[DeTomaso] (no subject)

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/23/14 18 11 44, tpoemer at gmail.com writes:


> Thanks all for the help sorting out the bulb arrangement in my 
> speedometer.
> First. All of the wires going to the light bulbs are one strand. There may
> be two places for attaching wires, but mine only uses one. Second. Which
> lights comes on under the different  key positions. Key on.....all lights
> off except the dash light. 
> 
>>>Unless you have a one-wire alternator, your GEN light should be on.   I 
hate one-wire alternators.   They do away with some basic principles and 
replace good engineering with slob simplicity.  You lose the ability to monitor 
the performance of your electrical system, other than by using the ammeter. 
  If you happen to replace your ammeter with a voltmeter and have a 
one-wire alternator, you're done monitoring anything meaningful.   When your 
voltmeter drifts imperceptly down (miles after your alternator quit, or worse yet, 
the belt snapped), the car will simply stop due to a dead battery, and the 
first real indication you have of electrical failure is the fact that you 
are pushing your car to the side of the road.

If by 'dash light' you mean overall instrument illumination, that's wrong.  
 Those should only be on when your headlight switch is out of the OFF 
position.


> >Key on, head lights on. 
> 
>>>That is, if your parking lights are on, then yes, the green indicator 
light should be lit.   If your parking lights are not on, the green headlight 
indicator should not be lit.

> >Fan...out,
> heater....on, 
> 
>>>Only if your heater blower fan is on.


> > Gen....out , 
> 
>>>Problem unless you have a one-wire alternator.

> >dash lights...on.  
> 
>>>If the headlights are on, or at least in the intermediate (running 
lights) position.   Otherwise--problem.


> >Engine running.
> Fan...out,  heater....on, 
> 
>>>If the heater fan is on.


> > gen....off,  dash lights on. 
> 
>>>If the running lights or headlights are on.


> > The fan light
> comes on when the heater fan is on.
> 
>>>The HEATER light should come on when the heater fan is on.   The FAN 
light is normally not hooked up on later cars; it was only used on the earlier 
cars.   But it makes sense for ALL cars to have this.   It is a very simple 
thing to string a wire from the #2 radiator fan relay back to the FAN light 
on the dash, so that you can see when your second radiator fan comes on.


> > Shouldn't the gen light come on when
> the head lights are on and the engine is off?
> 
>>>The GEN light doesn't care about the headlights.   The GEN light should 
come on any time the key is in the run position, and the engine is not 
running.   When the engine is running, the alternator produces energy and that 
extinguishes the light.   If the battery is powering the car (either when the 
engine is not running OR if the engine is running and the alternator has 
failed for some reason), the warning light comes on.


> > What is the heater light for
> anyway? 
> 
>>>It tells you the heater/blower fan is on.   As if you couldn't already 
tell by the fact that the heater/blower fan is on.   :>)   But if the fan 
motor quit for some reason yet it was still getting power, the fact that the 
light was on but the fan wasn't working would at least clue you in to the fact 
that it was (probably) getting power.

> >The way these lights are wired now is...fan(white/black)
> Heater(blue)  Gen(blue/black)  dash light(yellow/black).  Electrical 
> things
> are a black art.
> Thanks again for all on this forum.
> 
>>>That's partially wrong.

Black/white goes to HEATER indicator.

Your own wire (pick a color) goes from the radiator fan relay to the FAN 
light (unless you have an mid-run Pre-L car in which case it should have a 
yellow wire from the factory, according to the diagram)

Blue/black goes to GEN (although if you have a one-wire alternator, the GEN 
light would be on all the time because it isn't connected anymore, so the 
'solution' is to remove the bulb, which somebody may have done on your car 
since it doesn't ever seem to work)

White goes to the green headlight indication (right side of tach)

Green/black goes to the blue high beam indication (left side of tach)

Yellow/Black goes to overall instrument illumination

I don't know squat about electricity, it's all PFM to me, but when push 
comes to shove, fortunately I know where to find info like this, scattered 
around on a half-dozen excellent schematics by Bill Taylor, and in desperation, 
also on the various factory diagrams....

Mike
-------------- next part --------------
   In a message dated 4/23/14 18 11 44, tpoemer at gmail.com writes:

     Thanks all for the help sorting out the bulb arrangement in my
     speedometer.
     First. All of the wires going to the light bulbs are one strand.
     There may
     be two places for attaching wires, but mine only uses one. Second.
     Which
     lights comes on under the different  key positions. Key on.....all
     lights
     off except the dash light.

   >>>Unless you have a one-wire alternator, your GEN light should be on.
   I hate one-wire alternators.  They do away with some basic principles
   and replace good engineering with slob simplicity. You lose the ability
   to monitor the performance of your electrical system, other than by
   using the ammeter.  If you happen to replace your ammeter with a
   voltmeter and have a one-wire alternator, you're done monitoring
   anything meaningful.  When your voltmeter drifts imperceptly down
   (miles after your alternator quit, or worse yet, the belt snapped), the
   car will simply stop due to a dead battery, and the first real
   indication you have of electrical failure is the fact that you are
   pushing your car to the side of the road.
   If by 'dash light' you mean overall instrument illumination, that's
   wrong.  Those should only be on when your headlight switch is out of
   the OFF position.

     >Key on, head lights on.

   >>>That is, if your parking lights are on, then yes, the green
   indicator light should be lit.  If your parking lights are not on, the
   green headlight indicator should not be lit.

     >Fan...out,
     heater....on,

   >>>Only if your heater blower fan is on.

     > Gen....out ,

   >>>Problem unless you have a one-wire alternator.

     >dash lights...on.

   >>>If the headlights are on, or at least in the intermediate (running
   lights) position.  Otherwise--problem.

     >Engine running.
     Fan...out,  heater....on,

   >>>If the heater fan is on.

     > gen....off,  dash lights on.

   >>>If the running lights or headlights are on.

     > The fan light
     comes on when the heater fan is on.

   >>>The HEATER light should come on when the heater fan is on.  The FAN
   light is normally not hooked up on later cars; it was only used on the
   earlier cars.  But it makes sense for ALL cars to have this.  It is a
   very simple thing to string a wire from the #2 radiator fan relay back
   to the FAN light on the dash, so that you can see when your second
   radiator fan comes on.

     > Shouldn't the gen light come on when
     the head lights are on and the engine is off?

   >>>The GEN light doesn't care about the headlights.  The GEN light
   should come on any time the key is in the run position, and the engine
   is not running.  When the engine is running, the alternator produces
   energy and that extinguishes the light.  If the battery is powering the
   car (either when the engine is not running OR if the engine is running
   and the alternator has failed for some reason), the warning light comes
   on.

     > What is the heater light for
     anyway?

   >>>It tells you the heater/blower fan is on.  As if you couldn't
   already tell by the fact that the heater/blower fan is on.  :>)  But if
   the fan motor quit for some reason yet it was still getting power, the
   fact that the light was on but the fan wasn't working would at least
   clue you in to the fact that it was (probably) getting power.

     >The way these lights are wired now is...fan(white/black)
     Heater(blue)  Gen(blue/black)  dash light(yellow/black).  Electrical
     things
     are a black art.
     Thanks again for all on this forum.

   >>>That's partially wrong.
   Black/white goes to HEATER indicator.
   Your own wire (pick a color) goes from the radiator fan relay to the
   FAN light (unless you have an mid-run Pre-L car in which case it should
   have a yellow wire from the factory, according to the diagram)
   Blue/black goes to GEN (although if you have a one-wire alternator, the
   GEN light would be on all the time because it isn't connected anymore,
   so the 'solution' is to remove the bulb, which somebody may have done
   on your car since it doesn't ever seem to work)
   White goes to the green headlight indication (right side of tach)
   Green/black goes to the blue high beam indication (left side of tach)
   Yellow/Black goes to overall instrument illumination
   I don't know squat about electricity, it's all PFM to me, but when push
   comes to shove, fortunately I know where to find info like this,
   scattered around on a half-dozen excellent schematics by Bill Taylor,
   and in desperation, also on the various factory diagrams....
   Mike