Centech Harness questions... Here's a tip!

[tk1218]

Let me know if you want some help (not sure I will be any help).

I just got the Painless from WH and am about to install and would like to see what you are doing.

 

[Nightstick]

Okay... Me and Izzy tackled the engine portion and most of the dash this evening. Here are my questions so far.

1. The wiper switch that comes with the harness doesn't seem to fit any of the holes in the dash. The bezel has a key on it, and the only hole I have left that has a key on it is the ignition. Is this normal? PROBLEM SOLVED

2. Why are there horn wires on both sides of the engine harness? I'm thinking it so you can put the horn on either side, correct me if I'm wrong.

3. The rear lights seem pretty straight forward, I'd just like some advice on where to cut and connect the plug. It seems like doing it up in the cavity close to where it splits to marker/tail light would be the best since it would be shielded from the elements there. We spliced and wired everything up this morning, but I have a follow-up question. The ground strap that comes off the housing side of the connector, where does it go? Does it get bolted to the housing itself?

4. I did an NP435 swap, how do I wire a backup light switch?

5. The rear portion of the harness is quite a bit longer than needed. Did you cut and re-solder or just tie it up?

The turd didn't have a glovebox, so I took the one out of the 74, but 37 year old cardboard doesn't hold up well and it's toast. I'm gonna have to order the centech glovebox I guess, no biggie. Overall, I'm pleased with how the install is going so far. Izzy and I have done a lotta work on each others broncos (mostly mine) and we've determined that he's a lot better at reading instructions and being able to understand them, so he's very handy to have helping me, thanks buddy!

 

[Nightstick]

Bump....

Edit: After a search it appears the extra ground wire coming off the housing side of the harness is the ground for the backup lamp. Any takers on the other questions?

I also found the info I need for the NP435 backup switch.

 

[DirtDonk]

2. Why are there horn wires on both sides of the engine harness? I'm thinking it so you can put the horn on either side, correct me if I'm wrong.

Semi-correct. Some EB's actually came with high/low horns from the factory. I don't know if they always were on both sides of the rig, or were ever both on the same side though.
Otherwise, it's as you say and you can use either side you prefer. I just hooked up two aftermarket horns on a Bronco and used one on each side.

3. The rear lights seem pretty straight forward, I'd just like some advice on where to cut and connect the plug. It seems like doing it up in the cavity close to where it splits to marker/tail light would be the best since it would be shielded from the elements there. We spliced and wired everything up this morning, but I have a follow-up question. The ground strap that comes off the housing side of the connector, where does it go? Does it get bolted to the housing itself?

I know you said you got this already, but yeah, the logical place for the main connector is there inside the housing, and that's where I put the grounds too. Just a sheet metal screw into a hole, or a self-tapping screw makes quick work of it.
Pretty sure though that the ground is for the backup lamps AND the others as well.

5. The rear portion of the harness is quite a bit longer than needed. Did you cut and re-solder or just tie it up?

Don't know why the newer ones are so long, but I've simply tried to wad it all up without cutting. Should be more reliable in the long-run that way.
Frankly though, the last one I did was so long that I'm still considering cutting it up and splicing it back together. There's just only so many feet of wire you can hide like that!
All in all, I'd say that the main rear harness had about 3 feet too much wire and the Pink fuel tank sender wires are probably 6 feet too long! I know there are gas tank options to take into account, including some on the passenger side, but I still don't think that 6 feet is needed.
Do what you think best here.

Sounds like progress!!!

Paul

 

[bjack]

Not trying to Hijack the thread but I'm in the middle of the same thing and was wondering what everyone is doing for mounting the rear harness on the frame rail. My factory clips are definately not reusable.

 

[DirtDonk]

I used the simple steel loop-clips with the rubber insulators that you can buy in various sizes from any parts/hardware store.
I never really used to like the way they looked (too "basic") but after using them extensively on the last project, they work very well and don't look too shabby after all.

And they're not that expensive, as clips go.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

And regarding that extra length Nightstick, have you already terminated the tail light wires? Sounds like you did, but thought I'd ask anyway.
What I was thinking is that you can eliminate the extra length of wire at the ends, rather than somewhere in the middle and having to create new connection points.

The issue should only be where Centech has mounted their breakouts for the different branches, such as the fuel sender wires and where the two halves split apart for the left and right tail light segments.
You could simply put the fixtures farther up the split-loom, where they're needed, and then cut off all the extra wire way out back at the ends.

Haven't tried it yet myself, but it might work.

Paul

 

[Nightstick]

After taking a short break from working on this rig, I got back on it. Yesterday I hooked up power to see if anything would work, then see if it would turn over.

I hooked the tach ground up to the positive side (oops) so I might have toasted that, but I didn't correctly hook it up and verify that yet. Tail lights came on, but the turn signals wouldn't work. However I did turn it over for a few seconds and it seems like it wants to fire up. I haven't permanently mounted the radiator, so I didn't wanna run it just yet. I was very happy I got it to turn over though ;D

I can see there are quite a few threads on turn signal issues after people install the centech harnesses. I didn't get a chance to try and work mine out, but I'm sure with all the previous threads I can figure it out. If anyone wants to play "guess what problem" it is though I'll tell you what my setup is... it's in a 70, but I used a 74 column, and wired it using the "late-model" wiring codes. I don't have a brake light switch hooked up, nor do I have any side marker, front turn signal, or headlights hooked up (I haven't installed the fenders/grille yet).

When I turned on the headlights/taillights they seems kinda bright which makes me think that I might have wired the brake lamp to the tail lamp circuit, I'll have to verify that though. I won't have a chance to work on it until monday.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Might be nothing wrong. Without all the bulbs in place you might not have enough current to activate the flasher. Finish the job first, then look for problems.

 

[Nightstick]

Might be nothing wrong. Without all the bulbs in place you might not have enough current to activate the flasher. Finish the job first, then look for problems.

Point taken, just getting excited to start driving this beast. Thanks

 

[DirtDonk]

That's always the hard part of this whole thing. Might as well just hide the battery from yourself until it's ready for prime-time.
Just don't forget where you done and hid it, or we'll be getting letters from your family asking why you're scrounging around all the household crap drawers looking for a good 9v radio battery!

Paul

 

[Nightstick]

I wouldn't dare doing something like that. I "strategically place" things around the house and shop all the time, where I KNOW I'll remember where it is when I need it. When the time comes that I need it, it's no where to be found. The good thing is that nothing caught on fire, so I'm happy.

 

[mikeginn]

Not trying to Hijack the thread but I'm in the middle of the same thing and was wondering what everyone is doing for mounting the rear harness on the frame rail. My factory clips are definately not reusable.

I plan on using this to attach my brake, fuel, and electric to the frame
http://www.bcbroncos.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=933

got it already and it looks nice.

 

[DirtDonk]

Yeah, those are sweet clamps. Probably not much room for wires though, I'm thinkin'. Does it come with any other wire-specific clamps too? Or just the ones in the pics?
Either way, it's a clean setup and all the ones I've seen on Bronco frames really dress up the underside.

Paul

 

[Nightstick]

Tom and I are trying to fix our issues with brake/turn/flashers... I hooked up the brake light switch today and the driver's side works fine. DS turn signal and flasher also works fine. Tail light is the only light that works on the passenger side. After looking at the diagram, it would make sense that I have a bad switch in the column since the brake/turn/flasher are all routed through there.

I took this column off the 74 and it has been a while since it ran. If I remember correctly though, that flasher (etc) didn't work when it was on that bronco either. I verified the ground is good.

P.S. ya can't test the turn signal unless the key is in the ON position %)

Wish I would replaced the switch when I had the dash and column out.

 

[Nightstick]

I guess I should ask the question I had... Is there something I can tweak to make it work, so I don't have to replace the whole switch?

 

[Viperwolf1]

Sometimes you can bend the wire contacts inside the switch to make it work.

 

[DirtDonk]

I don't remember if you said, but you did verify that there is no power coming out that wire (to the turn signals) at the column connector? Just wondering, so you can be sure that it's at the switch, and not something to do with the wires in the rear harness.

Chasing tails can be good, as long as it's not your own...

Paul

 

[Nightstick]

Alright... well I replaced the turn signal switch and here's what I got. Just a reminder, there's a new Centech Harness in it.

- No Brake lamps (driver's worked before)
- Front passenger turn signal is dim, and running lamp doesn't come on (I'm assuming because there's not enough power getting there)
- Everything else works, I even have two hazard switches (one on dash, one on column)

Here's what I ran into while replacing the turn signal switch... I got the replacement switch from WH. I got it for a 74 because thats the column that's in the bronco even though it's a 70. All but two of the wires in the new switch were the same colors as the old ones. Those wires were the L terminal (Turn Signal flasher) and N terminal (Passenger stop lamp). Going off the Early/Mid/Late year wiring colors I used the mid. However since everything works, but the brake lamps I assume the other should be in the correct terminals. The pedal switch is new as well.

Any guesses?

 

[Nightstick]

Okay, got the brake light thing figured out. Has to do with the pedal not depressing the switch to run voltage to the lamps. I tested the switch and get continuity when it's depressed, no continuity when not depressed. Held the wires together and the lamps light up. I put the switch back on the pedal, and i get nothing. No continuity when the pedal is pressed. This is weird!

Is there supposed to be something between the MC rod and the switch?

I'm still working on the low volts to the front turn signal.