Topic: Wires on Fire, diagnosis this!!!!!!!
in Forum: C3 Electrical
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Thought I was through with the new dash wire harness on the 68.
Turned the switch on but I did not start the car, just to check to see if everything was working properly. Everything works as expected except the wipers did not come on.
I thought maybe the override switch was turned on/off and would not let the wipers operate. I turned what I think is the on direction on the override switch. The interior lights dimmed. Tried it again and notice smoke coming from the engine compartment at the wiper motor. Also saw smoke coming from under the steering column, at the wiper override switch.
It turns out that I fried the brown/white wire of the override switch and the ground wire that attaches to the override switch plate. (all under the dash) this brown/white wires continues through the fuse box, but does not link with a fuse, and continues into the engine bay and attaches to the limit switch.
This same brown/white wire burnt at the limit switch. Along with the red wire and the brown wire coming from the wiper motor and going into a connector with white, brown, red. The white did not fry. this connector fits into another connector in the engine harness.
The wiper door was open so the limit switch was compressed.
I don't recall if I had turned the wiper switch on when the short happened, or I had turned the wipers back off, when I turned on the wiper override switch.
All switches are new. The wiper motor is less than a year old.
Those of you who might know something about the 68. Only a 68 wiper motor will work. In 69 they changed some things. Actually several things are different on a 68 over any other corvette.
This will be a tough diagnosis.
Any help would be most appreciated.
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Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Lot of info to digest....I'll look at the wiring diagram and see if I can help....
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"
Got it figured out: The wiper motor comes with three wires with spade connectors on each end. They suppose to fit into a connector that you provide from your original wiper motor. Then this connector plugs into the engine harness connector that looks like a 220 plug, two verticals and one horizontal going on to the limit switch and override switch. I did not have the original motor connector so I just plugged the spade connections of the new motor into the harness connector.
Make a short story, I plugged one of the white ground wires spade connection from the new motor into a brown wire of the harness, which is hot when the motor runs. So when I turned on the override switch it shot juice to the brown wire causing the direct short.
I had made notes of my wiring prior to even starting the car. Now I went to Willcox Corvette help manual and it explained the right connection of this connector for a 1968.
That is my story and I am sticking to it.
Lifetime MemberModerator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
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"
in Forum: C3 Electrical
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