Bubba worked on my car

[Achilles]

I just finished replacing my Power Brake Booster on my 86 last weekend and it was everything everyone said it would be to replace. While I was under the dash removing the booster rod from the brake pedal, I noticed alot of my wiring is spliced and taped together....Damn! Bubba has been here. This could explain why nothing works in the center bezel. It could also explain why I had some sizzle and smoke come from the dash a few months back. The car runs fine, but I hate having stuff "Mickey Moused" together. Does anyone know where I can get a new (or used) wire harness? And, are there multiple harnesses or just one wire loom under the dash? Seems like a saw a post here once of someone's dash taken apart. Not looking forward to this project.

 

[RWDsmoke]

Must have been the same guy that worked on mine! Just strip, twist together and tape! That's how my headlights and motors were. Bubba must have broken all the connectors trying to take them apart. Fix anything with a hammer and pliers!!! At least he used electrical tape and not duct tape! Painless makes weathertite connectors that should work for me. For perminent splices I like to solder and heat shrink.

 

[tigmaned]

know the hot rodders call painless but not sure they make them for our C4's or not?

 

[JimVette]

If you go with changing the harness only go with a new one. Removing one from one car to another will cause problems with shorts, exposed wire and other electrical problems.

 

[WhalePirot]

Yikes! What a nightmare!

Ken posgted pics of his change to an analog dash, through a guy in Murrietta or Corona, CA.

Depending on how many wires are MM'ed, a harness might be more work than matching wire colors and fixing. I am with RWD on the solder/shrink method.

I have '84 and '87 manuals, but neither has much on wiring harnesses.

 

[Achilles]

That my be the easiest option. since I don't really know what needs replacing. One thing I did notice is a wire jumping around some type of relay (or switch?) to another wire. What a mess:eyerole

 

[DMGroh]

If you go with changing the harness only go with a new one. Removing one from one car to another will cause problems with shorts, exposed wire and other electrical problems.

I agree. There were several posts about the insulation of the harness being upgraded in the early 90's. Before that, the insulation was prone to cracking and disintegrating.

 

[rrubel]

One thing I did notice is a wire jumping around some type of relay (or switch?) to another wire. What a mess:eyerole

Wonder if that's a poor man's VATS bypass...
[RICHR]