Defrost light wiring, Where does the brown wire go to? Options

[euro914er]

Hi everyone,

Into year 3 of my 914 ownership (1974 1.8, Saturn Yellow) and still only been around the block twice following a top engine rebuild. But that's a long and different story....

Trying to iron out a few electrical oddities, one being the defrost light wiring. I have two wires coming from it; a blue and black for the bulb that disappears into the tunnel and a shortish light brown wire with a ring terminal on it. I'm assuming this ground - but I can't see anywhere obvious within reach of the available cable length. Curiously when I touch this wire onto the defrost lever arm whilt it's in the up position, the blower starts and the light comes on. Great - but I assume this is not where it is acutually supposed to connect to?

Any pointers gratefully received.

David

[JeffBowlsby]

Hi everyone,

Into year 3 of my 914 ownership (1974 1.8, Saturn Yellow) and still only been around the block twice following a top engine rebuild. But that's a long and different story....

Trying to iron out a few electrical oddities, one being the defrost light wiring. I have two wires coming from it; a blue and black for the bulb that disappears into the tunnel and a shortish light brown wire with a ring terminal on it. I'm assuming this ground - but I can't see anywhere obvious within reach of the available cable length. Curiously when I touch this wire onto the defrost lever arm whilt it's in the up position, the blower starts and the light comes on. Great - but I assume this is not where it is acutually supposed to connect to?

Any pointers gratefully received.

David

Mount it under the screw which holds the light base. Its the ground, which connects through the lever switch.

[euro914er]

Hi everyone,

Into year 3 of my 914 ownership (1974 1.8, Saturn Yellow) and still only been around the block twice following a top engine rebuild. But that's a long and different story....

Trying to iron out a few electrical oddities, one being the defrost light wiring. I have two wires coming from it; a blue and black for the bulb that disappears into the tunnel and a shortish light brown wire with a ring terminal on it. I'm assuming this ground - but I can't see anywhere obvious within reach of the available cable length. Curiously when I touch this wire onto the defrost lever arm whilt it's in the up position, the blower starts and the light comes on. Great - but I assume this is not where it is acutually supposed to connect to?

Any pointers gratefully received.

David

Mount it under the screw which holds the light base. Its the ground, which connects through the lever switch.

Thanks Jeff -I'm genuinely honoured that you replied to mu post. Your site and resources have been invaluable in helping sort out my harness and electrical system. One day- hopefully very soon - mine will run and I'll begin to understand what all the fuss it about. I'm headed out now to the garage to give what you say a go.

David

[euro914er]

Me again Jeff,

One end of the brown is already attached to the light base screw - it's the other end that i don't know where to locate...perhaps I'll post a pic..

[euro914er]

Stranded wire photo

[JeffBowlsby]

Uh oh...there is some funny colored wires in there...non stock...is it a custom center console gauge harness? You are on your own...

[Dave_Darling]

If you ground the wire somewhere other than the heater lever handle, does the blower still come on? If so, then someone has hooked up the blower ground wire there, which isn't right. It would have been hooked up to a contact under the base of the heater lever, so you'll have to unbolt that from the top of the tunnel to hook it up correctly.

The light would originally had a black/blue wire plugged into it, which gets +12V when the headlights (or parking lights) are on, and a brown wire that was hooked to a mounting screw that went into the center console plugs. Those brown wires are always ground in an unmolested car.

--DD

[euro914er]

Yes they are different colours - I used what I had available but followed the wiring schematic on your site. I checked it a few times now and it is correct. The guages all work -apart from clock but I guess that's a different issue. I read they are not all that reliable after all this time.

[euro914er]

Hi Dave - no the blower/and light doesn't come on if I ground that wire anywhere else. Only the blower handle. The wire for the bulb is still the original blue/black although I had a splice an longer bit on for access. I lifted the lever out and there is already a wire atteched to the tag underneath. I assumed this to be correct?

Thanks,

[euro914er]

Hi Dave - no the blower/and light doesn't come on if I ground that wire anywhere else. Only the blower handle. The wire for the bulb is still the original blue/black although I had a splice an longer bit on for access. I lifted the lever out and there is already a wire atteched to the tag underneath. I assumed this to be correct?

Thanks,

[Dave_Darling]

Yes, that sounds correct.

The ground wire should connect to several other brown wires in a connector to the center console gauges. Which should all be full-time ground.

--DD