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So I had my '74 Maxi Wagon about ready to finally be inspected when I decided to double-check the wiring, etc., behind the instrument cluster.
Figured I would leave the cluster just propped up there because I had other stuff do do back there later.
Apparently, that's where the gremlins live -and they all got out.
Lights would work one minute and not the next -engine ran rough and stalled -gauges went haywire.
I thought I had messed up something in the wiring, so of course I didn't want to reassemble everything yet.
APPARENTLY, I'm still schmucked. -heard cluster screws were chassis ground but screws go into plastic things like a license plate -all buttoned up and no change. No clue what is going on!
Symptoms will change even when I make no changes -will have to go through every wire -need to anyway
Last edited by 74MAX360; 12-23-2019 at 03:57 PM.
Reason: problem not solved after all
I went through this same thing with my Ramcharger. Was a nightmare but I eventually killed all the gremlins.
I'm about 3/4 of the way through cleaning every contact/ground and will be unwrapping the electrical tape from the wiring in a bunch of critical areas.
Also added engine to frame ground strap, chassis ground strap -going to add chassis to frame grounds way in back -that maxi wagon is loooong -and rusty!
One more gremlin to go -think it is all the same source -right front park lights/turn signal and rough running engine (all happened suddenly and it ran better sometimes if I rocked the van! Not sure why I thought to do that).
Just got it running after timing chain and a bunch of other stuff -purred like a kitten -then didn't. Want to sit and listen to it for a while after all that work!
One of the biggest issues in my rig was the rear of the headlight switch. Loose fitting wires all oooover the place. Once i redid them all, one by one, and replaced the switch, i was pretty good to go, at least with the random smoke coming from the dash. there were other issues, too, but that's for another discussion. let's just say i added a fuse block and used it.
You know you are in for a treat when you smell that melty plastic.
Hmmmmm -I replaced the switch but did not check the other side of the connections -will check that out
I took a rest from it and did the rear brakes today.
Didn't launch any springs across the yard, but did drop some little parts in the dark.
Had to crawl through the grass with my drop light.
Neighbors probably thought I had finally snapped.
Switch was all good. Replaced the headlight dimmer while I was there.
Checked the fuse block while down there -don't know how that wasn't sparking -cleaned it up.
There is voltage to the front park lights, but no light, so that's a place to start.
Bad ground or partial short before maybe. One light came on while I was staring at it scratching my head.
Ordered quite a few rolls of electrical tape. Pretty sure it's in the engine compartment.
crud, sucks you are dealing with all this. once you find dirty connections, it's tough to go wrong with some dielectric grease and cheap elec cleaner from autozone or orly.
crud, sucks you are dealing with all this. once you find dirty connections, it's tough to go wrong with some dielectric grease and cheap elec cleaner from autozone or orly.
I shined up every last connection on the firewall by hand -male and female -made sure they were tight -used the grease. Better to find this stuff in the yard than on the road.
That sneaky gremlin can't hide forever -not many other places left to check.
I actually wanted to replace everything possible and keep the others still good for spares. I keep a spare everything possible -learned that from my VW bus road trip. You spend about as much time fixing those as driving them.
It's also good to know the vehicle well -which was easy with this one -as it pretty much needed a new almost everything.
Tell me about it! I cut my teeth in the VW world and have had quite a few in my time. I basically carried a spare VW inside each VW lmaooo. I'm heavy on being prepared, always have been. If I can't fix the problem with what I have on hand, it's probably gonna be expensive.
Anyone want to explain this old school technology and help me avoid a wiring-diagram weekend????????? There are two black wires with the copper exposed somewhere in the middle -and the end of one red wire exposed on the end.
It looks as though they were electro-welded together quite purposefully, as the strands are all lined up and it has four flat sides. It was only covered with the slightest bit of cloth electrical tape -and the wires around it seemed fine.
From this point shown in the picture, the red goes to the fuse block, the blacks go to (or from) the (1) alternator, (2) the park lamp/headlamp switch, (3) the ignition switch and (4) the back of the instrument cluster.
It seems weird because there is then a red that goes from the instrument cluster on a different connector straight to the battery.
Someone messed around back there -I'm just not sure if that was somehow part of it.
I have checked, cleaned and refurbished literally everything else I can think of except the wiring inside the steering column (not the original and not pretty) -so if the above is how it should be, that's next. Can't think of what i might have missed.
Should the front park lights work with the column connector disconnected?
One of the biggest issues in my rig was the rear of the headlight switch. Loose fitting wires all oooover the place. Once i redid them all, one by one, and replaced the switch, i was pretty good to go, at least with the random smoke coming from the dash. there were other issues, too, but that's for another discussion. let's just say i added a fuse block and used it.
Did you mean you replaced the fuse block -or it didn't have one?
I wonder if the fuse block itself might need to be replaced. I made sure nothing was touching anything else, but it is pretty crusty and rusty.
I looked it up! I think they have been hot, too -but that bare electro-weld covered in as little electrical tape as possible is actually 100 percent factory!
They must have had bean counters breathing down their necks!
I'm gonna bring that thing into the 21st century!
I love the fact that the system is simple, but it does have some weak points.
Sorry, had missed your question. I didn't replace the fuse block but it had some bad bays, so I linked them to a brand new one and located it behind the dash, where I had access if I pulled out the glove box insert. Worked very well and I had extra bays to boot. I think the fuse block was something like eight bucks at the autozone lol.
Shined mine up a bit more -definitely will get a new one later.
I got all my parking, turn, hazards, brake and backup lights working ...as long as I keep the indicator bulbs out.
If I put in the turn signal indicator bulbs -problems!
Almost there -and I feel good about going through everything.
I bypassed the amp meter -gonna get a volt meter -I like the amp meter, but loads of people say they are problematic.
Update: Soaked the bleeder screw with penetrant -heated up the caliper -cleaned the inside of the bleeder screw and made sure it was filled with penetrant -left it for a few days -came out soft as butta!
Got all the lights working by grounding the living **** out of everything. Turns out bad grounds on the back lights make the front lights not work -even though the back were working. I made ground wires and connected them directly from the body to the tail-light housings rather than rely on the rusty clips the screws go into. Oh, well -at least I know I went over every bit of the electrical system -even took care of some things which were about to be problems.
Now I'm trying to find a non-vented radiator cap. I don't think this thing ever had a coolant recovery system, but the only caps listed under the year and model are the kind used with the recovery tanks.
I need to finish this thing -it's driving me a bit loony -I'm starting to talk to it... sometimes I flip it the bird and shout profanities when I "win".
Welllll -I thought I'd have had it inspected by now -got it out from under the shade tree and on the road, but the brake pedal is spongy. Thought I had it bled correctly -went through 2 of the big full bottles of fluid, but I had one loose brake line to the back and the half of the reservoir that feeds the front brakes turned brown and rusty fast -maybe because I actually used the brakes -because I had it all running clear before. Everything is new except calipers, metal lines and 3 hoses. I have the hoses, but the one I started with would not budge -so I figured I'd see how they did.
Will get some pictures up -looks a bit funny being all old with new rims and tires, but oh, well! I like it!
Anyone know why the temp gauge would read 120 (lowest mark) when the actual temp is 180? It goes up when I warm up the engine and turn the engine off, so it is reading changes -just not reading right temp. I did use teflon tape on the threads -will make sure it is grounding right.
Other parts on the way -man I can't wait to drive it -have been promising the dogs a trip to the park and they are disappointed.
Welllllll -I managed to find a non-vented radiator cap -which got the radiator coolant up to pressure quickly and correctly -and the radiator thanked me by springing a leak
12-23-2019, 07:41 AM
Cluster-schmucked!
there were other issues, too, but that's for another discussion. let's just say i added a fuse block and used it. 
...as long as I keep the indicator bulbs out. 
