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  • March 28, 2024, 11:05:47 AM

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Author Topic: electrical help needed  (Read 15581 times)

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Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #45 on: September 19, 2020, 01:15:05 PM »
Correct, no damage to harness leading back into car.
I will get a picture of that wire block further out it's tough because this website you can only load super small file sizes so I have to take the photo with my phone and then go reduce the size.

Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #46 on: September 19, 2020, 02:18:35 PM »
well, attached is the more distant photo and........I removed that wire panel/harness and also attached the picture. Very melted. Now what?

Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #47 on: September 19, 2020, 03:18:27 PM »
Not sure what that harness is called but it looks like it's where all the power comes into the inside of the car

Offline Canoe

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #48 on: September 20, 2020, 12:41:56 AM »
... I will get a picture of that wire block further out it's tough because this website you can only load super small file sizes so I have to take the photo with my phone and then go reduce the size.
Those low-res images and the bolt instead of the terminals in focus are rather difficult to work from.
I seem to be able to load higher res images.
https://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=46856.0;attach=5307;image

Offline Canoe

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #49 on: September 20, 2020, 01:06:45 AM »
Where to start...
Obviously damaged wires need to be resealed or replaced as required, with correct gauge automotive wire/cable (so the insulation matches its intended environment).
Seems obvious to want replace that connection with a harness or pigtails from a donor car.

But, if you can get new/repaired wires to it, and the connections are good, and you can get a seal against water infiltration, it may be usable. Problem is, everything could test fine after that work, but once it's going through the thermal cycling across actually running, and in various seasons, more problems could raise their head, or even start an electrical fire. So let's cross that off.

Now, if you get replacement connections from a donor car, and do a proper splice into your existing harness, that doesn't mean you're good to go. (Proper splice to NASA specs, rather than guess what is safe and reliable splice. They've been published and republished a number of times.). While we have reason to suspect the Defroster in some way, with this damage to that connector, it's a chicken & egg issue. Which caused which. Melting in that connector (or whatever caused that melting) may have set up the Defroster circuit to fail, taking out the stereo harness, and doing more damage, including melting that connector more. Or the Defroster current took out that connector (and what else?).

These are just my first thoughts, but think in terms of what repair could you trust to make the car safe & reliable. There's a reason various jurisdictions won't licence a vehicle for the road if it's a repair from an electrical fire. It looks like you were just shy of that. The repair has to be done right, and how do you know you've got everything. At the least, you'd have to sit down with an '88 electrical diagram and make a list of what needs replacing. Which means you'll have to trace everything on that harness. A reasonable volt/resistance/continuity meter is going to become a close friend.

Just to better know where you're at, check the fuse box and that high/low headlight switch.

Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #50 on: September 20, 2020, 01:15:01 AM »
Thank you. Unfortunately we are probably out of range from what I can do. I really appreciate the help you have given. Any chance you know what that melted harness is called? Maybe someday I can hire someone to help me out with it.

Offline Canoe

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #51 on: September 20, 2020, 08:34:15 AM »
I don't know what that is referred to. I've not had issues with one in my Eagles.
Check the images in the Eaglepedia for parts names; TSM, Parts Catalog, wiring diagram.
Save those images to your computer, so you have them immediately on hand without having to be online.

Before you forget, or things change, document:
- Take good photos of everything you've checked. Not just the bad. Need to be in focus on the parts that count. Someone needs to be able to look at the photo and recognize what is up, without relying upon your words. (the photo of the melted wires & the melted connector are inadequate: need to be focus. Stereo harness needs to show the entire harness, including its entry into the stereo. You've examined the harness and say that it appears Ground melted first and melted the others, but we've not seen a photo where we could determine that from. Someone going to help you in the future would need a comprehensive photo or have to have the harness in hand. )
- Start a spreadsheet. List everything you've checked, give each a row. Have one column as a field/box for your observations. As in, Stereo harness, each wire gets a row, the wire purpose, colour; then your observations (Stereo harness - Battery - Yellow; fused P10A250v not blown, no sign of melting nor burning). This way you don't have to remember. Like your observation then your thoughts on why you think the Black/Ground wire melted first - not that it melted first; that it melted first is credible, but not proven. You need to differentiate between what appears to be a fact vs. what is a fact.

You need photos of the fuse box as you found it, before you start pulling anything out. Make sure to list the value of each fuse and its condition and its socket condition. With everything electrical, you don't want to be in the position of later going "Well, I think it was...". While a credible explanation for a portion is possible with what is known, we still don't know yet what happened first, nor even everything that happened or got damaged. Document.

No reason why you can't fix this. But you'll need a donor harness, or at least the portion that melted; may need to be from an '88. May be wise to find one sooner rather than later, while there's still a chance to find one.
Which is why you'd need a comprehensive list of what has melted or burnt, what has not, and parts you're unsure of or couldn't see.
You'd have to take the time to check every circuit. This is a PITA. No shortcuts. No jumping ahead. No assuming - check. You'd have to be very methodical.

Make sure you don't leave the car sitting with the battery connected.

Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #52 on: September 20, 2020, 09:10:29 AM »
This is why this is too hard for me, I don't really understand wiring schematics or how to trace or test a circuit. The worst part is in the end I feel like I ruined this car for my kids putting in the stereo. All was fine before that point, at least it seemed so .


Offline djm3452004

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #53 on: September 20, 2020, 09:58:31 AM »
well, attached is the more distant photo and........I removed that wire panel/harness and also attached the picture. Very melted. Now what?


I guess I'm missing something obvious, but I don't see anything melted in your first image.  All I see is the black, tarry goop they used to seal the connector housing so water couldn't corrode the terminals.  My '83 and '84 both had that same sealer in the main connectors.

David
« Last Edit: September 20, 2020, 09:59:35 AM by djm3452004 »
Current Project: 1983 Eagle Wagon 258
Past AMC Project(s):  1979 Spirit Liftback 232
                                1968 Ambassador 287

Offline Canoe

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #54 on: September 20, 2020, 02:49:49 PM »
well, attached is the more distant photo and........I removed that wire panel/harness and also attached the picture. Very melted. Now what?
... I guess I'm missing something obvious, but I don't see anything melted in your first image.  All I see is the black, tarry goop they used to seal the connector housing so water couldn't corrode the terminals.  My '83 and '84 both had that same sealer in the main connectors. David
Could very well be. My first thought was dirty dielectric grease, but without a better photo, we have to rely upon OP's interpretation.
Need better photos. Showing the whole connector, but in focus on the terminals. Need to see signs of melting of terminals, alignment changed as their base belted, arcing, etc..
Hope that's the sealant.

> All was fine before that point, at least it seemed so .
Key there is "seemed so". Something could have been damaged in that install, resulting in the Defroster switch putting something (like supply power or its return from the defrosting ribbon) to ground. But it could be a prior deficiency or damage that worked with the stock stereo/harness, but was aggravated during the new install and/or was too much for the new setup. While suspicious, as it appeared to work before, there's not enough info. And it's not like you have 10 years of "defroster switch & defrosting worked fine without problem" as a history.

You've shown us photos of what you think is wrong, but not of what is there. Like showing us the melted portion of the stereo harness instead of showing an infocus of the whole harness. You're "filtering" what we see and giving us your interpretation. Photos infocus & hi-res gives us "raw data".

I'd say your number one priority on this is to find out how to post photos in a resolution similar to the one I gave the link to.

You jumped ahead to that connector, but we need to see:
Show the fuse box. In focus. Not low res.
Want to know what is up with the high/low light switch. Photo.
Would still like to see the whole stereo harness to the new stereo. There may be fine signs along it or where it enters the stereo, be it a chassis plug or wires. For the Ground melting, it had high current on it, possibly a short, but where did that current enter the wire.
Wires & connector to the Defroster switch.


So you're going to learn how to trace a schematic. That's got to be covered somewhere on the web. You can start by thinking of it as a garden hose, delivering water (power) from one place/thing to another; and with water pressure (potential / voltage) and water flow (current). (Technically all our electrical is backwards, as it's electron flow which is negative, so the actual flow is the reverse of how we think of it. This will not matter for what you're doing; you're not building an interface to an undebscribed Chinese board that has a positive ground.)

And how to measure voltage & resistance with a multi-meter, and use its continuity setting (if not using resistance as a substitute).

Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #55 on: September 21, 2020, 12:03:46 AM »
Ok. Let me digest this. If a moderator reads this maybe they have an idea why high res pics won't ror.err

Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #56 on: September 21, 2020, 12:05:16 AM »
I will inspect connector closer to see if it indeed is sealant

Offline Taylor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #57 on: September 21, 2020, 07:26:37 AM »
Ok. Let me digest this. If a moderator reads this maybe they have an idea why high res pics won't ror.err
The maximum size for photos is 5120KB or 5MB if I need to increase the maximum size, please let me know.
What is the photo size?
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Offline framedoctor

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #58 on: September 21, 2020, 09:12:02 AM »
3.6MB

Offline Canoe

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Re: electrical help needed
« Reply #59 on: September 21, 2020, 09:48:34 AM »
3.6MB
Here's my try to load the photo you emailed me.
Failed for original 3.42 MB, 4032x3024.
Retrying for resized 1.25 MB, compression 8, 3629x2722.

 

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