kaj750
Well-Known Member
I tapped and jiggled but didn't get too aggressive or look super close. I'll check again.
Headlights and half of gauge cluster lighting magically stopped working.
- Thread starter kaj750
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I tapped and jiggled but didn't get too aggressive or look super close. I'll check again.
kaj750
Well-Known Member
Wiggled bulkhead. No movement. No power to red wire at headlight. Pulled the bulkhead to check to see if power is coming from the terminal where the red wire connects.
This should tell me if I have power coming through the firewall. Yes? If I don't, then I'll start investigating the switches again.
**Edit: plugged bulkhead back in. All five wires on connector showing 12.3ish volts.
This should tell me if I have power coming through the firewall. Yes? If I don't, then I'll start investigating the switches again.
**Edit: plugged bulkhead back in. All five wires on connector showing 12.3ish volts.
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Unplugging the Bukhead connector means no power goes in so it can't come out.... If the lights don't come on or at least flicker when wiggling the bulkhead connector the problem isn't there.. Move along.... Try cycling the floor dimmer switch 5-6 times again head lights on...
kaj750
Well-Known Member
Did that many times. Switched lights on and off many times. Power at bulkhead. Power at weatherpack. Worried that other half of weatherpack was bad, so pulled the plugs apart and connected wires directly. I replaced both ground wire terminals in case they were bad/loose/etc. Still no lights and I can't seem to get a power reading at either plug (low and high beam) on the driver's side with the foot switch in both positions. Maybe a broken wire between the weatherpak and headlights.
Service manual says the problem is in the switches.
Gonna take another break for a day or two LOL.
Thanks again for the advice, everyone. I'll keep at it.
This car is making you earn every inch... Typically wires don't fail in the middle, connections fail, switches fail... Runs of wire unless flexed or chaffed don't fail...
Just noticed your five pin connector... That's not OE/stock so that adds to the excitement... Actually on a Charger there is a OE connector with five wires on the headlight side... But it's rectangular and has six wires on the body side....
Oh, brain engaged.. That's not the bulkhead connector... The picture is a Dart but close enough... Bulkhead connector...
Oh, nice touch with the VW battery... Just keeps it fun, end of the day none of that matters, gotta get 12v from the floor dimmer to the headlights....
So, probe for power at the floor dimmer switch.... two out of three should be hot, the one that's not will be after you cycle the dimmer switch...
Originally Purple is high beam, red is low beam... Black is ground... Purple & red should pass through the bulk head connector side by side...
And now that I've looked at a schematic the power from the battery is on a different plug so you can unplug the headlight harness to probe if it helps you...
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kaj750
Well-Known Member
It sure is LOL.
The OEM connector disintegrated in my hands. Making a new connector seemed to make the most sense. So, I pinned them all out and connected them with weatherpak since I couldn't find a decent bulkhead-to-headlight harness. Mine only had five wires on either side, though. All colors matched. I am seeing 13.4 volts at those wires, on the harness side.
Red and purple do come through at the bulkhead, yep.
Seeing power at more than one wire makes sense, now that I know one is for low beam and another for high.
Trying to figure out how I have power from the harness and re-did the grounds for the headlights, to the rad support... but still no lights.
The fact that they JUST WORKED GREAT a few days ago just makes it frustrating.
As for the battery, it was free and I'm not spending money to replace stuff that works until I fix stuff that doesn't.
A common sight when checking bulkhead connections...
Do you have any spare headlights you could plug in... Wouldn't be the first time two headlights up and failed....It sure is LOL.
The OEM connector disintegrated in my hands. Making a new connector seemed to make the most sense. So, I pinned them all out and connected them with weatherpak since I couldn't find a decent bulkhead-to-headlight harness. Mine only had five wires on either side, though. All colors matched. I am seeing 13.4 volts at those wires, on the harness side.
Red and purple do come through at the bulkhead, yep.
Seeing power at more than one wire makes sense, now that I know one is for low beam and another for high.
Trying to figure out how I have power from the harness and re-did the grounds for the headlights, to the rad support... but still no lights.
The fact that they JUST WORKED GREAT a few days ago just makes it frustrating.
As for the battery, it was free and I'm not spending money to replace stuff that works until I fix stuff that doesn't.
kaj750
Well-Known Member
Looked fine, but I didn't expect that so didn't shine the light in. I'll check tomorrow, though. Would be strange that I'm still seeing power at the plug I replaced, though. Still... I'll try anything.
I don't, no, but I do have a parts store near my house. I can get one and then return it because "it didn't fit" LOL.
If you have power at the five pin plug you should be good at the bulkhead... I'd be probing for voltage directly at the headlight connectors and rechecking the grounds... The fact there are headlight doors on Chargers might mean there is a potential for the harness to get damaged....
Power travels from the bulkhead through the five pin connector out to the drivers headlight & from there jumps over to the passenger headlight... The fact neither works means either point to the wiring from the five pin connector to the drivers headlight... But the fact neither high or low beams work means suddenly two wires failed... Or you have a ground issue..
Power travels from the bulkhead through the five pin connector out to the drivers headlight & from there jumps over to the passenger headlight... The fact neither works means either point to the wiring from the five pin connector to the drivers headlight... But the fact neither high or low beams work means suddenly two wires failed... Or you have a ground issue..
I'm leaning in the direction of a wiring problem behind the dash, or at the bulkhead, or the fuse box. (or all 3)
Power goes into the headlight switch on the top spade connector (black, marked B1 on the back of the headlight switch). It should be hot at all times. This is for headlights ONLY. It leaves the headlight switch (on position) via the bottom spade terminal (marked H)
Power for the park / dash lights enters the headlight switch on the pink wire (B2 on the back of the switch). This too should be hot at all times.
As you can see there are 2 different power sources at the headlight switch. Kinda rare for both to fail (unless the back of the switch has come off)
Power goes into the headlight switch on the top spade connector (black, marked B1 on the back of the headlight switch). It should be hot at all times. This is for headlights ONLY. It leaves the headlight switch (on position) via the bottom spade terminal (marked H)
Power for the park / dash lights enters the headlight switch on the pink wire (B2 on the back of the switch). This too should be hot at all times.
As you can see there are 2 different power sources at the headlight switch. Kinda rare for both to fail (unless the back of the switch has come off)
kaj750
Well-Known Member
Sounds like I'm pulling the cluster again.
I wouldn't mind if the wires were long enough for me to pull the cluster out far enough to see and test things.
Would anyone know where I can get the *correct* harness from the bulkhead to cluster and maybe from bulkhead to headlights?
May as well start fresh and rule those out.
I'm about "this" close to buying a harness to redo the entire car.
I wouldn't mind if the wires were long enough for me to pull the cluster out far enough to see and test things.
Would anyone know where I can get the *correct* harness from the bulkhead to cluster and maybe from bulkhead to headlights?
May as well start fresh and rule those out.
I'm about "this" close to buying a harness to redo the entire car.
If you want OE style harnesses you want M&H, sold by Year One & Classic Industries....
kaj750
Well-Known Member
I'm sure those are what I was looking at, via CI. Factory colors and all. Looks like $600+ for the dash harness. Still looking for the harness to run the lights. Progress!
Classic may not carry the whole M&H line... Year One had an exclusive deal with them so none of the smaller suppliers could buy from M&H.. But Classic was dealing with M&H before they started selling Mopar stuff... So they are at least selling some of the M&H line....
Personally I avoid dealing with Year One or Classic... Most guys who've played with these cars as long as I have don't like either of them.... But some stuff you have no option....
Personally I avoid dealing with Year One or Classic... Most guys who've played with these cars as long as I have don't like either of them.... But some stuff you have no option....
kaj750
Well-Known Member
Pulled top two plugs from bulkhead.
Someone's been getting "creative"
kaj750
Well-Known Member
Seems they were. Lol
Pics of the bulkhead and plug in question. Both the purple and black-with-green-stripe wire locations have power when the light switches on. Last picture 8s also the plug-in question, I noticed when I plugged it in a couple of the wires seem to pop out from the back, a bit
Aaaaand of course they both popped out at the same time so I don't know which one went on which slot. Jesus.....lol.:
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kaj750
Well-Known Member
Fixed the two terminals that came out. Locked them back into place.
Now onto the cluster lights....
Now onto the cluster lights....
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