Fried Wires? ** Updated 7-08-07 **

[Bullitt-]

If you don't plug the underhood harness into the bulkhead connector do the lights come on?
If so it has to be that harness, if they only come on after plugging into the bulkhead then the problems are under the dash... I think

[RDF]

If I leave the harness unplugged, no, the lights do not come on, but I can't start the car either (no interior lights, nothing),  If I plug it into the firewall, lights come on, car starts, everything.  One thing I did notice was that the highbeam indicator was also on in the dash, even though the key was out and all.

[FY1 RT SE]

Have you looked at the floor dimmer switch and its wiring?

[RDF]

Have you looked at the floor dimmer switch and its wiring?

No, but I did unplug the dimmer switch from the dash last night and the lights still came on, if that's the switch you are referring to.  If not, I'm not too sure which wires you are talking about (I'm new to the electric side of my car).

[FY1 RT SE]

The one on the floor.

[RDF]

The one on the floor.

I haven't tried that one yet, but a buddy at work said to try the same thing.  I'll give that a whirl when I get home tonight....hopefully that will be it.

I'm not familiar with how that (the highbeam switch) comes out of the floor, is it just screwed in or what?

[FY1 RT SE]

Screwed in.

[RDF]

I unhooked the dimmer switch and the light STILL come on.....   This is getting worse by the minute here.  So now what?  Is it the wiring in the bulkhead that is gone?  Will I have to take my dash out to do that?

[Bullitt-]

I unhooked the dimmer switch and the light STILL come on.....   This is getting worse by the minute here.  So now what?  Is it the wiring in the bulkhead that is gone?  Will I have to take my dash out to do that?

Sorry Pal....lookin more like it all the time.  The power in is in contact with the power out somewhere....as it still happens with the dimmer switch unplugged I'd suppose the short is in the bulkhead side of the dimmer wiring, this might narrow down where to look.

[RDF]

Sorry Pal....lookin more like it all the time.  The power in is in contact with the power out somewhere....as it still happens with the dimmer switch unplugged I'd suppose the short is in the bulkhead side of the dimmer wiring, this might narrow down where to look.

So....now what?  I guess I am totally cluesless as to where begin with this.  Can I order another bulkhead and see if that's the cause?  I looked for one on YearOne but didn't see any.  I've already got 1/4 of my dash apart (for taking out the headlight switch and other stuff) but I've got no clue as to where to go from here.   

[Bullitt-]

Year one has them...$618-non ralley, $539 Ralley..http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/fbshopmain2.asp?cat=1...
If it were me I'd start tracing wires in the harness from the bukhead ... see where the wires go to the floor dimmer, pull off the tape, maybe check with an OHMeter if you can figure out the wiring...diagrams on line at http://www.mymopar.com/72to76_wiring.htm

[RDF]

    

YearOne sux....their links never work because their site is in frames.  If you want to know the url of a page, you have to right-click in a blank area on that page and choose properties, then look at the url and copy and paste from there.
i.e http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/headline.asp?hid=126BW68326  but even that doesn't show the entire site.

At any rate, looks like I'll have to tear apart the dash to start looking at that harness.  I'm SOOO disgusted at this whole thing right now.  Can't believe I messed up in the beginning and now I'm paying the price for it.  I will try to take the wires from the dimmer switch to the harness out tomorrow and see what they look like.  But if it were those wires, wouldn't the headlights go off after I unplugged the switch?

[Bullitt-]

When you unplug the dimmer switch which is the last device in the circuit before the power heads out to the bulkhead connection  in my mind you have eliminated everything before that switch......course I've been wrong before.

[Bullitt-]

trying a to link again http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/headline.asp?hid=112AB4846  works kindof

[RDF]

Gotcha.....eletrical to me is bad.......it's like the old IT saying where computer programmers hate networking and networking people hate programming.  I'm a programmer and hate networking.....I'm also an engine guy and hate electrical.....don't know how to use a multi-meter or anything like that.....just a test light and that's it.  I was going to use my multi-meter to test for hot wires but I had NO CLUE on what setting to use or what the correct/incorrect reading should me.....  I said no way,   not screwing something else up by doing that....it'll be just my luck!