wiring cleanup - LOTS of progress

[bryanthompson]

In a little over two hours, I removed my dash and was able to get to the heart of my wiring nightmare. Once I found the main connectors for the alarm, I traced them to wherever they ended and started chopping. Finally, I found where the ignition cutout was, and am ready to connect that as soon as I get some wire connectors.

In the process, I found a second amp, this one was under the passenger seat, and removed it along with probably a few miles of just random crap wiring. I feel pretty good about all of this and am confident it will start once I get everything back together.

I'll post pics as soon as I get them transferred from my camera... until then, I have a couple quick questions.

1. Is there any maintainence I can/should do while I have the dash off? (I'm thinking steering column u-joints specifically.)

2. Does anyone have random spare bits of a brown interior? I need a new passenger side air vent, new trim for the air conditioning controls for the center console, and possibly the trim around the ignition. I will likely need to buy a carpet kit also... or at least the front bits of carpet on the sides under the dash.

[bryanthompson]

All of the crap that came out today:


Where does this connector go? It looks like it is connected to the air conditioning system. I don't remember unplugging it from anything:


I am guessing these grounds went to the alarm system, otherwise I don't think I would have cut them... but I need to find where they go anyway. Any ideas? That plug has six brown (with a red stripe) and came from the center console area.

[bryanthompson]

In that last pic, there are two groups of two grounds, making 4 wires that aren't connected.

[Jmasters]

for maint. change your heater core hoses

[yellowline]

^ definitely do that. One of mine blew, requiring that I pull the dash.

Could you post a closeup pic of the amp under the pass seat? My 83 has one that keeps the seat from working properly, I wanted to see if it looked similar.

[bryanthompson]

I didn't take a pic of the amp under the passenger seat, but here's the one that was under the driver's one. They are identical, and the mounting is exactly the same also. Model: Alpine 3517 Dimensions: 5" x 9" x 1.75"


I will do the heater core hoses for sure, thanks for the tip. They look like a real PITA, though.

[AA_Ezra]

They are, I've done them it sucked.. you gotta do some yoga before you start b/c there's some awkward positions you gotta be in so you can tighten stuff up lol

[yellowline]

Oh, OK. Mine has no brand on it and it looks like factory wiring. They spliced it to fit the new deck and now it doesnt fit right under the seat. I hope I can just pull it. Thanks!

Once you do the heater hoses, you're good for another ~20 years, though.

[Granite 944]

"Is there any maintainence I can/should do while I have the dash off? (I'm thinking steering column u-joints specifically.)"

Ok.........just my thoughts here of course, since I've BTDT.

Check and remove/clean/tighten the grounding spade trees and their connectors behind and above the relay/fuse block, check every pin and connector for signs of heat/scoring/burning/melted insulation/ect. and TAKE your time doing it. Tighten and dielectric grease all spade type/fixed connectors and tighten them with pliers/needle nose/whatever. Remove each plug in the back of the relay/main fuse block and check those pins for burning/arching conditions. Tighten the sockets on those plugs prior to re-assembly. It will help eliminate some intermitant connection problems also. Take your time doing this. Look for and REMOVE any and ALL VAMPIRE CONNECTORS! (solder splice them instead, if you have to). The best thing you'll ever do to one of these older cars.

Dash is off, seriously consider removing the heater box, and replace that heater core AND their hoses right now. Your there, and the core is not the expensive ($65.00 IIRC).

Not 100% sure, butt, in your last pic of you holding that connector plug, it looks like the stock wiring for the speakers in that '83.

The second pic, I don't remember where that goes, butt, I do believe its gotta be connected somewhere in there. Check it out real good. There may be a matching plug for it over on the far R/H sidewall, going into the side of car towards the door. Check it out well.

Good luck! Fun stuff.........Huh? Its the "chopping" part, you talked about that kinda scares me. Make SURE of what your chopping BEFORE you start "chopping". The alarm harness must be bypassed properly, or your just walking into more issues later. Same with other circuts, so be careful here.

Make sure your using and looking at the wiring diagram for the '83 cars, not the "since 1984" one. Its close, butt not exact. Make sure all fuses and relays are the correct ones, and clean/tighten those connections also.

AGAIN, go slow, be careful and methodical, and know what your "chopping" up.

[bryanthompson]

Thank you for the advice, Granite. You think I should replace the core itself and not just the hoses? I'll start looking for one. Like you said, they aren't that expensive, so I might as well.

The aftermarket alarm that I uninstalled was actually pretty easy to remove, but I was careful about it. Once I found how it connected to the ignition, I felt comfortable removing the rest of it. I really want to remove the stock alarm also, but that one looks quite a bit more scary.

I could just bypass it, but I just want it gone since I'm in there anyway. I need some sort of reference comparing 83 models with and without the alarm, then I'll be a little more comfortable.

I'll go through the relay and fuse blocks as you suggest. I'm not in a hurry...

[SoCal Driver]

Check the arm on the defroster diverter flap shaft. This breaks off as the plastic gets on in years.

Your steering shaft universals are on the other side of the firewall. Not in the cab.

[bryanthompson]

Just to make sure... the electrical diagrams I should be looking at are the 924 ones, not the 84 944 ones, correct? I hate it when I start questioning myself.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/944/electrical/944_electrical_diagrams.htm

[Techno Duck]

I had an old Clifford alarm installed by one of the previous owners..no remotes or anything came with the car, however i did find the old alarm box along with a huge bundle of wires under the dash. I took the alarm box out, but i am scared to remove anything else in fear of the car not starting or some other electrical gremlins. I feel the car is running fine...so why mess with it!

[bryanthompson]

I found this post on rennlist regarding an alarm issue:
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=141474&highlight=early+electrical+diagram

I parked the car in the garage when I got home, and the next week when I went to get in it, the alarm went off, even though it wasn't set. When I tried to start the car, it would turn over, but not fire. And now the alarm goes off sometimes when it shouldn't, and doesn't go off all the time when it should.

.....

I ran a search on the alarm problem, and was pointed towards bridging the DME relay pins 30, 87, and 87b. Sure enough, the car fired up! And it seems like the alarm module is behind the passenger footwell. Anyone recommend a good place to get a replacement module, if that ends up being the ultimate problem?

Could briding those pins be the solution to removing the alarm completely?

[bryanthompson]

hrm... another old rennlist post:
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=176958&highlight=alarm+diagram

I bypassed my factory alarm by jumping the switched igntion wire to the DME relay wire.

[bryanthompson]

before I go to bed and forget everything...
another alarm removal thread: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=250854&highlight=remove+alarm

[SoCal Driver]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
Just to make sure... the electrical diagrams I should be looking at are the 924 ones, not the 84 944 ones, correct? I hate it when I start questioning myself.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/944/electrical/944_electrical_diagrams.htm

Sure! The early 944 ones...

Come on! What does it say in your signiture????

[Eldorado]

Originally posted by SoCal Driver
Sure! The early 944 ones...

Come on! What does it say in your signiture????

the site he listed states one group for 84 944's, and for late 70's 924's...

someone told him the 84 was different from the 83...

I can understand his confusion.

[bryanthompson]

Granite, I'm going through the fuse panel right now and cleaning those connections. So far, I haven't seen anything awful (knock on wood). I'm curious though, how do I tighten the sockets? They don't feel loose, but some of them feel like they could be a little tighter. I don't see any obvious way to tighten them up, though.

Also, I have about a thousand of those vampire connectors left from the alarm removal. I'll be running fresh wires where I can, but I might have to remove the connector and solder the wires together, then shrink wrap them. Does that sound good enough?

[bryanthompson]

Also, I was able to find the correct wiring diagrams in the fsm. They look almost identical to the 84 schematics already on pelican.