Dave - Glad you found something - I'm curious now.....going out to pull the tray out of my compartments to take a look.

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  LIFETIME MEMBER # 191

Thanks all!  I'm glad I found it, too!  Now I can start putting stuff back together and hopefully get it out on the road for a show here two Saturdays from now.  

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Just to be clear, the key cylinder you insert the key into on the fender IS the alarm arming switch. The other, second switch is the "Anti tamper" switch. Its purpose is to set the alarm off if anyone removes, or otherwise tampers with the key switch. The key cylinder switch will have two wires coming right out of it, and the anti-tamper switch(which is in fact the same switch for the headlight warning) fits into a bracket underneath the key switch, and is pressed up tight against the key switch.

Barb, that fun pic has been posted here before....you musta missed it...

Dave, I'll get what info I have together and send it your way.



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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

The harness that goes to the rear has one larger gauge orange wire which feeds both the box light and the main interior light (they work independently ground wires).  There is a splice in the stock harness in that bundle, if I remember right, under the door sill plate about mid-way of the seat, and the larger gauge wire turns into two smaller gauge orange wires that go to the interior and box lights.  My interior light experienced a minor short, and that orange wire actually melted all the way up wire to the splice but didn't blow the fuse.  I was working on the car with the door open, and realized I had a problem when the interior filled with smoke.  :(

Ironically, the two footwell lights (on the same fuse) continued to work.  It was a good demonstration that a short can draw current but leave the rest of the circuit functional.  Was enough current to melt the wire, but not blow the fuse.  Those orange wires are hot even with the doors closed, but current won't normally flow unless the doors are open which makes the ground path (or the small switch is made closed when you open the storage compartment).

Long story short: if that wire has a nick in it and it finds a ground, you'll slowly drain the battery.

The rear harness unplugs close to the fuse box.  You can pull it, remove the orange wire with a small screwdriver and plug the rest back in.  That'll disable the rear two lights.  See if you still have a current draw. 

Sorry this is so wordy.  But I'm an Engineer: why use five words when five hundred will do?  :)


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"Let them that don't want none have memories of not gettin' any."
- Brother Dave Gardner

Thanks for the info and advice - definitely had planned to isolate the two lights in the back but now I am fairly confident it's the alarm circuit which uses the same fuse. Joel sent me the wiring diagram for the system and it seems simple enough that I think even I will be able to troubleshoot and hopefully get it working like new. (I am an engineer, too, but not an electrical engineer). I ordered a new anti-tamper switch from Bair's yesterday - will start there! Would love to someday get all the retro 70's features of this car working someday, like the rinky-dink alarm system and all the buzzers and warning lights - getting there one step at a time.

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When I got around to replacing my door pin switch, I was delighted to hear the key buzzer working!  Crude and obnoxious, but definitely 70's. 

Then I replaced the lock cylinder in the steering column, and the key buzzer works no more...  :(  And I'm not taking that column apart again unless I have to!


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"Let them that don't want none have memories of not gettin' any."
- Brother Dave Gardner

My key buzzer works...you can have it if you want. It is a very annoying sound! I'd like a copy of that alarm wiring if at all possible. It's on my to do list someday. I may only need the ant-tamper switch. I replaced the headlight warning switches last year; now I don't have the annoying warning light glowing at me in the dark at night telling me my headlights are not up when they are. My door ajar switches work good. Greg.

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Greg...."You've got Mail!!!"  

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Thanks so much Joel! Your a wealth of knowledge! Greg.

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My key buzzer worked before I replaced the ignition lock cylinder and it worked most of the time after, but sometimes it would stay on even after taking the key out.  A little jiggle would turn it off.  Now I get no buzz at all until I turn the key and the seat belt buzzer turns on.  So either the switch inside the column has failed (my guess) or the buzzer is fried.  I might take the steering wheel off to troubleshoot, but then again, maybe not.  

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Possibility of Alarm draining the system.  I have paper about electrical drains and shorts.  Send me a pm with your email and I will send it to you!!  Sure it is not a bad cell in the battery??

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