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Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL 200 1980

uid 15053's pic
posted by  Dylan Berichon on  Sun Jan 26 11:27 CST 2003
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last visit: Thu Oct 23 17:22 CST 2014
[RELATED]

Hi. New to the board, but I hope to stick around for a while.

Anyhow, My 1980 245 DL is having a strange electrical problem. I recently replaced the horn, but like an idiot, I didn't disconnect the battery. At one point, I accidentally let the wires to the horn touch the frame of the car, and I saw some sparks. That's when the trouble started.

Sometimes, the turn signal and bright light indicators (on the dash, not outside of the car) light up dimly. When this happens, the turn signals don't work. If you try to turn the signals on, all 3 of the lights get brighter, but nothing happens. If you try to turn on the brights, it stalls the car, (but the brights don't come on). Hitting the horn also will stall the car I've noticed (but the horn doesn't sound). If I have the car in 4th gear, the OD light comes on dimmly, even if I don't have the OD switched on. Giving the dash a couple of good smacks over the instrument cluster will sometimes make the problem go away for a while, but it always seems to come back. Recently, it's been getting a lot worse.

My guess is that I somehow fried the voltage regulator thing that hooks into the back of the instrument cluster (that 3-pronged rectangle thing.) When I saw the sparks, the car didn't blow a fuse which is why it might be fried. I would just replace it, but money is tight, and I don't want to spend the $15 for a used one if I don't have to.

Any ideas? If not the voltage regulator, what else?








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    Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL Solved (hopefully) 200 1980

    uid 15053's pic
    posted by  Dylan Berichon on  Sun Jan 26 19:05 CST 2003
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    last visit: Thu Oct 23 17:22 CST 2014
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    Thanks for the help.

    I took the instrument cluster out and re-attached it. I didn't realize it used the speedometer cable as a ground source. The problem would be there when the speedometer cable was disconnected, but when I would hook the cable back up it went away. I had taken the thing out a while back when I replaced the heater fan motor, and hadn't had a problem until just a while ago.

    Thanks again!








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      Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL Solved (hopefully) 200 1980

      posted by  Bexar Wires on  Mon Jan 27 03:21 CST 2003
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      Wait!!!!! Go back to the instument cluster. The speedo cable should not be your ground. Someone else on the BB can tell you which color wire, but my '86 244 has a seperate ground wire with a spade connector plugged in the back of the cluster. Look again for a loose ground wire in the dash before you let it go very much longer.
      GL
      Rick.








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        Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL Solved (hopefully) 200 1980

        uid 15053's pic
        posted by  Dylan Berichon on  Mon Jan 27 07:18 CST 2003
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        last visit: Thu Oct 23 17:22 CST 2014
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        Are you sure that the '86 dash is wired the same as my '80? Usually, I have to remind people that I have a pre-'81 dash. That said, I can't find a loose wire. Could I just run a new wire from the frame somewhere to somewhere on the instrument cluster? If I were to do this, where should I hook the ground up on the cluster?








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          Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL Solved (hopefully) 200 1980

          posted by  Bexar Wires on  Mon Jan 27 08:50 CST 2003
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          You could be right, it just goes against electrical theory to have moving,and wearing part to provide an adiquate ground. I'll stay posted to see if anyone knows for sure, but an extra ground can never hurt.
          GL
          Rick.








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            Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL Solved (hopefully) 200 1980

            uid 15053's pic
            posted by  Dylan Berichon on  Mon Jan 27 11:27 CST 2003
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            last visit: Thu Oct 23 17:22 CST 2014
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            Maybe I'll just run an extra ground wire then. As you said, it couldn't hurt.

            My question is, Where does the cluster usually ground on a '80 245? Maybe I'll just re-run the ground wire then.








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              Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL Solved (hopefully) 200 1980

              uid 27's pic
              posted by  Art Benstein on  Mon Jan 27 13:19 CST 2003
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              last visit: Fri Oct 17 20:10 CST 2014
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              Like Rick says, the cluster gets its ground from the wiring, not the speedo cable. Usually when something gets accidentally shorted out, the wire survives fine; it is a trace on the cluster circuit board that takes the hit. It is a black wire that provides the ground path to the turn signal indicator lamps, the blue high beam lamp, the OD lamp, the voltage regulator and the tach. Can't see how the horn is related at all, but if your car is stalling when you turn the brights on or touch the horn, you ought to take a close look at the wiring between the battery and the junction box; get rid of any suspect or corroded connections, then go over the fuse panel for tight and clean connections.
              --
              Art Benstein near Baltimore








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    Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL 200 1980

    posted by  someone claiming to be John Fraser on  Sun Jan 26 17:27 CST 2003 [RELATED]

    The plus side for the horns goes from the junction block on the left fender, through the ignition switch, fuse #2, and then to both horns. The ground side goes from both horns to the steering wheel. The horns (and the horn wires) are not hot unless the ignition key is in at least the first position. So, if your horn wires sparked, you either had to have had the ignition on or the wiring has been modified.








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    Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL 200 1980

    posted by  Jessie on  Sun Jan 26 14:30 CST 2003
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    last visit: Tue Jan 18 17:45 CST 2011
    [RELATED]

    Sounds like you have a bad ground connection somewhere in your dash. Dimly lit dash lights usually means that electrical stuff is using the bulbs as an alternative ground. I doubt letting the horn wires short would cause that much damage. At worst you would blow the fuse on that circuit. You must have knocked a ground wire loose.








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      Electrical problems on my '80 245 DL 200 1980

      posted by  someone claiming to be Stephen on  Sun Jan 26 16:11 CST 2003 [RELATED]

      Just helped a friend with a 242 1980 here in Victoria B>C>.
      The wiring at the fire wall was completely coroded and gave similar problems. Five bucks worth of wire and two or three hours I rewired four of the wires and left out the EGR wires that were completely useless. One thing though. I made new connections on the other side of the wiring harness and went around the engine tho the alternator and oil sensor, then the drivers side of the engine for the distributor black wire and the tempperature wire.
      Read up on the wiring colours and descide if yoou want to match the colours. I did not this time.
      Stephen







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