Electrical failure please help..

[67chevy_hotrod]

OK so this is not a 67-72 chev or GMC... but it is a chev. I just need help with this because i am at a loss and you guys know a lot more about everything than i do. So my dad and i where working on the 1964 Bel-Air wagon, my dad was replacing the dome lamp and upon removal it arced and started smoking. Which is no big deal, we disconnected the battery and proceeded to find the whole deal was melted and black. So i just cut away the old bad stuff and wrapped the wires up with the intention of replacing the whole thing with a new plug later. Then I hooked up the battery and went to fire up the car and nothin.. no radio(which was on when it arced but then shut off when it arced) no lights except brake lights when the brakes where applied. And the horn works. But nothing else at all. Please help any knowledgeable input is greatly appreciated. Electric is witchcraft to me and my dad. Once this issue is resolved I will delete this post immediately. Did I mention that the wag is blocking in all the other cars and dinner is in an hour?

[cooperhw]

I would probably check to see if you have any power to the key switch. If you do have power coming to it it might be fried.
Just guessing. I usually try to find power and chase it until at some junction you don't have power.

[lowbucktrucks]

look for fusible link

[67chevy_hotrod]

Sorry i posted that question in a rush. I failed to mention that the wiring is at least 95% original. All the fuses are good and everything is plugged in. The brake lights work and horn when applied, but the headlights don't work.. usually those all work regardless of ignition on or off. No fusible links the only thing not og is the stereo but its all good i checked all connections. I am at a loss. Oh BTW we made it to dinner haha

[franken]

Get a voltmeter/DVM, educate yourself on Ohm's law and figure it out.
Measure voltage to ground.
Almost everyone has no clue and will give you bad advice.

[VetteVet]

The wiring for the cars and the trucks are pretty much the same.

Below is the wiring for the 64 truck. The first is the engine compartment and the second is the cab to the key switch and the fuse panel. It also shows the dome light connection. The dome wires are orange and white and the orange wire is the power wire and the white wire is ground. It is grounded when the door is open or the light switch is turned clockwise all the way.

The key switch is powered by a 12 gauge red wire from the horn relay in the engine bay which comes from the battery. The re wire splits in the cab and powers the headlight switch, the ignition switch and the fuse panel. Check for power on this red wire at the key switch and if you have it, jump between the red wire and the purple wire and see if the starter works. The trans must be in park if it's automatic. If the starter turns then I agree that the key switch is bad.




Follow the red wire from the battery positive down to the horn relay and then through the firewall connector where it splits and goes to the ign switch and to the headlight switch in the next picture. It also goes to the fuse panel.



Here's a bonus, the tail light wiring.

[jhwkns]

Originally Posted by franken

Get a voltmeter/DVM, educate yourself on Ohm's law and figure it out.
Measure voltage to ground.
Almost everyone has no clue and will give you bad advice.

That was rather condescending, and rude. Don't be a dick.

@ the OP... there's a lot that can go wrong with an old wiring harness. It helps to try and isolate the problem circuit, but if you have shorts and burned wiring your repair could be complicated. Look for the fuse able link. It should be near your battery. It's put there to protect the entire electrical system. When it blows, you'll have nothing.

[71 super]

If it is stock wiring, based on what have chased since Christmas with wife's nova, cars are crazy. Many of them do not have a fixable link, but buss bar - spent a lot of time talking with american auto wire tech over car - some 55-57 Chevys if ordered with right options did not even have a fuse box. With 66 nova, no fuse able link only 76" 10 guage wire running from positive wire across core support to buss bar that is part of horn relay. No junction other than this etc. straight up crap. Start at horn relay/ distribution point and see if you have power there- to and from. Most things will be in series on the car, hence reason everything quit. If much has been messed with on car this can be a head ache. Vette vet is the best on this stuff so listen to what he has to say.

[67chevy_hotrod]

Thanks guys I am going to start messing with it today. And yea most of the car is original besides a stereo(which i hid under the seat and left the stock in the dash). I will start with those diagrams, and start my investigations.. Thanks again!

[carsonmx114]

Your stereo likely just lost constant power. Modern stereos have both switched and constant power and need both to function. Red wire should be switched 12v, yellow wire is constant 12v. The fact that when shorted the dome light power wire didn't blow a fuse is somewhat concerning. Makes me think someone has modified the wiring. If your wiring was smoking for the time it took to disconnect the battery you probably have extensive damage. The short will start a chain reaction that melts circuits together that aren't supposed to be together and may have opened the constant power circuit in the process. Figure out why you no longer have power on the orange wire at the dome light and that will be your problem.

[MARKDTN]

I would start with locating a wiring diagram for a B-Body. The truck is probably close enough for diagnostics, but you really need a car diagram to be complete. I had a '64 Impala back in the day, but can't remember if it had a fusable link or not. If it does, it is probably near either the starter or the horn relay. I would try to find out at the fusebox if you have power to brake light fuse and dome light fuse, these should be on a different circuit than radio, wipers, turns, etc. Chase it forward or back from that depending on what you find.

[sKnNyPpY]

Sounds like removing the light has 'opened' the circuit. This happened to me when I removed an ammeter and replaced it with a volt meter. The unconnected ammeter wires wouldn't allow the alternator to charge, connected them and presto chargo! VetteVet is the man when it comes to this, helped me a few times.