Or get a replacement from city racer
1975 FJ40 Instrument Panel Not Working (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Groucho263
- Start date
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Cromagnon
SILVER Star
If it was broken, burned contacts or beat up I would agree but for less than a dollars worth of chemicals and some sweat equity I'll bet the panel will be working as good as new. Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE City Racer and patronize his shop, but a few bucks saved here will go to other areas.
- Thread starter
- #103
Well...you want the good news or the bad news...good news is almost the entire electrical is working! The bad news is the right blinker doesn't blink.
Holy crap...after cleaning all the connections...I used a wire wheel on a drill to clean the fuse panel...all surfaces were shiny. Then, used vinegar/salt with a tooth brush/brass brush and pipe cleaners to clean the connectors. Ohm'd the fuse panel with just the fuses in there...all went to 0. Connected the connections back on to the fuse panel and Ohm'd...all were 0. Hooked up the battery and started it up...I have brake lights, headlights, etc. I did not check the heater blower or wipers yet or the reverse lights and I'm sure a couple other things I need to check...but have oil pressure, temp, fuel level, etc. Holy crap!
I cleaned the turn signal flasher connections by the ignitor, but still can't get that right one to blink. I'll report back with other items that still don't work, etc. Chances are I will still need some directions on getting the remaining things to work.
I can't believe this journey...it does take a while and just when I was about to say screw it...something would come on line.
Thank you @Cromagnon ...this is 6 pages of posts and a few phone calls and texts. Thank you for your time and guidance. I feel like I owe you many beers!
Holy crap...after cleaning all the connections...I used a wire wheel on a drill to clean the fuse panel...all surfaces were shiny. Then, used vinegar/salt with a tooth brush/brass brush and pipe cleaners to clean the connectors. Ohm'd the fuse panel with just the fuses in there...all went to 0. Connected the connections back on to the fuse panel and Ohm'd...all were 0. Hooked up the battery and started it up...I have brake lights, headlights, etc. I did not check the heater blower or wipers yet or the reverse lights and I'm sure a couple other things I need to check...but have oil pressure, temp, fuel level, etc. Holy crap!
I cleaned the turn signal flasher connections by the ignitor, but still can't get that right one to blink. I'll report back with other items that still don't work, etc. Chances are I will still need some directions on getting the remaining things to work.
I can't believe this journey...it does take a while and just when I was about to say screw it...something would come on line.
Thank you @Cromagnon ...this is 6 pages of posts and a few phone calls and texts. Thank you for your time and guidance. I feel like I owe you many beers!
Cromagnon
SILVER Star
Thank you and congratulations, you're the one doing all of the work. The blinker issue will be resolved just like all of the other ones, start at the beggining and work through the circuit until it starts working. I would look at bulbs, sockets and grounds first. They are the easiest to fix and usually are the culprit. It's insane what 45 years worth of corrosion can do to electrical connections.
- Thread starter
- #105
The blinker works it just doesn’t blink. It comes on steady. The left blinker blinks. Is that’s connection?
Wioers work, but heater blower doesn’t. I’ll have to clean those connections. Reverse light don’t work but that might be broken wires.
Wioers work, but heater blower doesn’t. I’ll have to clean those connections. Reverse light don’t work but that might be broken wires.
Cromagnon
SILVER Star
Read thru this THREAD . This will give you the information on the turn signal circuits. It could be the wrong size (wattage) bulb, bad grounds, corroded connector, broken wire or a combination of these. When the Right Turn Signal is selected do all of the Right Turn Signal lights illuminate? If not, correct that and see if that fixes the problem.
Good news about the wipers. Use the wiring diagram and trace the heater blower circuit. Reverse light switch is a PITA to get to and the wires are soldered to it.
Good news about the wipers. Use the wiring diagram and trace the heater blower circuit. Reverse light switch is a PITA to get to and the wires are soldered to it.
- Thread starter
- #107
Yes, they illuminate...just don't blink.
Cromagnon
SILVER Star
OK...confirm grounds, clean electrical contacts in the sockets and wattage of the bulbs. It takes about 50W to make the flasher work, a lot of time the bulb will be a lower wattage causing these kinds of problems. Check the front and rear.
- Thread starter
- #109
Hey Joe...spent this week kind of buttoning things up to get it driving and still a few things not working. I replaced the tail light lenses but while doing that realized the assemblies had about 4 tons of dirt and crap in there and the wires were barely holding on. Have to replace those. The running lights work, but blew a fuse. (The headlights work, just the 2 front and rear running lights that come on for night driving, etc. blew that fuse. I had a 15 in there and think it might need a 20a?) Any thoughts on that?
Also, the speedo doesn't work. Any thoughts on that one?
Thanks!
Also, the speedo doesn't work. Any thoughts on that one?
Thanks!
Cromagnon
SILVER Star
The speedo is mechanical...there is a gear drive in the aft of the Transfer Case just forward of the parking brake assembly on the left side. The gears drive a cable that goes to the instrument cluster and spins the speedo and also drives the odometer. Nothing electrical there...thank God!
Clean the dirt and restore the wires and see what that does, may solve all of the gremlins in the lighting circuits. I found this pic of a 72-77 fuse block cover. It shows the Tail lights in position 1 and the Turn Signals in position 6 and both are 15A fuses. Does that correlate to yours?
Clean the dirt and restore the wires and see what that does, may solve all of the gremlins in the lighting circuits. I found this pic of a 72-77 fuse block cover. It shows the Tail lights in position 1 and the Turn Signals in position 6 and both are 15A fuses. Does that correlate to yours?
- Thread starter
- #112
Hey Joe...need more help if you have time,
Here is the situation...I read the links you provided and it seems like I need to run a single speedo cable from the connection on the TC to the speedometer. I haven't done that yet.
To the tail lights...I got replacement tail light assemblies and am trying to install. There is a wire connector on the right frame rail just forward of the right rear shock (pictures below). Based on Coolermans thread #9 1974 fj40 taillight wiring help, the wires going into the connector are correct. The PO changed the wiring coming out though and I can't make the damn things work. The right tail light was somewhat in tact...the left he created 5 blue wires.
From that wire connector, there are 7 wires coming out (see pictures). 2 Green, 2 Red, 1 Black and 2 whitish yellow. I believe the 2 red to be the reverse light RB connection. The Green is the G for the running lights. One of the whitish/yellow goes to the right turn signal. The Black I believe goes to the left turn signal.
At the tail light connection for the right tail light, he has Green going to running light (one green wire comes out of this connection and heads to the right side running light on the side of the vehicle), red going to reverse light, whitish yellow going to the Brake terminal...and then he has a wire (whitish yellow) going from the brake terminal that goes over to the left tail light assembly. In the turn signal terminal, he has 1 wire going out and heading to the left tail light assembly.
Wires that go to the left tail light assembly side are red, black, green and whitish yellow. I think the Black is the turn signal, whitish is the GW for the brake, green for the running light and red for the reverse lights. If I connect the wires this way, nothing works. If I connect that whitish yellow wire from the right side to the brake light terminal, I get a right brake light...or just now I only get the left brake light. Then, it's a mess...sometimes I get a brake light and turn signal (on both sides...or just the right side, etc).
I feel like the right side is missing a turn signal coming from the connection? I have no idea what he is doing with the right turn signal wire that comes out of the right side turn signal connection, but it doesn't run up the vehicle. It seems like the brake lights will only illuminate if I connect the right whitish yellow wire to the left tail light assembly. WTF.
Right frame connector
Another picture of the same connection
7 wires coming out of the connection
Wires separate into right side, left side
Right tail light assembly connection
Here is the situation...I read the links you provided and it seems like I need to run a single speedo cable from the connection on the TC to the speedometer. I haven't done that yet.
To the tail lights...I got replacement tail light assemblies and am trying to install. There is a wire connector on the right frame rail just forward of the right rear shock (pictures below). Based on Coolermans thread #9 1974 fj40 taillight wiring help, the wires going into the connector are correct. The PO changed the wiring coming out though and I can't make the damn things work. The right tail light was somewhat in tact...the left he created 5 blue wires.
From that wire connector, there are 7 wires coming out (see pictures). 2 Green, 2 Red, 1 Black and 2 whitish yellow. I believe the 2 red to be the reverse light RB connection. The Green is the G for the running lights. One of the whitish/yellow goes to the right turn signal. The Black I believe goes to the left turn signal.
At the tail light connection for the right tail light, he has Green going to running light (one green wire comes out of this connection and heads to the right side running light on the side of the vehicle), red going to reverse light, whitish yellow going to the Brake terminal...and then he has a wire (whitish yellow) going from the brake terminal that goes over to the left tail light assembly. In the turn signal terminal, he has 1 wire going out and heading to the left tail light assembly.
Wires that go to the left tail light assembly side are red, black, green and whitish yellow. I think the Black is the turn signal, whitish is the GW for the brake, green for the running light and red for the reverse lights. If I connect the wires this way, nothing works. If I connect that whitish yellow wire from the right side to the brake light terminal, I get a right brake light...or just now I only get the left brake light. Then, it's a mess...sometimes I get a brake light and turn signal (on both sides...or just the right side, etc).
I feel like the right side is missing a turn signal coming from the connection? I have no idea what he is doing with the right turn signal wire that comes out of the right side turn signal connection, but it doesn't run up the vehicle. It seems like the brake lights will only illuminate if I connect the right whitish yellow wire to the left tail light assembly. WTF.
Right frame connector
Another picture of the same connection
7 wires coming out of the connection
Wires separate into right side, left side
Right tail light assembly connection
- Thread starter
- #113
Left Tail light wires
Cromagnon
SILVER Star
Greg
Let's start at the frame connector and confirm there is voltage at the terminals and what the terminal goes to. You are going to need a helper, multimeter, paper clip or heavy gauge sewing needle, paper and pencil.
First, draw the connector and annotate the terminal positions with the color of wire going into them.
Second, have your helper activate each circuit one at a time while probing the terminals with the multimeter and the paperclip or sewing needle. Write down what circuit goes to which terminal and the voltage measured. If any signal is missing correct that before proceeding. Refer to the wiring diagram and trace the circuit to the fault.
Third, extend the drawing to the new PO induced madness with the wire color and terminals. Use duct tape and a sharpie to identify the wires. Verify that the correct signal and voltage goes to the correct light(s.)
Fourth, get the correct wires and connectors from Coolerman and do a permanent fix by excising all of the PO's wiring madness with the right wire colors and terminals. If the OEM connectors are not available I would recommend Weather Pack terminals as a replacement. This is a very important step as, over time, you will forget what wire goes where and you don't want to be known as another PO!
You are doing great and pretty soon you are going to be real confident in tracing electrical gremlins and beating the snot out of them.
Let's start at the frame connector and confirm there is voltage at the terminals and what the terminal goes to. You are going to need a helper, multimeter, paper clip or heavy gauge sewing needle, paper and pencil.
First, draw the connector and annotate the terminal positions with the color of wire going into them.
Second, have your helper activate each circuit one at a time while probing the terminals with the multimeter and the paperclip or sewing needle. Write down what circuit goes to which terminal and the voltage measured. If any signal is missing correct that before proceeding. Refer to the wiring diagram and trace the circuit to the fault.
Third, extend the drawing to the new PO induced madness with the wire color and terminals. Use duct tape and a sharpie to identify the wires. Verify that the correct signal and voltage goes to the correct light(s.)
Fourth, get the correct wires and connectors from Coolerman and do a permanent fix by excising all of the PO's wiring madness with the right wire colors and terminals. If the OEM connectors are not available I would recommend Weather Pack terminals as a replacement. This is a very important step as, over time, you will forget what wire goes where and you don't want to be known as another PO!
You are doing great and pretty soon you are going to be real confident in tracing electrical gremlins and beating the snot out of them.
