1970 Challenger Tail light fuse blowing repeatedly

[V8Cowboy]

Hi,

I got the Challenger on Sunday and was about to prepare some things for the whole registration process. Sadly I had to realize that the car has some lighting issues. I got NO tail lights, marker lights, parking lights and dash lights.
The biggest problem is the fuse for the tail lights blows as soon as you use the headlight switch, though the headlamps work. What I found out so far:

1) I disconnected the harness to the back and the fuse still blows when turning on the lights
2) I disconnected the dimmer - still blows
3) I connected the pink wire from the headlight switch connector directly to the disconnected tail light harness' black wire- lights work, no blown fuse.
4) Lighter works

So I guess it has something to do with the further wiring from the headlight switch, the second black wire to the dimmer, headlight buzzer etc. I can't hear any buzzer (except the key-in-buzzer that works), where should it be so I could disconnect and check further? (Or was this only available with the light package?) Or does any of you have another idea where to look?

Many thanks,
Kristof

[V8Cowboy]

Found out it's the black-yellow cable from the dimmer, I - and I'm not proud of it - cut it through and tail lights work again. Now I'm searching along the black-yellow cable for the error.

[V8Cowboy]

The result was a bad wiring at the right side marker. The two cables where switched, probably because of the parking light conversion for Europe (no amber lights allowed, now located in H4 Headlights). So +12V were attached to the side marker ground, that's why the fuse blew.

[ToxicWolf]

Glad you found it.  Those things drive me crazy.  For me, it's usually two days to find it and fifteen minutes to fix it.   

[dodj]

probably because of the parking light conversion for Europe (no amber lights allowed, now located in H4 Headlights)

No amber allowed in Europe? How come. What is the reason? 

[V8Cowboy]

Damn, forgot the notification to this topic 

Well sometimes back in the early 70s the amber parking lights and red turn signals have been forbidden completely. Which meant, every car on the street had to be converted. I guess it was good money for a certain group of people.  Well, this is true for Austria. In Germany the car was exceptionally licensed with red turn signals. No Chance of getting it on the road with red ones here.

Finally I have it converted to the legal requirements - almost. I'm still unsure if the attached turn signals will pass the licensing. And I got still an issue with the reverse light switch, have to replace it. So I will have another funny day full of "joy", dirt, oil, and swearing. Maybe one question to this one: are the 2-post Switches all the same on 4-speeds or is there a difference? I only found one in a german onlineshop, but it states "for Dodge 1974 up". I think I remember something about different ones, or ist that only true for automatic?

Anyway the car's electric was a drama. Heres the list of what I did the last days:
1) Found the Trouble with the sidemarkers
2) attached small amber turn signals and disconnected the originals in the backlight assembly
3) Needed a new wire for the brake lights from the Switch to the back, so I could use the brake lights without flashing of the turn signals. I wanted to remove the back seat cushion to fit the new cable to the harness, but could not get the cushion out of the hooks, I just cant pull it back far enough. But I found a "way".
4) Window washer motor had no ground
5) Instrument lights did not work. Found out it was a) dimmer Switch corrosion and b) no continuity to the Cluster lights - new cable - works now.
6) Turn Signal flasher quitted from one day to another. Replaced it for now with one I had at home - even the connector fits perfectly, only needed one more wire to ground.
7) Finally I played so much with the electrics that the battery was flat in the evening one day.

I have the slight suspicion that the car doesn't like me very much