Topic: interior courtesy lights stopped working, now car wont start
in Forum: C3 Electrical, Body and Interior
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i pulled the distributor cap, and bumped it until the points were open so i can test later but im headed in the electrical direction at the moment. i think my coil is bad due to the low readings i got, but once i figure out the electrical, i think the ignition will also be fixed.
i pulled the courtesy light bulb holder out and tested it, im getting 26/27v on the white wire. i'm also getting 27v on the pink/black wire thats supposed to go to the coil per the diagram. it must be spliced into a black wire at some point, because it is black at the coil. anyhow. why am i getting 26v? this should be 12 should it not?
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not getting into semantics, i rechecked the wires.
6v at the + side of the coil. nothing at the negative. 12v on the white wire for the courtesy lights, no continuity to ground. orange wire on the left courtesy light. 12v across the battery. so i have no ground i guess...where in the world do i start looking for that? its only the engine starting and the courtesy and dash , as they are connected, lights that arent working.
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Overland Park, KS - USA
Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 916
Vette(s): 1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.
2023 Accelerate Yellow HTC Stingray
When you checked the coil, you need to measure between the secondary and - terminal, not the + terminal. The two windings are connected on the ground side. The secondary winding should be considerably higher than the primary. The coil is basically a transformer.
Not sure where the 26V reading is coming from assuming your meter is accurate. Since you got 12V-13V at battery, meter must be OK. Just be sure your meter is on a DC setting.
|UPDATED|10/17/2017 7:25:33 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Not sure where the 26V reading is coming from assuming your meter is accurate. Since you got 12V-13V at battery, meter must be OK. Just be sure your meter is on a DC setting.
|UPDATED|10/17/2017 7:25:33 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
1973 L-82 4 spd
i may have ben on the negative side, i cant remember, but i'll check it again just to be sure. the 26v i occasionally got was because on occasion i turned the multimeter switch to AC because im an idiot sometimes! going to grab a new coil and try to figure out the courtesy light grounding issue tonight.
ok, so i have a new coil in, only getting 6v to the + side, nothing to the -. am i correct in thinking the distributor is what grounds the circuit? since there is supposed to be power on the - side of the coil, then passes through to the distributor. im wondering if the ground is bad there.
on the lights end, i grounded the white wire as a test, and do get courtesy lights, but no gauge lights. the courtesy lights also do not go off over time. i let it sit for about 10 minutes with the key out and the doors closed.
so i finally pulled a plug, and i do have spark, so thats good. car used to start for a couple seconds when i put gas in the carb, but now it doesnt want to. going to either rebuild the carb or get a new one.
so on to the interior lights! still no idea...
the courtesy lights do work if you turn the headlight switch all the way to the left. i have some pics that i'll put up of something that i have no idea what it is, that doesnt look great too...
|UPDATED|10/20/2017 3:30:38 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
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Overland Park, KS - USA
Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 916
Vette(s): 1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.
2023 Accelerate Yellow HTC Stingray
Is the carb getting gas?
The points close the ground side of the coil and when they open, the collapsing field in the primary induces a high voltage in the secondary.
1973 L-82 4 spd
fairly certain the carb is gunked up. i had pulled the float bowl to check and clean it, when i put it back together, the bottom 2 big screws wont tighten down. im either going to try a rebuild kit, or just buy a new carb for it. its a Holley. has 7002-1 stamped on it, which through alot, and i mean alot, of searching, seems to be a 4165. im worried the 2 bottom screws are stripped.
but to answer your question, no, no fuel is getting through anymore(but fuel is finally getting up to it. it used to start up with putting fuel in the carb, for a second and run.
still trying to figure out what happened to the courtesy lights though.
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Overland Park, KS - USA
Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 916
Vette(s): 1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.
2023 Accelerate Yellow HTC Stingray
IIRC, the Holley 4165 spread bore is a substitute for the Quadrajet. From stories I've heard it had all the failings of a Holley and none of the good qualities of the Quadrajet.
1973 L-82 4 spd
well, for $40, the rebuild kit is coming in on Tuesday. i've never rebuilt a carb before, but its worth a shot. it had been pretty solid for 20 years! well, it worked even after sitting for 10 years. i think the rotten fuel line that i replaced and bad fuel pump finally gunked it up. already have the carb off and half apart. looks pretty easy.
as for the courtesy lights, i'm still tracing wires. my wire loom is not what you would call...good....
in Forum: C3 Electrical, Body and Interior
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