Electric Problem

[ibrockn]

I recently purchased a '67 RS. It has what I suspect to be a ground problem that I'm not quite sure where to look for.

Anytime I activate a blinker, the brake lights, or even the cigarette lighter, there's a noticable flicker in the dash lights, courtesy lights, and headlights. The biggest annoyance is that the stereo cuts off for several seconds each time. When I'm driving, if I apply the brakes or the signals, the stereo goes dead and then kicks back on in a couple of seconds.

If I hold a test light to any of the hot switched or unswitched fuses, apply the brakes, turn signals, or push the cigarette lighter in, the test light will go slightly dimmer for a second and then back to normal. Not so, if I do the same thing right at the battery; the test light stays constant.

Is there a particular ground wire or strap I should check? Or is it something else?

Thanks.
Tim

[hotrod68]

The first place I'd look is the junction block at the battery--they're bad about corroding over time, and if it goes, so does everything else! The same thing happened to me, and it was the culprit. Good luck!

[lakeholme]

First, I agree with Hodrod.  Check the junction block.  "Ghosts" in the lighting is a common problem.  Second, if your car's wiring is original (or it sat for a long time), then you ought to clean all the major leads (starter, battery, grounds, junction block, etc.).  They will corrode over time.  I cleaned mine and it made a world of difference.  Besides, it will give you and opportunity to look the wiring over.  Dab67 almost lost his 67 to a fire a while back.  Check it out...

[william]

The dash cluster is grounded via a wire that runs from the back of the cluster to the top center of the plastic dash panel. The wire has a loop in it that is intended to engage the screw when the panel is installed, grounding it to the metal dash panel. It is common for the screw to miss the loop in the wire; cluster will not be grounded.

[ibrockn]

Thanks for all the ideas. I'm going to check the junction box first, then go from there. I know about the wire in the instrument cluster as that problem happened in my '68.
I'll check out the junction box in a few days and post what I find out.
Thanks.
Tim

[ibrockn]

It appears to have been the junction box connections. The wire connections were loose and rusty. What a tiny weak link that can cause such trouble! I didn't ever know the junction box was there tucked tightly behind the battery and not very easy to get to.
Thanks for all the help; I hope the problem's gone for good.