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68 camaro no lights

8K views 18 replies 3 participants last post by  camaromotorcars.com 
#1 ·
I am working on my '68 Camaro project. Currently, there is no parking, tail lights or dash lights. The dome light works fine. The headlights I got to work by replacing the dimmer switch. I have installed 2 used headlight switches and one new one. If I jump a wire from the blue on the back of the switch to the brown, the tail lights and running lights do work. The switch has the following wires: red, blue, white, orange, green, brown. The red does have power at the switch. When I turn the switch on it does put power to the blue wire and the headlights come on. When I turn on the switch there is no power to the brown wires. The brown wire is actually two wires into one terminal. Does anyone know what the other wires on the switch are for? Is my switch needing ground from one of these other wires? I am not sure if the running lights and the dash lights are the same problem. I do know that the ground to the back of the gauge cluster is hooked up and that the metal ground on the back of the cluster is properly installed. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
A couple more things I want to add to my situation: This used to be a console car. I clipped the wiring. I attempted to hook into the console light wiring for other lights in the console. I want to save that wiring for another car. Is there a ground in the console wiring that needs to be hooked up? The other thing is another strange problem. At times there is no power to my car. If I go out to the fuse junction block outside the car and wiggle it around a few times and watch the dome light, I get power to the car. I am not sure if these two issues are affecting my light problem. Thanks.
 
#7 ·
I cut the wires that come down to the console. I cut the plug and all. I bypassed the neutral safety switch. However, this does not explain why I jump across the wires at the headlight switch and then the tail lights work. By the way, the little bulbs that I put in the console also light up when I jump the light switch. I am gonna sleep on this. But one would think that the light switch should be the source of juice for the tail lights at the brown wire connection. Why is the headlight switch not supplying power for the tail lights and running lights? Why is my dash lights not working? Also, the rear turn signal sockets are not hooked up yet. Thanks.
 
#8 ·
Yesterday, I worked on this for a few hours. This morning after a very cold night, I checked it again and could not believe that there was power going to the brown wires from the switch. I then tried all my other headlight switches and it worked! BUT HERE IS THE KICKER - I remembered that the day before I unhooked all the wiring in the trunk. So then I hooked up the wires in the trunk and then checked for power at the brown wires. Guess what, there was no power after hooking up the tail lights. I then tried all the other switches and still no power on the brown wire terminal. I unhooked all the wires in the trunk and tried again - still no power at the brown wire. I let the car set for a couple hours and tried again. This time I had the brown wire pulled out of the black headlight plug. I checked it and there was power at the terminal for the brown wire. I took the brown wire and hooked it up and then it did not have power there anymore. I have not been able to get power back at the brown wire terminal since. I am wondering if this was sometype of fluke where a wire was touching ground in the trunk. When I did have it working for a short time, I noticed power at the orange wire on the switch. Can anyone tell me where the other wires on the switch go to? I need to figure out how to bypass certain things by rewiring. If anyone knows anything about this please help. I am thinking about just jumping the brown wire to the blue on the switch. But bypassing the brown terminal still leaves me without dash lights and I am afraid of something going wrong later.
 
#10 ·
Well, I like to consider myself more of a hobbyist. I have six Camaros here around the house that I intend to restore some day. I get so many people stopping and knocking on my door wanting to buy my cars that I have some of them priced. I quite my job 2 years ago to stay at home with my special needs son. For extra income I restore and sell my cars. I have the website sort of on park at the moment (been in park since I got the domain). I have big dreams to make it a useful site to Camaro enthusiasts but, I have no website creation skills. I thoroughly enjoy Team Camaros website. Camaros have gotten so popular lately that I think it has attracted a lot of people that do not have a love for the car. Since I was 7 years old I wanted a Camaro. I grew up in Hawaii without a father and was determined to someday get a Camaro (back then I could not tell the firebirds from the Camaros). I turned 16 and got my first Camaro. Pretty much my entire lifes earnings went into buying me a '67 rs 4 speed 411 car for $500. My stepfather had to drive it home for me. Well thats enough about me.

Today, I went back to the '68 Camaro and tested the headlight switch. There was no power at all to the fuse panel. I closed the door and decided to do yard work for the day. Tomorrow, I plan on taking the fuse block apart at the firewall and cleaning and bending the prongs out some. Maybe this will even fix my light problem? I don't understand what is stopping the switch from putting out power to the tail lights when it will put out power to the headlights.

Thanks,
Richard
 
#11 ·
Here is the latest on my problem. If I beat on the inside fuse panel with a screwdriver I do get power to the brown male terminal on the headlight switch. But this occurs only when the brown wire is disconnected. I leave the test light on the switch at the brown male terminal. I beat on the fuse panel the test light comes on. I touch the testlight rod with the female end of the wire that plugs into the switch and the test light goes out. The test light stays off until I beat on the panel again. My next step is to remove the fuse panel on the inside and see whats up. Anyone run into this problem before or have any ideas? Thanks, Richard.
 
#13 ·
Sorry Richard. I got the email but was in the middle of putting up the wiring diagrams and got sidetracked and forgot to reply. Usually better to use the site PM system instead of email, I don't check that address much.

Anyway, the color wiring diagrams are up now, look at the sticky called "electrical basics" at the top of electrical. The diarams are for 69's, but except for details like the dash connector it's all the same and the wires are all the same color as a 68.

I will PM you the password now.
 
#16 ·
Jim, I visited the wiring diagrams. They are very well done and I think should be framed and hung on the wall! Actually, after looking at the diagrams, I learned more about my problem. The orange wire on the light switch, I believe is to always be hot. In my troubleshooting it is not. This is also the wire that has a bad connection behind the fuse panel. This is the lowest wire in the panel and over the years I think moisture ruined the connection. If the problem persists, you bet I will reroute that orange wire. Thanks, Richard.
 
#17 ·
the orange wire is the power lead for the courtesy lights.
It should be hot all the time. It comes from the clk-cty-ltr fuse, and only goes to the light switch so when you turn the knob all the way, the interior lights come on.

I don't think this is related to your other lighting problems, keep looking, probably have another bad wire maybe in the same area.

Those diagrams are gorgeous, and very well done. Thank Larry (user ID 69-er) for sharing them with us.
 
#18 ·
the orange wire is the power lead for the courtesy lights.
It should be hot all the time. It comes from the clk-cty-ltr fuse, and only goes to the light switch so when you turn the knob all the way, the interior lights come on..
EDIT: and that's what I get for not looking at the diagrams my own self.

That particular orange wire has nothing to do with courtesy lights. It comes off the taillight fuse, goes straight to the light switch, and powers only the tail lights and parking lights.

The headlight side of the switch is powered by a 12 guage (big) red wire and is unfused, then a light blue wire goes down to the high beam switch. Just looking toward the law of averages, I'd peel the carpet back and check out that high beam switch if you are having headlight trouble.
 
#19 ·
Here is the latest on my problem. I would take a test light and touch the fuse for the headlights. It had power on one side but not the other and then sometimes it did. It was a new fuse. While touching the terminals on the fuse panel for the headlights I noticed sparks would fly. Here is what fixed my problem. The fuse holder for the headlights was rusty. I took the whole assembly off and cleaned and used electrical cleaner and battery corrosive protector. I also had to wrap the ends of the fuse with foil to get a better connection. All is well so far. Dashlights work good (new bulbs). Only problem now is that the turn signal indicators on the dash do not light up. They do work outside. Also, brake light does not seem to be getting power at the switch. Thanks, Richard.
 
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