Box Reference

P5230001.jpgP5230002.jpg

[John F.]

Re: 1961 wiring

Here is what I found on one of my 62s. One wire was coroded and broken off. Before/after photos.

[Norm W.]

Re: 1961 wiring

This is all really good information and now gives a place to start. Fuse-box 101!