ugh - electrical gremlins crop up!, worse than ever after cleaning the grounds! Options

[tadink]

Hey all -

73 1.7L FI in a 1971 tub, installed by McMark.

While driving today - I depressed the brake pedal and had the tach, gas go to zero, and the red ALT light light up. Release brake, gas / tach return to normal. Depressing the brake pedal provides NO BRAKE LIGHTS, so that is bad.

Turning on headlamps, operation normal.
Turning on turn signals - tach and gas drop to zero, no turn signals.
No Hazards - but that has been going on for some time.

Prior to this - turning on the turn signals lit up the big red light as the switch flickered, but it also did produce turn signals. Not any more.

When going over bumps - red ALT light flickers, when low RPM red light begins to glow, goes dark with higher RPMs.

Also - when driving today on the freeway after 45mins at high speed, developed a little stutter, not bad, almost un-noticable, not all the time. possibly not related - dunno. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

ugh, I hate the elec shit. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif)

where to start oh great and wise brain trust.....?????

thanks in advance....

td

[r_towle]

if its your headlight circuit that is the main issue, first, pull the battery and then pull the light switch out with all wires attached.

It will pull down below the dash.
Look at the back and check all the wires...they do melt there, and they can and do touch the dash when the light switch is in the wrong orientation....

If it all checks out, wrap all the way around all the wires and switch with electrical tape and look at how you can make sure it cannot touch the dash when you put it back in place...
IT needs to be turned a certain way.

From there, if its still happening, you need to isolate each circuit.
There are four circuits.
One for each motor, and that is all those circuits do.
Light are a bit more complicated...
High and low beam have there own circuit.
Some of that is shared with parking lights both front and rear, but each circuit is for left and right side of the car....

Typical places to look for issues that I have found.

Headlight motor grounds...near headlight motors.

A pinch in the wiring going to the headlight motors at one of the metal clips that hold the harness to the body.

Side marker lights under the fender.
exposed wires, loose wires under the fender, wires pinched under light housing.

Blinkers.
Same as above.

The list keeps going for all the rear lights also.

BUT
Sounds like you have an issue raising and lowering the lights..
That is a simple circuit from the headlight switch to the motor relays to the motors...
Check it all.

Rich