Electrical Guru Needed

[fj40rob]

Are there any electrical guru's that live in the Tampa Bay area (florida)??? having some issues with my turn signal assembly & an aftermarket harness i bought. I'm sure being colorblind and not being able to run a meter are my biggest problem . I am so close to being able to drive it , it's killing me!! Also getting sick of the wife calling it "Lawnart". Any reccommendations???

 

[John Smith]

Are there any electrical guru's that live in the Tampa Bay area (florida)??? having some issues with my turn signal assembly & an aftermarket harness i bought. I'm sure being colorblind and not being able to run a meter are my biggest problem . I am so close to being able to drive it , it's killing me!! Also getting sick of the wife calling it "Lawnart". Any reccommendations???

Go to the Clubhouse section and post up in the FL club section.

 

[Toshi38]

Do you have a meter?

You should be able to make do with a continuity and voltage. Depending what state your wiring harness is currently in will change how you tackle the fix.

If its mostly wired as it was stock you should start by checking for voltage with the turn signals on to see if you can find a spot to splice into (This is probably the easiest way)

What I usually do is rewire back to the firewall if the wires are in really bad shape.

If the wiring is completely messed up you'll need to rewire it from scratch (or some variation of scratch) take a look at the wiring diagram below. Its relatively simple.

Here is a wiring diagram (for a 71):

http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/72fj40-wire/71fj40_wire.gif

Here's a wiring diagram (78 fj40):
http://www.yankeetoys.org/documents/wiring_diagram_78_fj40.pdf

Hopefully you can just wire from the outside of the firewall but if not the wiring diagram will be your friend. Hook up each of the indicated wires and then test for continuity to ensure you have hooked it up correctly/not shorted it to something else!

 

[bsmith123]

issues

Are there any electrical guru's that live in the Tampa Bay area (florida)??? having some issues with my turn signal assembly & an aftermarket harness i bought. I'm sure being colorblind and not being able to run a meter are my biggest problem . I am so close to being able to drive it , it's killing me!! Also getting sick of the wife calling it "Lawnart". Any reccommendations???

Whats the issue? ---routing the new harness?, light not blinking?, light not coming on at all?

 

[Pin_Head]

What year? Generic harnesses are usually for GM products, so they work OK for turn signals on '74 and earlier cruisers. Later cruisers are different, so you will have to work up new wires for brakes and turn signals yourself, but the good news is that they are simpler than early cruisers. Your other option would be to keep the stock turn and brake wires.

 

[fj40rob]

Go to the Clubhouse section and post up in the FL club section.

thanks I will check it out.

 

[fj40rob]

What year? Generic harnesses are usually for GM products, so they work OK for turn signals on '74 and earlier cruisers. Later cruisers are different, so you will have to work up new wires for brakes and turn signals yourself, but the good news is that they are simpler than early cruisers. Your other option would be to keep the stock turn and brake wires.

it's a 74 built in 9/73.i got the running lights in back and headlights working. It's a brand new turn signal assemblyjust not sure what color wire is what on the assembly. the harness is decent got it from jtoutfitters,its from quickwire/saint wire and cable. all the wires are labeled,it just not working out whatever combination i try...

 

[fj40rob]

Do you have a meter?

You should be able to make do with a continuity and voltage. Depending what state your wiring harness is currently in will change how you tackle the fix.

If its mostly wired as it was stock you should start by checking for voltage with the turn signals on to see if you can find a spot to splice into (This is probably the easiest way)

What I usually do is rewire back to the firewall if the wires are in really bad shape.

If the wiring is completely messed up you'll need to rewire it from scratch (or some variation of scratch) take a look at the wiring diagram below. Its relatively simple.

Here is a wiring diagram (for a 71):

http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/72fj40-wire/71fj40_wire.gif

Here's a wiring diagram (78 fj40):
http://www.yankeetoys.org/documents/wiring_diagram_78_fj40.pdf

Hopefully you can just wire from the outside of the firewall but if not the wiring diagram will be your friend. Hook up each of the indicated wires and then test for continuity to ensure you have hooked it up correctly/not shorted it to something else!

yes i have a meter.see my other reply maybe you will better understand where i,m at.problem is i,m more of a carpenter/mechanic than a electrician.guess i,m nervous i,ll fry the harness.got 5 years rebuilding this truck(part time on limited funds & raising a family.)don,t want to watch it burn to the ground.

 

[Toshi38]

Get a inline fuse holder to hook up power through... provided you use the right size of fuse you can't fry the harness if you try. (you might go through a lot of fuses though)

The wiring is fairly simple and just needs to be hooked up on each end. As long as you have a lightbulb between ground and 12V you will be fine.

Are you using stock lamps or aftermarket lights?

 

[Pin_Head]

What is not working out? Turn signals? Brakes? Hazards?

If so, there are two ways to do this: EZ way is to keep the original turn and brake wires and just replace the main power wires to the brakes, turns, and hazards. The main power wires are:
Turn: The main power wire is green with light blue stripe and it connects to the B terminal of the turn switch.
Hazards: Green/red stripe and connects to the B terminal of the hazard switch.
Brakes: Red/white stripe and connects to the stop light switch at the brake pedal.

Do these connections first and see if it works. The hard way is to replace all the other wires. If you need to do this to get it to work, cut open the harness and replace one at a time.

 

[fj40rob]

Get a inline fuse holder to hook up power through... provided you use the right size of fuse you can't fry the harness if you try. (you might go through a lot of fuses though)

The wiring is fairly simple and just needs to be hooked up on each end. As long as you have a lightbulb between ground and 12V you will be fine.

Are you using stock lamps or aftermarket lights?

great idea thanks alot. simple enough think i can handle that.stock lamps front up front and po installed signal stats in rear

 

[fj40rob]

What is not working out? Turn signals? Brakes? Hazards?

If so, there are two ways to do this: EZ way is to keep the original turn and brake wires and just replace the main power wires to the brakes, turns, and hazards. The main power wires are:
Turn: The main power wire is green with light blue stripe and it connects to the B terminal of the turn switch.
Hazards: Green/red stripe and connects to the B terminal of the hazard switch.
Brakes: Red/white stripe and connects to the stop light switch at the brake pedal.

Do these connections first and see if it works. The hard way is to replace all the other wires. If you need to do this to get it to work, cut open the harness and replace one at a time.

all of the above . got headlights up front and running lights in rear just cant figure out what wire is what on my turn signal assembly.just going to use a toggle switch(s)for my backup and hazzards.

 

[fj40rob]

all of the above . got headlights up front and running lights in rear just cant figure out what wire is what on my turn signal assembly.just going to use a toggle switch(s)for my backup and hazzards.

thanks i'll try your suggestions

 

[fj40rob]

What is not working out? Turn signals? Brakes? Hazards?

If so, there are two ways to do this: EZ way is to keep the original turn and brake wires and just replace the main power wires to the brakes, turns, and hazards. The main power wires are:
Turn: The main power wire is green with light blue stripe and it connects to the B terminal of the turn switch.
Hazards: Green/red stripe and connects to the B terminal of the hazard switch.
Brakes: Red/white stripe and connects to the stop light switch at the brake pedal.

Do these connections first and see if it works. The hard way is to replace all the other wires. If you need to do this to get it to work, cut open the harness and replace one at a time.

Thanks I'll try your suggestions.

 

[fj40rob]

Thanks guys you rock. cant wait till this weekend to try your inputs

 

[Toshi38]

No point in using a toggle for the reverse lamps if you're just looking for an easy way out. The transmission has the reverse switch in it (2 wires) that just get wired the same way a switch would.

 

[bsmith123]

power

you dont need power to do this---ohms setting on meter

just ground the wires to the lights to bare metal at the back---then put the black lead of your meter to bare metal at the front and touch the wires up front under the dash that you suspect go to the signals

you should read a couple ohms ---then disconnect the wire at the back from ground and you should read open

you can shout through the switch the same way but look for a wire in and a wire out of the switch by shooting one wire to all the others one at a time and finding which ones work together by gaining continuity then going open eveytime you use the switch

try all about circuits.com and read continuity checks---no danger of frying anything shooting ohms


also not sure if the haz's are on the same power but dont forget cleaning fuse holders, swapping fuses, and making sure the lights are all well grounded to the frame if they dont work

but if I have you right you are just trying to figure what wire goes where

 

[huminajumina]

make sure all of your lights have good grounds to the frame as mentioned above, if they are not it can make ohming things out a little tricky, and if you get feedback you can keep blowing fuses and burn up blinker units and think you have a short, but really it is just a bad ground at even just one light....