Hey all, just picked up this truck from my grandfather. Saved it from the junkyard, though it has no reason to be there. Bottom line, was a daily driver, was replaced, sat a few years, work was done to get it on the road after sitting, and then it sat another year. Despite the pic in My Garage, it's a clean example for New York. Only rust was over the rear wheel wells.

I put some gas in the carb and she fired up no problem. Checked compression, came up with 160-145psi on the cylinders. The only problem is, before I got it running, a family friend tried fixing the headlights, and should have left the f*cking thing alone. Now you pull the headlight switch on, and the right turn signal indicator comes on. Actually, that indicator is the only thing that comes on with running lights, headlights, right turn and left turn.

So, I don't know what the hell he did, and I can't find a wiring diagram for this truck. Can anyone give me a hand? I've only been back in town for a week and a half, and have no money to buy a Haynes manual, otherwise I would have. Thanks

 

sounds like he mixed up the wires on one of the front turn signals. i did the same thing to mine once. the easiest thing to do is to find your where it was cut and find the ground wire. then turn your marker lights on and find the marker light wire. then make sure you hook everything back up correctly and it will probably work correctly.

 

I copied my year specific wiring diagram at the local main library. It cost me 10 cents a page.

 

Thanks for the help. And Seal, what source do you use at your library? do they have repair manuals there, or did you find yours in some other book lying around?

 

If you go over to Ramchargercentral.com they have a good number of FSM pages in the Photo's section...you can also send a note to the member Dodgeboys and he will send them to you, he normally also has FSM's in for sale.

I have not found them on this site...yet.

 

Our library has a whole section of professional hardcover repair manuals and they also have a contract with a computer manuals company that I have used. My diagram came from the hardcover manuals because the computer service was not available back them.

 

thats because i have not posted them yet. i post diagrams and stuff as i think is needed.

to me it sounds like someone might have gone to go change a blown bulb and found the bulb rusted to the light socket or the light socket was rotten and gone to replace it and mixed up the wires when they installed the new socket. rotten and rusted light sockets is a very common thing on these truck. i think i have replaced 4 out of 6 on my 81.

 

ok, i did a little more poking around under my dash. I disconnected my turn signal switch to eliminate that from the circuit. Still no headlights. And i was wrong earlier. When you try the turn signals in different combinations oh headlights or running lights on, all four turn signal lights on the front work. In some cases extremely dim or very slow blinking, but they do come on. still have no f*cking clue whats going on. And thanks again for the advice.

 

sounds like you have a bad ground.

 

Wiring on a 1st gen is simple, just be patient. I helped a buddy re-wire a 76 power wagon from the ground up a little while back, just sit there and look at everything until it starts to make sense. That's 90% or wrenching right there.