Let there be light !

Garp · Post by **Garp** » Sun Feb 12, 17 4:26 pm

So today, armed with flex, connectors, double-crimpers, tape and various junction-type- fittings, I got cracking with replacing the old sealed beam units.
If you haven't done it, it's remarkably easy, just double check everything and, as I did, put a 20amp inline fuse EVERYWHERE - fuses are cheap, fire tends to cost.
Good news is, like a surgeon, I really like to "open" and "close" on the same day and it all went well. The wiring off the relays is all nicely wrapped and tidied and all flex is hooked/ cable- tied away.
HOWEVER ........ one curious thing .....
My dash illumination lights have NEVER worked, and were on my todo list.
Somehow, I've managed to wake them with all the cutting and splicing. This wouldn't be a bad thing except they won't bloody go off now !!! (At least they work).
I can't see how working forward of the bulkhead would've woken them up so I can only assume a short-circuit is illuminating them.
Should I just leave this, find the wire that powers them and wire to the ignition ?
Any clues as to why this happened will be greatly appreciated
Garp

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sun Feb 12, 17 5:00 pm

Hmm, not sure how you've pulled off that stunt! It would appear that somehow you've given the dash illumination a direct live off the battery?

Garp · Post by **Garp** » Sun Feb 12, 17 5:25 pm

Blue wrote:Hmm, not sure how you've pulled off that stunt! It would appear that somehow you've given the dash illumination a direct live off the battery?

Blue, that's what I thought but, in an effort NOT to drain the battery, I have "powered" the relays from the alternator at the starter motor wire terminal.
I (possibly wrongly) thought that this would mean I'd ONLY get lights with the engine running - seems I was wrong, lights are on without engine running but thankfully do switch off, however dash illumination stays on until I disconnect battery.
Should I move my relay power direct to the pos+ battery terminal ?
I'd rather not lose my dash illumination now that it works ....
Puzzled !!!!
Y

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sun Feb 12, 17 5:44 pm

Yes, run the relay live direct off the battery.

Garp · Post by **Garp** » Sun Feb 12, 17 5:47 pm

Blue wrote:Yes, run the relay live direct off the battery.

Bugger ...... all that wiring !!!
Was thinking that I could just wire the dash into the bottom right switch that does nothing currently - presto !
Thanks for all the help, looks far far better .... like actual light !

cadboy · Post by **cadboy** » Mon Feb 13, 17 6:23 am

Dash and the light comes from the light switch, I would have thought.

So you must now be feeding the dash light with live from battery, so just move the cable to the other side of the relay, where light are switched.

Garp · Post by **Garp** » Mon Feb 13, 17 7:40 am

cadboy wrote:Dash and the light comes from the light switch, I would have thought.

So you must now be feeding the dash light with live from battery, so just move the cable to the other side of the relay, where light are switched.

Sorry to be a pain, but I'm not quite sure what you mean.
You have two "switching" terminals on the relay - 86 & 87
Currently my power source from the alternator for BOTH relays is 86 and feed to the lights 87
Are you suggesting I switch these around on both relays ?
Thanks

Charger · Post by **Charger** » Mon Feb 13, 17 9:35 am

Good job on the relays, something I must do sometime

Instrument light staying on; sounds like you're back feeding the instrument light circuit somehow

Be careful though because those 20a fuses you have installed won't protect the instrument light circuit

I would presume Challenger is similar to Charger in the way it is cabled, but I can only refer to Charger, the panel dimmer switch gets it's +ve from the headlamp switch black wire, then there's a tan wire comes off of the back of the panel dimmer switch that runs to the oem fuse block, then from the other side of that fuse orange wires run to all instrument lights, the instrument light fuse is only 3a hence my caution above

If I was you I would back track what you've done, go to the new relays and disconnect each blade one by one until the instrument lights go out, hopefully then you can work out what's what

You said you were only working forward of the bulk head, but don't presume everything is correct behind the dash, you also said the instrument lights didn't work before, maybe someone has tampered in the past??

Garp · Post by **Garp** » Mon Feb 13, 17 12:01 pm

Charger wrote: Be careful though because those 20a fuses you have installed won't protect the instrument light circuit

I would presume Challenger is similar to Charger in the way it is cabled, but I can only refer to Charger, the panel dimmer switch gets it's +ve from the headlamp switch black wire, then there's a tan wire comes off of the back of the panel dimmer switch that runs to the oem fuse block, then from the other side of that fuse orange wires run to all instrument lights, the instrument light fuse is only 3a hence my caution above

If I was you I would back track what you've done, go to the new relays and disconnect each blade one by one until the instrument lights go out, hopefully then you can work out what's what

You said you were only working forward of the bulk head, but don't presume everything is correct behind the dash, you also said the instrument lights didn't work before, maybe someone has tampered in the past??

There is a small possibility that I may have confused relay terminals with my aging eyesight, so will check.
The fact that I am back feeding power to the dash is concerning and the possibility of blowing something, even more so.
I am going to check my "ins n outs" and make sure they are right.
The one thing I don't want to do is lose the dash light as I'm bloody happy that it's on!
I do have the redundant "rear window heater" switch which I may just divert the dash wires into which will at least give me the opportunity to switch it off.
I guess we will see what transpires
Thanks all