After doing some bottom side work on my car last weekend (on ramps), and some dash bulb replacements, I went back topside to drive off the ramps (12 hours later) and absolutely no signs of life when ignition key is turned. No generator light, no oil light nada and of course no cranking. No fuses were blown. While the ignition switch hadn't exhibited symptoms of failing I figured I'd swap it out with a spare I had.

I swapped in the spare today. A bit of PITA so I went down an electrical check list before fully buttoning it up. Key on, dash lights check (generator and oil pressure, still stock incandescent bulbs) . Cranked over and instant start, check.

Installed the directional and wiper switch stalk so I can check the functioning turn signals, check. All the illumination LEDs I installed in the gauges this week, check. Running lights, check. Headlights up and check. High beams to check high beam LED, saw the high beam indicator light, heard a relay, click, momentary check, then the dash went dark!
Again, no fuses blown.

Now I am back to the symptoms that led me to think it was the ignition switch. No lights at all on the dash with key on and of course no cranking. Hazards work, 1st position headlight switch items, gauge illumination works, 2nd position headlights do not and fogs do not.

Data point, all of these items worked before the day before my first "dead electrical' experience last weekend. All wiring that I know of is stock.

Looks like 'll be getting friendly with my multimeter once the coming storm passes through the northeast.

Ideas BTDTs welcome.

I'd start with checking the high beam relay(believe it's called combination relay on wiring diagrams) and the headlight switch. I've had the high beam relay act similar to what you describe, but usually after a couple minutes of driving with the high beams on. However it did not kill all ignition power or other dash lights, just the headlights and high beam indicator. New relay cured my problem.

Carefully check for any connections behind the gauges as well. Sometimes it can be pretty easy to knock something out of place back there when working. Sudden problems like this can usually be traced back to the last area something was touched related to the problem. BTDT many times!

Grounds

An all encompassing response that is simultaneously so broad that it my actually point to a solution or be void of any real utility.

While I have a very hard time understanding schematics, I'm pretty sure the ignition switch houses no grounds. I think the generator and oil pressure idiot lights have different grounds for each and I know the headlight motors and starter certainly do. The likelihood of each of those simultaneously failing during the same 10 second interval have to be pretty high yet the occurrence would have one believe they are somehow daisy chained.

"Grounds" will certainly be part of the investigative process.

I apologize for being non specific or flippant but based on the symptoms and the number of things that you messed with, it is hard to be more specific but sure sounds like you disturbed a ground circuit or multiple circuits.

There are common grounds behind up behind the instrument panel which you may have disturbed. This ground is needed for the high beam / combination relay. When you mentioned the high beams worked momentarily then stopped and the dash went dark. This is the ground I was thinking of when I replied.

The generator (alternator) and the oil pressure lights are indeed on a common ground path via the engine case and then thru the engine transmission ground strap to the chassis. Incidentally, this is also the ground path for the starter motor. You don’t mention what you were doing under the vehicle before all these problems started.


Let’s do a reset:

The number of problems that you described is going to be tough to address with a singular solution since many of those circuits don’t share a common 12v feed or a common ground.

The very first thing I would check is to make sure you have solid connections at the battery + and all the red wires and the connection from battery negative to the chassis. I would also make sure the ground strap between the engine and the chassis is connected. I don’t think this is the issue since you did get a start after swapping the ignition switch - your call depending on what you did under the car. If the engine ground strap isn’t present - the clutch cable becomes the ground path (not a very good one - but it becomes ground none the less).

You may have multiple problems depending on what you did under the car, behind the instruments, and swapping / installing ignition switch and stalk switches. The best way to address them is to tackle one issue - like no switched power via the ignition key (no oil, no Gen, no-start). Begin methodically troubleshooting this singular problem with a multimeter and schematic for your model year vehicle.

It is quite likely that in the process of troubleshooting that, you will discover the source of the other problems as well assuming they have some shared circuitry such as a bad ground path or potentially a bad 12v + power feed from the battery.

Hope that is more helpful.

Thanks, I appreciate the road map. Of course your're likely right that my use of highbeams may have been ancillary and not causal of my current state. I found the current flow diagrams on line which I can follow a bit easier that standard schematics. All I did underneath was tighten the clutch cable and inspect a failed thermostat.

I'm guessing it will be "easiest" to have "power" bypass the ignition
Switch and see where it "stalls" for each affected circuit. (As mentioned some light circuits still have power) But I will go and check major than individual grounds hopefully once the weather passes as the car is currently outdoors. Probably a good idea to replace tranny ground. Newer grounds already installed from battery to chassis and engine.

I did open the high beam relay and while one side of the contact is a bit worn, nothing looked burnt or fused and conventional wisdom seem they rarely fail.

So I dug in this weekend and still no definitive answers but a running driving car.

1 checked that all the Wehrle style relays were good and each was OK
2 rechecked all fuses, all OK
3 Checked all cluster grounds and cleaned each down to the brass button
Pass side headlight cluster was a little dodgy and the transmission body strap looked so crusty it took me a second to see it apart from the road grime. Tested OK but I replaced it anyway.
4 checked the old seat belt relay bypass, still in good shape.

Still, all "through key" electrics dead. (running lights, but not headlights, instrument lights and hazards all OK)

I was not "seeing" power through the new ignition switch out to the ancillaries. So I tested the new switch to see if I accidentally fried it. It tested good. WTH?

I decided to jumper the ignition connectors directly;
1 Jumper 30 to 15 and I immediately get oil light (no generator light) and fuel gauge and hear FP run
2 jumper 30 to starter, get cranking
3 jumper 30 to X and get full headlight activation. Again what gives?

So I take the next logical step and use a screw driver(always wanted to do this) and jumpered 30 and the starter with all other connections jumpered and the car fires right up!

The first 2-3 times I retried this, the generator light did not come on but the car was charging at the battery. I tried the hazards and the front blinkers were out of synch so I may check that relay again. Generator light now comes on normally.

I cycled the high and low beams and no weirdness at all save the high beam indicator light does not illuminate. (Non led bulb tests good)

So scratching my head I reinstalled the ignition switch and turn signal switches and all seems back to normal.

Remaining oddities,
Solid 14V charge rate indicated in dash gauge and confirmed at battery. (How much is too much?)

directional idiot light remains illuminated 100% of the time. Gets more intense and blinks properly when directionals/hazards activated.

High beam indicator will not light (bulb is good) when high beams activated.

Current flow diagram shows a link between these two lights and I assume something is back feeding the directional to cause the permanent light but I'm not smart enough to know what.

if anyone has seen this LMK

Not to get you side tracked. But I’ll bet the high beam light is working. What I’ve found is that the blue ‘lens’ that the light shines through ages poorly and doesn’t allow the light through. If you leave the gauge out and check the light that way I’ll bet it illuminates.

And not to send you down another path…you can replace those colored parts. I did the low fuel light years ago and using two or three pieces of plastic that I used from a set of hanging folder plastic tabs. If you ever notice the low fuel red piece on most cars is faded out. I just cut a few small pieces and layered them together and taped them back on the gauge (that is how the factory had it iirc). Two or three layers gave it the correct shade of red when the light was illuminated.

Like this. Has all the colors one needs to replace anything in our gauges that needs it. Although the yellow and green always seems to hold up well.

Check fuse 9 (late cars) and fuse 8 (early). Make sure fuse terminals are clean and holding the fuse tight.

This fuse provides the current path to turn on the generator/alternator bulb at key in to bootstrap the alternator.

Loose fuses in these positions can cause all sorts of wonky behaviours.

14v is perfectly normal with a lightly discharged battery.

Based on your OP and some comments on this latest round of troubleshooting it might also be worth cleaning and tightening all the spade connectors within the the black ignition switch connector. It seems that you’re getting intermittent connections here.

The simple act of removing and reinstalling the black connector onto the ignition switch can be enough to temporarily clean off corrosion and make a contact. But later (from moments to months) later - no connection. Cleaning and tightening the spade connectors will help alleviate this if that is what is occurring.

I should have tested the bulb visually, would have been easier than continuity testing with my DMM. I'll double check. That said, you can get very bright and dimmable LEDs for these applications that will power through any faded gels and are plug and play. If the gels are toast you can get the LEDs of the correct color. (and warmth if you prefer the incandescent color spectrum, just brighter)

Just too easy and finally inexpensive enough not to do while you're in there..

DO NOT REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR WARNING BULB WITH LED.

The charging system relies on the resistance of the incandescent bulb to "jump start" it. Plus the light is supposed to illuminate with current running through it either direction; a diode is effectively a one-way valve for electricity and an LED is still a diode.

--DD

No worries, Gen light is old school. I swapped the directional indicator back to incandescent as well. That cured the always on symptom. As I suspected some small amount of voltage was backfeeding the LED and caused the ghosting. It doesn't take much.

The high beam indicator is not getting power so I'll swap in a new Spoke LED friendly relay as I move to LED external bulbs to go with my Brad M rebuilt engine compartment fuse block and it should be fairly straight forward to figure out. Wish I had a concrete "reason and fix" for the original condition but all seems well and on to the next item on the squawk list.
Thanks all for the help.