Ok Guys I Need Some Electrical Help On 67 Chevy

[seatacwhat]

ok i can pretty much say i have a something bad going on because when i turn my headlight switch to turn just my markers on i get both tail and both front grill markers on. so when i turn headlight switch all way on i lose my front grill marker lights and get no headlights at all. i think i may have figured out the headlight issue the bulbs are burned out. but i still lose my markers in the grill.

thats just the beginning. my driver side brake light will not work and its not bulb also my driver rear turn signal will not work. when i check for power on the light socket i only get one element getting power too it. the other does not and that is when i had both turn signal and brake pedal compressed. also when i turn my turn signal switch both right and left my gauges go kookoo. my fuel gauge will drops to empty and my oil pressure gauge starts going haywire as will as my battery gauge starts doing crazy twitches.

any help would be great. ive check for bad grounds and crossed wires just cant find problem. just thought maybe someone else has had same problem and knows solution thanks

[seatacwhat]

Originally Posted by seatacwhat

ok i can pretty much say i have a something bad going on because when i turn my headlight switch to turn just my markers on i get both tail and both front grill markers on. so when i turn headlight switch all way on i lose my front grill marker lights and get no headlights at all. i think i may have figured out the headlight issue the bulbs are burned out. but i still lose my markers in the grill.

thats just the beginning. my driver side brake light will not work and its not bulb also my driver rear turn signal will not work. when i check for power on the light socket i only get one element getting power too it. the other does not and that is when i had both turn signal and brake pedal compressed. also when i turn my turn signal switch both right and left my gauges go kookoo. my fuel gauge will drops to empty and my oil pressure gauge starts going haywire as will as my battery gauge starts doing crazy twitches.

any help would be great. ive check for bad grounds and crossed wires just cant find problem. just thought maybe someone else has had same problem and knows solution thanks

UPDATE______________-

ok i fixed the rear brake light and rear turn signal problem. So now the only issue i have is when i turn turn signals on my gauges still do crazy things and when my turn signals are on both of the left and right signal indicators blink as if hazards were on. i still have the problem with my front marker lights

['68OrangeSunshine]

'67s are different from the rest of the herd, in that the normal operation is parking lights on-- headlights off... headlights on -- parking lights off.
I had a '67 K/10 Suburban that had some wierd taillight issues. When I replaced the turn signal switch inside the steering column, it went away. You might check that out.

[Todd68Chevy]

Originally Posted by seatacwhat

also when i turn my turn signal switch both right and left my gauges go kookoo. my fuel gauge will drops to empty and my oil pressure gauge starts going haywire as will as my battery gauge starts doing crazy twitches.

any help would be great. ive check for bad grounds and crossed wires just cant find problem. just thought maybe someone else has had same problem and knows solution thanks

Is this a 1967 with a factory gauge cluster?? If so I thought all the oil press. gauges were mechanical and should not be effected by the turn signals. If it is an electrical gauge then it could be related to the eleictrical problem. Like '68OrangeSunshine stated it could be in the switch but to me it sounds like a ground problem. Have you tried grounding the cluster? Remember the battery grounds to the engine and the electrical grounds to the body so make sure you have a good ground between the body and engine. If the ground at the item is good it still can not make it back to the battery if any other connections are bad.

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

'67s are different from the rest of the herd, in that the normal operation is parking lights on-- headlights off... headlights on -- parking lights off.

I did not know what year they changed it but I had a 1949 GMC that was normal for the front parking lights to go out when the headlights were turned on. I also worked on a 1964 Chevy truck that did the same thing. Back then they thought if the headlights were on the parking light were not needed.

[66c10lwb]

Just went through the same light system exercise with my '66 C10. Replaced headlights, front and rear signal bulbs (1157 amber front and 1157's rear) and had a pigtail wire from Negative post to chassis to clean up connection on. Cleaning the wire Neg. post to chassis connection helped get the best connection and it brighten the bulbs up in my situation. Also discovered that if battery is low it doesn't like that when you're working on those lights.
With my headlights on front parking lights off and front signals still work. With headlights off parking lights on and turn signals still work.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Todd68Chevy

Is this a 1967 with a factory gauge cluster?? If so I thought all the oil press. gauges were mechanical and should not be effected by the turn signals. If it is an electrical gauge then it could be related to the eleictrical problem. Like '68OrangeSunshine stated it could be in the switch but to me it sounds like a ground problem. Have you tried grounding the cluster? Remember the battery grounds to the engine and the electrical grounds to the body so make sure you have a good ground between the body and engine. If the ground at the item is good it still can not make it back to the battery if any other connections are bad.



I did not know what year they changed it but I had a 1949 GMC that was normal for the front parking lights to go out when the headlights were turned on. I also worked on a 1964 Chevy truck that did the same thing. Back then they thought if the headlights were on the parking light were not needed.

On the '68 model year, to meet fed safety regs, the lighting was changed so the parking lights stayed on with the headlights. Also that year, side marker reflectors became standard. In later years they became side running lights. I think it was optional in '69 and '70 and wired-up side markers were standard in '71.
Back to the main issue, good grounds are essential. I run an old battery cable from the block to the frame and another jumper from the frame rail to the radiator wall.

[seatacwhat]

Originally Posted by Todd68Chevy

Is this a 1967 with a factory gauge cluster?? If so I thought all the oil press. gauges were mechanical and should not be effected by the turn signals. If it is an electrical gauge then it could be related to the eleictrical problem. Like '68OrangeSunshine stated it could be in the switch but to me it sounds like a ground problem. Have you tried grounding the cluster? Remember the battery grounds to the engine and the electrical grounds to the body so make sure you have a good ground between the body and engine. If the ground at the item is good it still can not make it back to the battery if any other connections are bad.



I did not know what year they changed it but I had a 1949 GMC that was normal for the front parking lights to go out when the headlights were turned on. I also worked on a 1964 Chevy truck that did the same thing. Back then they thought if the headlights were on the parking light were not needed.

ok im a little slow on this one !!! the battery grounds to the engine,meaning the negative battery cable?? electrical grounds to body? so i should have a ground running from engine to body as well??

[seatacwhat]

Originally Posted by 66c10lwb

Just went through the same light system exercise with my '66 C10. Replaced headlights, front and rear signal bulbs (1157 amber front and 1157's rear) and had a pigtail wire from Negative post to chassis to clean up connection on. Cleaning the wire Neg. post to chassis connection helped get the best connection and it brighten the bulbs up in my situation. Also discovered that if battery is low it doesn't like that when you're working on those lights.
With my headlights on front parking lights off and front signals still work. With headlights off parking lights on and turn signals still work.

now was this for headlights or tail lights? and let me see if i understand. you connected a wire to the neg battery cable and then jumped it to where on chassis ?

[Todd68Chevy]

Originally Posted by seatacwhat

ok im a little slow on this one !!! the battery grounds to the engine,meaning the negative battery cable?? electrical grounds to body? so i should have a ground running from engine to body as well??

Yes the battery grounding to the engine means the negative cable. Electrical means all your gauges, lights heater blower ect. Yes, There has to be a ground running from the engine to the body and one from the engine or body to the frame. The factory usually put cables from the rear of the engine to the firewall and from under the cab to the frame but as long as there is a good connection and a big enough wire it will work.

[seatacwhat]

Originally Posted by Todd68Chevy

Yes the battery grounding to the engine means the negative cable. Electrical means all your gauges, lights heater blower ect. Yes, There has to be a ground running from the engine to the body and one from the engine or body to the frame. The factory usually put cables from the rear of the engine to the firewall and from under the cab to the frame but as long as there is a good connection and a big enough wire it will work.

getting ready to go do some work on the truck and was curious if you knew what 66c10lwb was talking about when he was talking about running a piggy back from ground to chassis? and is it to make headlights brighter or tail lights or both?? i know both could use being brighter on my truck.

[Todd68Chevy]

Originally Posted by 66c10lwb

" had a pigtail wire from Negative post to chassis to clean up connection on. Cleaning the wire Neg. post to chassis connection helped get the best connection and it brighten the bulbs up in my situation.

Originally Posted by seatacwhat

getting ready to go do some work on the truck and was curious if you knew what 66c10lwb was talking about when he was talking about running a piggy back from ground to chassis? and is it to make headlights brighter or tail lights or both?? i know both could use being brighter on my truck.

He said pigtail wire which is a smaller wire than the battery cable that ran from the battery neg. post to the chassis. This would work also but normally stock set up goes from the engine to body and chassis. Any time the ground is poor you are not getting full voltage and any light will be dim. If this is your problem all the lights should be brighter when you fix the problem. You can use a pair of jumper cables or some other heavy wire with clamps. Connect the wires between the NEG. terminal and a body and chassis grounding area and see it the lights work properly. This will give you an idea if your on the right track. If it works and you can not find the ground problem do like
'68OrangeSunshine said and just make your own ground cable to the body and chassis. Let us know.

[seatacwhat]

thanks for the help guys i have all my lights all my turn signals,brake lights,fixed the signal indicators inside on panel so they flash left and right not both at same time. did the ground as was informed too and bright as the sun. thanks guys now on too the next piece of the project . this is good though because i wanted to be able to get some drive time in for summer before i start to break it down to the frame after summer. now its road worthy