I have bad electric problems and cannot find the reason why its acting up anywhere. The problem is when I push in the brake, my turn signal indicators glow, the right one more then the left, and also the whole light array on my tail light up. Also I disconnected my flasher relay ( the thing that tells it to flash on and off) and the indicators still light up. This happens if the car is turned on or not.

To tell a little about what happened to begin with, the car sat for 12 years, had a mouse in it, and the wires that connect to the headlight light bulbs were worn through from the pop-up assembly. Then what happened is the wire that goes from the headlight switch to the lights fried. I replaced this, and connected it to everything that it runs to, being one that goes to the dash lights. They also dont work.....

Ok overview:

-all tail lights glow up, slightly slow when brake is pushed in.
-dash lights dont work.
-replaced all fuses today
-replaced red/light blue wire that goes from headlight switch.

I'm am dead serious and didnt ***** foot around at all! I've been trying to fix this since lets see... yea october.
Thanks
Jamy

 

Wow, never seen that before! Try downloading the electrical diagram for your year at http://www.iluvmyrx7.com/ , there's a lot of good diagrams in there which should help you find your problem. Wish I could help you more, but if a mouse chewed some wires it could be anything.

 

Most likely the rest of the harness that the headlight wiring runs with probably got a little hot to. Check all the wires to make sure they're not stuck together. It's also possible your little rodent friend did enough damage to the point in which you tried the headlights, fried the wiring and (don't forget) headlight switch.

 

take teh cluster out and geta stiff not metal brush, ansd brush the **** out of the back of the cluster, its probly corroded to hell

 

... I dont know if you guys know how pissed off this makes me, I just spent 2 hours in the dark and some time before it got dark unplugging and testing trying to find where this problem is. I do know now that the cluster lights work, but then if i hit the brake, the light that goes to the heater panel lights and dims with both the turn signals and brake lights. I just dont know, I think its easier just to junk this one instead of messing with it anymore. Mabye i'll find a SE or something...

 

I'm telling, more of that harness melted together than you think. If the light to the heater panel lights up, then you've probably got a short to the parking lights. Disconect the headlight switch, then try everything. Hit the brakes, then see what happens. If it still happens, work your way down the steering column, to the fusebox, then forward some more. Also, look at the back of the fuse panel to see if any of the terminals melted together. I know your frustration man, I've been a mechanic for 21 years specializing in electrical systems, and I still run into all different problems. But you have to think of it this way. it's not a big complex system. You could do like I used to do, rewire ambulances and fire truck after an electrical fire.

 

rewire ambulances and fire truck after an electrical fire.

That just made me sick...
Alright thanks bro, i'm gonna have to work day and night i guess on it. And i'll try what you told me.

 

Yeah, they had a bad string of pre made wiring harnesses. Anyway, don't kill yourself, if it's not on the road right now, or you have another ride to use, just take your time. be comfortable, and concentrate. No car (unless it's like a Yugo, or an old Saab or something) is worth junking over alittle problem like this. If the car completely burnt up because of it, then I'd tell you otherwise. Actually, I just did a 1999 Suburu Imprezza. The power antenna didn't work, so the jackass went to radioshack and bought one of those cheezy universal joints, then burnt up the whole wiring harness, from the rear all the way to the fuel injection harness. New factory harness-$4300.00, labor for Bill to rewire harness 1 wire at a time-$priceless.

 

Check the connections from the light bulb harness of the taillights to the rest of the harness, sounds like a bad connection.

 

i say swap the whole harness for one you know works. lol, you've already done this much work eh?

 

try checking if the wires are touching in an open area the nouse couldve chewed through them. also check the car for any shorts discontect negative terminal and touch it to body to see if it sparks if it does youve got one some where just start pulling fuses one at a time to locate it. that plagued my old beetle forever!! couldnt find it before i sold it just i thought.

 

this might or might not help, but check your dimmer switch if your dash lights don't work... i would be driving down the road at night and my gauges just go black... i swapped dimmer switches from my parts car and now my dash lights up when it's suppose to..

 

ok listen HAYNES MANUAL. I would help ya out man, I've messed with my electrical system too much. But I don't live anywhere near you. haynes manual page 306.

 

Your tailights are not properly grounded. The mouse at through the common ground at the rear.

 

check for a ground wire by the lisence plate lights or somewhere around there...

the problems you're describing fit a ground loop problem to a tee...

my '79 had the same thing... except my front turn signals would come on when I stepped on the brake as well...

the electricity will look for the path of least resistance to flow, even if it means going from the rear lights, through the wiring, through the switch, through the headlights or front turn signals, and then to ground... less resistance than just stopping at a dead end...

 

I've seen ths several times Check your 1157 dual fillament bulbs the solder points @ the bulb melt together so when you hit your brakes the parking lights will illuminate Good Luck. Mi tue sents

 

I agree with a bad ground, or bad bulb/socket in tail lights. I have seen both cause very simular problems. Lights come on ssllooww or stay dim or flucuate with turn signal or flasher because the power is going thru "other" bulbs instead of directly to ground. You can troubleshoot the problem better by disconnecting loads. Start with the tail lights.

 

i had something like this in mt courior it was a bad ground in the tail lights

 

OK here an update, I have the guage cluster pulled and i found that one strand burn up, i do believe its the clock, its the yellow with white strip that goes to the plug. Today I worked on my car for 2 hours on my 1 hour lunch break... yikes.. haha no trouble though, just snaked back in the building.

I'll change all the bulbs again, and check ALL the connectors in the rear first. The right side licence plate light doesnt work actually, and it does have a bad ground from coming loose and bondo on the outside (inside is perfect no bondo but dented in, WTF?? go figure.) So i'll FIX that good and make it work, and i thank all you guys so much, i wish there was a way to donate to the board or something?.. Well you know how it is, your info is worth my money thats for damn sure. I WILL keep you all updated until its fixed!

 

i believe that wire is to yourwater temp gague unit. Check Haynes manual page 305 guys. correct me if I'm wrong. How is the guage working? Also pull your rear interior panels out, well don't pull hem unscrew them. Check how the wiring looks. How does the wiring lok behind your dash?

 

the clock is going to be red with a green stripe.

 

OK another update. Its the yellow wire with a blue stripe or YL.

 

coolant level unit

 

When ever car seems "possesed" sp? it is ALLWAYS because of a bad ground. Thats your problem right there.

Now wheres my money?!?

 

Sounds like a lifted ground.

B