Community Forums

DevonJH · 02-23-2011, 01:38 AM

I've been diggin and diggin on this thing. I got no marker lights, no headlights, no brakelights and seems like half my fuseblock is without power (bat hot). I've traced the headlight wire out to where the starter is and well, theres at least 4 large wires and a couple smaller wires all look like they are spliced just before connecting. Is this normal or someones handywork?

Im running a 1989 Allegro with a chev 1ton chassis

I've been picking away at the wiring trying to get things back into a working condition and my goofy butt decided to start chopping away at it, which actually got the old Alarm system removed (no box or remote) and a few extra wires that someone added in without connecting to anything, and reuninstalled a ford stereo that someone (literally) slammed into ma poor chev. :P I hear the debate comin already.

But i've gotten most systems operational, repaired a couple wires that got chewed at by the tire and moved them out of the way. But even though i can start it still no lights. If i run a hot wire spliced into the hot for headlight switch everything works, well not guage lights or uppers, but its a start, i removed the wire after making sure that it was just no hot but now im a little lost as to where to look.

I just found another bay of those goofy circuit breakers that they seemed to have put on every large and a few small hotwires but jumping those hasn't seemed to help any.

BobKomar · 02-23-2011, 04:11 AM

I would recommend getting a wiring diagram for your chassis and start there. It should tell you what wires go where and what hooks up to what.

DevonJH · 02-24-2011, 12:46 AM

God if someone knew where to find that i'd be in heaven. I tried emailing Tiffin, and what they sent me calling schematics were a few pages printed out of a troubleshooting guide.. furthest thing from helpful you could find.

BobKomar · 02-24-2011, 02:46 PM

Google the year of chassis you have. The lights and what not should be part of the chassis, not the coach. It should have all GM wiring for the systems that are giving you trouble.

DevonJH · 02-25-2011, 09:12 PM

I've found Googling 1ton chev really doesn't seem to help much. Although I have found a couple few schematics on Autozone's "self help" pages. Biggest part i've been looking at is that the c/k and r/v series 88-98 went with the fuel injection in the wiring schematics, but my 454 has a carburetor. Starting to make me wonder if a older harness was used or if something else was changed.

BobKomar · 02-26-2011, 06:32 AM

Your chassis is older than the year of the coach. PM sent.

DevonJH · 02-27-2011, 03:32 PM

Wow Bob I've gotta say that's gotta be THE most helpful thing i could have gotten. By far that is going to help with a lot of the work I'm going to be doing. I need to dig into it a bit more see if it will tell me where my hot wire from the block is connected but even if it doesn't that looks like the very thing that should have come in my box of papers. I can't thank you enough.

BobKomar · 02-28-2011, 09:22 AM

No problem, happy to help. Kinkos will print it in black and white with a spiral binder for a bit over 30 bucks.

leadman · 03-04-2011, 08:58 PM

My '88 Itasca is on a '87 P30 chassis. Winnebago instaled a bank of circuit breakers behind the fuse box on the left side between the brake pedal and side wall and hooked the chassis power for lights, etc. thru these first, then to the fuse box. Does not make alot of sense, but maybe yours is the same way. You have to take the metal plate the fuse box is on to get to the breakers.
There is probably a fusible link at the starter for the power coming from the battery to the chassis. This is pretty common. A fusible link looks like a piece of wire, but usually a dull finish to the insulation and very flexible. Most have an enlarged chunk of insulation where this meets the wire that goes to the cab. This are a fuse that once burnt out, has to have a new piece of fusible wire soldered in. These are normally 3" or so long.

DevonJH · 03-24-2011, 06:49 PM

FINALLY... I think i found the problem. Im pluckin away pullin off the oilpan.. Pull the starter to get it outta the way and it hits me. Im holding a single wire going to the starter's main post and decide to follow it. Theres a taped off section with heatshrink tubing about a foot long or so with one wire coming out of one end and 3 going in the other. Once I pulled the tape and everything off I found a nightmare of wires that looked cooked and spliced and god knows what, so once im done pulling the oilpan to check for bad oilpump I will be cutting the wires and trying again with them.

Shore2Shore · 03-25-2011, 07:44 PM

Good luck with your wiring & light knightmare! Hope you sort it out soon ,our marker lights are mostly working with only a couple either non working or so dimm they aren't worth having on!

Wiring is daisy chained along all the marker lights, can see a few iffy connections & wire so will need to replace some.

DevonJH · 03-26-2011, 01:07 AM

I guess its a good thing I love electrical work

even if it really is fixing previous mistakes. 12v really is a remarkably easy system to work with.. Hot, ground. With most lights you need a hot wire going to the light and the chassis can be the ground.

If lights are dim but bulbs are good I'd definitely do a voltage check to make sure theres a good 12volts from the hot and that the ground is good as well. If not you could use the wiring they've supplied to the lights, use the stock wire coming out to trigger a 12v relay hooked up to a hot battery terminal to give it an extra boost.

Shore2Shore · 03-26-2011, 04:50 PM

Yep its a very good thing you love electrical work!

I like it too , its amazing what some people end up doing to a simple system over the years! Heck even some of the original stuff can sometimes leave you thinking "what were they thinking" !!!!

Definitely look into the good HOT and good grounds, as I think all the bulbs are fine, could be some rough looking connectors & ratty old wires! Will try and renew & replace first , then go for the whole * rewire* !

Could be fun finding suitable seperate grounds for the front cap marker lights, maybe easier to hunt out the daisy chained wiring.

leadman · 03-27-2011, 11:33 AM

Each crimp type connector will add resistance to the wiring and causing a voltage drop. Soldering with shrink sleeving is the way to go to maintain proper voltage. If you have to replace wires think about replacing with a large gauge as some of the original wires, especially for lights is marginal.