1966 steering column wiring question 66 gurus please help!

[mattyq17]

So I traced the wires and this is what I came up with.

Green with red stripe wire from brake switch goes to turn signal flasher with orange and yellow stripe wire connected together to one post of the flasher, blue wire to the other post, power when key is on.

Green wire from brake switch under dash, back out down to the frame rail neither have power with key off or brake applied.

I am going to get this figured out even if I have to take the damn wiring harness apart just so I can feel like I have accomplished something.....

 

[DirtDonk]

I forget if we discussed this or not, but if you have a brake switch under the dash, then you don't use the one on the master cylinder. And vice versa.
You don't need, or want, two switches acting on a single circuit.

Are your pedals upgraded to later model with a switch?

Paul

 

[mattyq17]

No switch on the pedal that I see Paul, just rust. %)

 

[mattyq17]

Some progress, found a loose wire on the starter relay, got that fixed and the blinkers now work, kinda. If I use the yellow wire 460 I get a good bright blinker, did this as a test. The orange/yellow stripe wire that actually goes to the flasher, well it works sometimes and other times not at all. That’s the one that has the burn mark on it that dirt donk pointed out. Going to have some time this weekend to work on it more so I will update then, hoping with working blinkers, brake lights, hazards, and horn. Wish me luck.

 

[okie4570]

Sent you a pic of the connector Matt did you receive it?

 

[mattyq17]

Okie, I don’t have cell service at my house but I am sure I will get it when I go into town tomorrow I will text you and let you know. Thanks for sending it.

 

[mattyq17]

I have a question as I should be working but keep thinking about working on the bronco. What would happen if I switch the orange/yellow wire from the turn signal flasher with the orange/yellow wire from the hazard flasher? I don't remember if they both branch off the same area of the fuse panel or if they come from a different buss bars. Let me know if this will work or not or if I should get back to work and think about the bronco when I get home.

 

[DirtDonk]

Different buss-bars, and different function (normally) at least on later EB's.
Remember the turn signal switch/flasher function is only energized with the key on. Whereas the hazard flasher circuit is hot all the time.

So if nothing is different on this '66 in that regard, you'd still have the function of both if yous switch the wires, but you'd have the turn signals available all the time and the hazards only with the key in RUN or ACC.

Not the most desirable combination. The first time you bump the turn signal lever getting out of the truck and don't notice the lights flashing, you'll be trying to re-wire it.

But just for the record, all the diagrams (as we've discussed, showing a later version than the early '66's had) show the two as having completely different colored wires.
On those plans, the turn signal is Orange w/yellow, and the hazard is Red w/white stripe.
So unless your red has faded to Orange, anything could be true here. Have you verified the function of each one? With the key or without?

Paul

 

[mattyq17]

Paul, I pulled the dash mounted hazard switch last night as I won't be using it (new column with hazard there) and the wire is definitely orange w/yellow stripe same as turn signal wire. I will take a picture when I get home and post it up.

I know that the orange w/yellow stripe turn signal wire only has power when the key is on. I will have to check the hazard wire tonight.

 

[mattyq17]

Here are some pictures Paul. The first picture is of hazard wire and it has power with the key off. The second picture is of the turn signal wire and it sometimes has power with the key on and sometimes not, definitely need to trace that wire and see why this is. Both look orange w/yellow stripe to me.

 

[DirtDonk]

Yep, sure do look that way to me too. Too bad they were so muddled up when they were putting the very early Broncos together. Kind of makes one more "unique feature" of your Bronco.
But not always in a good way...%)

With an intermittent power supply, you definitely need to track that down. It might be due to something that is causing trouble elsewhere. Be cool to fix one thing only to find out it fixes three more!

Paul

 

[mattyq17]

Success!!! I cleaned the fuse box up again and that seemed to fix the intermittent power problem. The new column is all wired up and I have turn signals brake lights hazards and horn. Thanks Dirt Donk and Viper for the help I needed it and Now have a better understanding of the wiring.

One question where should the fuse box be mounted? On the 69 I owned it was over by the emergency brake but this one is just hanging in the middle of the firewall right where the wires enter from the engine compartment. Time to do some internet searching.

 

[1strodeo]

I haven’t seen mine in a while but I think it was mounted above and a bit to the right of the accelerator pedal

 

[mattyq17]

Thanks rodeo thinking back I believe that is where it was in my old 69 as well. The 70 I had, had an aftermarket fuse panel mounted by the emergency brake I was getting them confused. Just need to get back under the dash and look for screw holes that line up with it.

I took the emergency flasher off the dash and this is the bracket, funny that you would never see the “emergency flasher” since it’s behind the dash and the bezel is blank

 

[DirtDonk]

Hey! A good result!
What rodeo said about the mounting. Up until late '70 or so, they were mounted on the floor/firewall pretty much right on top of where the wires from the two connectors come through. So look for the holes thereabouts.

That was actually one of the other issues with this location in fact. Aside from being in harm's way for most environmental issues (rust, mud, etc) I've seen wires passing through the firewall that were pinched by the fuse panel and eventually wore through the insulator until it shorted out.

I've never tried this, but now that you have your fuse panel all cleaned up, and being something you'll likely never have to take out again unless there's an issue, what about painting or "potting" the backside of the panel?

Painting seems like a good idea and unless you missed some corrosion or a bad connection, there should never be enough heat to cause trouble. But after paint has cured it's not really a fire hazard any more than the plastic resin of the panel itself is. Maybe a little more, but it would take a lot of heat to get there.

On the other hand, potting it would seem a good way to keep mother nature at bay, and away from the contacts.
Either a true potting material (I'm sure it's available somewhere) or just silicone sealer?

At the absolute very least though, a spray type metal rust block would be a good idear I think.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

I was going to add, that maybe the others who're more expert in that field would care to chime in with a yay-or-nay to the potting or painting idea.
If there's a good reason not to, it would be good to hear.

Paul