fiber optics??????

[corvette66]

So there I was, I took the wiring harness out of my 69 to clean it up and re-wrap it. I noticed my blinkers and such all work off of fiber optics (I had no idea). But the problem is that right where the fiber optic lines go into the firwall they are all twisted and broke. What do i do? Change to a REAL bulb or can i get new fiber lines?

 

[red70vette]

The fiber optic light monitoring system is one of the coolest things about C3 Corvettes. Do some research on this and several other Forums and you will see that they can be repaired. The key is to cut bioth ends with a very sharp razor blade and the butt them up against each other. Here are some kits available to repair but I don't think either of these contain the connectors. You might want to try Lectric Limited's website.

I replaced my rear harness as it had other issues and the fiber optics are a joy to look at when driving especially at night. They are not necessary but they are way cool.
http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/fiberoptic.html
http://www.zip-products.com/Zip/dep...ries&mscssid=6E93071CB02C4829B6DA466CBFB94BC2

 

[6880 Mike]

Nothing actually works off the fiber optics except the fiber optics. They happen to be bundled with the electrics of the forward and rear harnesses. You can purchase a separate FO harness, but you're probably better off buying a replacement forward lamp harness with fiber optics and replacing all of it. Let's face it; if the FO is a mess, the electric harness is the same age.

You can repair/patch the FO, but any such repair loses light value to the console indicators. If you feel the existing FO harness is possibly worth saving, start by cleaning all the lenses and cable ends at the lamps and work your way back to the console.

 

[corvette66]

Wow this is really interesting to me, i have owned five or six c3's and have worked on all of them and yet never knew they had Fiber optic lights
way cool

So where does the light source come from? I have not yet crawled under the dash to look. Is it easy to get to?

So if i were to try and repair them would i use electrical tape to hold them together?

Can i just buy them new??

what year vettes had these?

 

[6880 Mike]

...Wow this is really interesting to me, i have owned five or six c3's and have worked on all of them and yet never knew they had Fiber optic lights...

68-71 only; gone starting with the '72s. The fiber optics only monitor the lights and give you a visual reference as to whether you have a lamp out. AIM will show the lenses at the lamps and routing to the console indicators.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Wow this is really interesting to me, i have owned five or six c3's and have worked on all of them and yet never knew they had Fiber optic lights
way cool

So where does the light source come from? I have not yet crawled under the dash to look. Is it easy to get to?

I think you're misunderstanding the system. These cars had regular light bulbs (lamps) no different than any other car or Corvette. The rest of the wiring and switch system was the same as other cars also.

The only additional 'feature' was individual fiber optic tubes that pointed at the filament of a lamp. The other end of the tube lead to a plastic lens mounted on the center console.

When the driver turned on the lights via the dash switch, he could expect that the plastic lens would 'glow' indicating that the corresponding lamp was working. No glow indicated that the lamp was burnt out.

Kind of '70s hokey technology, but that's what was available at the time.

 

[corvette66]

Oh OK i see how it works. So the light bulb lights up the end of the FO sending the light to the consol. haha funny thing, i wondered what that panel of bulbs on the center consol was for.

 

[73shark]

Kind of '70s hokey technology, but that's what was available at the time.

May have been hokey but it worked and now you either have to check periodically or wait for a ticket. :eek

i wondered what that panel of bulbs on the center consol was for.

They aren't bulbs but just colored plastic lenses that the lite from the fiber illuminates.

 

[6880 Mike]

...They aren't bulbs but just colored plastic lenses that the lite from the fiber illuminates. ...

Correct. No power involved with the FO system. The console lenses will get dirty over time and usually need to be cleaned. The indicators for the forward lamps angle toward the driver and are more visible from the driver's seat than they are from the passenger's side.