The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay A little smoke signal

I wired up a back up light switch and was surprised that it worked. But there always has to be a BUT when I wired the neutral switch and was checking it out I got a smoke signal from a wire on the ignition I obviously did something wrong either at the solinoid or at the ign. switch. It's almost impossible to trace wires because theyre old dirty and taped -- I will put in a harness but not right now. How can an electronically challanged person know which prong and terminal is which?
:confused:

redtruck65MA,

Good question. Electrical stuff can sometimes be confusing because, unlike mechanical things, you can't see the 'electricity'.

If you get a small inexpensive meter you can make the 'electricity' visible and more understandable.

You can find terminals that are "hot", you can find the ends of a long wire that snakes through the spaghetti dash, and you can see switches open and close.

The VOM meters are cheap...you could even buy a 12 volt test light too. These are tools that every mechanic uses to help him sort out the mysterious path of electricity.

Stuart

Should be a pair of big purple wires to the neutral safety switch, they are stull purple @the switch & starter. Red is hot, pink is IGN., brown is accessories. Green for reverse lights, on the column switch terminals they are positioned like /\, where the neutral is like II. Brian

Stuart, believe it or not I have those tools but never got the hang of using them except for something simple like current to the tail lights but dont know to fix this problem:
Lights work back and front -- signal works also when lights are off but only right side works with lights on--so everything works but not togather.
Brian, I think I have the switch for neutral and back up wired correctly but have a problem with the Ign. and solinoid terminals.
Where can I get new connecters to replace the old ones?
Jim

I get them from my local Parts Plus/AutoValue(a real parts store), NAPA can get them also, there are usually female terminals on the shelf but he orders male terminals when I need them. The big plastic connector is salvage only I think. Brian

You probably have a bad ground on the left taillight assembly. If so, the light from the left turn signal should be dimmer than the light from the right turn signal.

Baldy,
The left tail light is brighter than the right like the brake light is on. The headlights are dim also. By the time I'm finished with this truck I'll know about wiring or be in the nuthouse. :confused:

redtruck, every light on these old trucks uses the body as a ground; paint, loose bolts, rust, all keep grounds from happening-if you will clean every ground connection life will be easier. I run an extra wire to many things like the grille, inst panel etc. to insure a good ground. I have even soldered ground wires to the taillight housing sockets. Brian

Thanks Brian, I connected a ground strap from the frame to the bed--scraped the surfaces to bare metal. I will put in some more from engine to frame and body and see what happens. This problem started when I tried to put in a lic. plate light and wire the neutral/back up switch. After burning that wire at the ign. I'm not sure what to try next. That wire was 24g Why would it be so small -- like one strand of wire and would a heavier wire be ok to connect the it to the ign? Jim

Jim, which wire burned @the ign switch? Was it the brown wire(accessory)? Many wires on these trucks seem too small to me. The brown @ign sw is about 14-16ga, & powers all the accessories. The reverse light switch power should come from the fusebox. Brian

Brian,As you said there is one red and one purple and a brown wire and a two color (white and brown?) to the ign. switch. It was that last one that burned
I discovered that it was cut by PO at the firewall so it went nowhere. I dont know if the brown wire goes to the fuse box and then to the solenoid. How do I connect the wire from the neutral switch to the ign.--at the fuse box? and do I need a seperate wire from the neutral switch to the solenoid? The fuse box must be the origional--it has 4 fuses but there are spaces for more. Jim

Jim,the purple wire should hook to the neutral safety, if the truck has automatic swapped in you will need to cut & add enough wire to reach to the switch, between the ign sw & the firewall. Brian

Thanks Brian, I wired the purple wire like you said but the truck would not start anywhere park, neutral or any gear. The neutral/back up switch is either the wrong one or it is faulty. The truck is automatic with 3 forward gears. There is no referance to the switch in my shop manual wiring diagram. I've been told that 65 trucks did not have hazzard lights so my steering housing must be from an other year. Do the switches vary from one type of automatic to another? Jim

The switch could be bad, or even out of adjustment(mounting holes are slotted for adjustment), if it has hazard light sit is prolly 68-up but it should work. No mention in the shop manual diagrams cause automatic is an option, I suppose. Brian