67 Corvette

[Floyd S.]

Hello All
Can anybody give me pointers on how to trace electrical problems(I'm not very good at this). I have a couple of problems when I turm on the parking lights or head lights the fuse for the rear lights blows and I lose the brake lights and turn signals, the other problem is the headlighs will not popup.
Thanks

[Dino L.]

Re: 67 Corvette

Do you have a Volt-Ohm meter, and know the operational basics around the meter and electrical circuits? Do you know how to check for continuity, resistance, DC voltage etc etc...If you are at that level... then get yourself a shop manual for your car and open it to the wiring diagram...start off with the headlamp motor circuit it is mostly in one wiring harness...it is made up of a momentary switch under dash mounted that when held closed, supplies voltage to the headlamp motors, there are microswitches located on the motors that control travel, so get your Meter out select 20 VDC, and insert one end the end of the motor plug and ground the other at the headlamp motor mount/star washer and pull up on the dash mount switch? any voltage switch the lead in the plug....check switches, check the firewall fuse block connection, check the switch etc...Usually when you start checking electrical components you pull the wires and disconnect and electrically isolate them and check for continuity...for example the switch will be a contact that is normally open,then you move it and it will close and show continuity, same with the microswitches, same with the field on the motors....you use the ohmeter portion of the meter checking for resistance....follow the circuit tracing backwards until you find the failed component....also be aware you are working on a fiberglass car and grounding is very very important for continuity of a circuit. I can see why you have not had a lot of responses....it can be complicated to explain.

[John H.]

Re: 67 Corvette

there are microswitches located on the motors that control travel,

The microswitches on the inboard pivot housings only complete a series circuit to ground that illuminates the "Lights" warning light in the cluster if the headlights are turned on and both buckets aren't fully open; they're not in the motor circuit at all. When the buckets reach fully open or fully closed (set by the Y-stop adjustments), the motors just stall.

[Floyd S.]

Re: 67 Corvette

Just wanted to said thanks. I found out the problem with the headlights, it was the switch(wd40 the switch and the lights poped up once). Ordered a new switch. The problem with the fuse blowing in the rear taillights, somebody must haved put one of the bulbs in wrong and caused a pole to ground. Every thing is working now and I don't have to get home before dark.