Dome light...Cigar lighter circuit physical route

[Devildog]

On my 1975 I was recently trouble shooting the lighter so I could use to charge iPhone, etc. I pulled out the lighter-ash tray assembly, I inadvertently shorted the the hot wire to the consul metal plate. I seemed to have blown the fuse, but the fuse was not blown...I replaced the fuse anyway, but no power in the circuit.

The dome lights and ignition buzzer etc do not work. I pulled the fuse panel block and I have 12 v on both ends of the fuse. There is a 12 gauge PINK wire that runs from the fuse block to initiate this circuit. (schematic attached that I down loaded).

If I run a 12v hot line to the cigar lighter terminal, the entire circuit operates...dome lights, etc. So it seems I have an open circuit (not blown fuse).

My question is where does this circuit physically route thru the car? Is there another fuse in that line? Is there a connection plug where I can test the circuit. Where does the 12 gauge PINK wire run from the back of the fuse block? the Avanti manual does not go into that detail.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Joe

Edited November 25, 2011 by Devildog

[Gunslinger]

While I don't know the wire route through the car for the dome lights (I assume you're talking about the lights over the flip-out rear windows)...I would look in two places for the wiring to them...up the driver side windshield post since that's where the wiring for the overhead switches run or along the console which follows the drive shaft tunnel up and under the rear seat. A number wires are run there through a depression molded into the floor.

I suspect up the windshield post and along the trim panel by the headliner might be where the wire is, but I really don't know. Since your lights work when adding a jumper wire to the cigar lighter, the problem must before the dome lights and not between them or only one would work. The problem is probably under the dash or inside the console where the wiring to the cigar lighter is. There's also the possibility that either a previous owner or Avanti Motors added an inline fuse in the line. Avanti Motors did a lot of adapting and when they changed to the collapsible steering columns in 1971 to meet Federal standards, the addition of the buzzer at the same time may have led them to add an inline fuse rather than change fuseboxes.

My car (1970) doesn't have the ignition buzzer so I have no idea about how it's wired.

There has to be a common point where the wires come together so if they're losing power, it must be between the fuse block and where the wires split off to the buzzer, cigar lighter and dome lights. Years ago I worked at an RV center...when we had an electrical short we couldn't find on am RV...sometimes up to 35 feet long...we would simply bypass the original wiring and run a whole new wire and repair the problem that way. You could install that jumper wire permanently and if you like add an inline fuse.

Edited November 25, 2011 by Gunslinger

[Devildog]

While I don't know the wire route through the car for the dome lights (I assume you're talking about the lights over the flip-out rear windows)...I would look in two places for the wiring to them...up the driver side windshield post since that's where the wiring for the overhead switches run or along the console which follows the drive shaft tunnel up and under the rear seat. A number wires are run there through a depression molded into the floor.

I suspect up the windshield post and along the trim panel by the headliner might be where the wire is, but I really don't know. Since your lights work when adding a jumper wire to the cigar lighter, the problem must before the dome lights and not between them or only one would work. The problem is probably under the dash or inside the console where the wiring to the cigar lighter is. There's also the possibility that either a previous owner or Avanti Motors added an inline fuse in the line. Avanti Motors did a lot of adapting and when they changed to the collapsible steering columns in 1971 to meet Federal standards, the addition of the buzzer at the same time may have led them to add an inline fuse rather than change fuseboxes.

My car (1970) doesn't have the ignition buzzer so I have no idea about how it's wired.

There has to be a common point where the wires come together so if they're losing power, it must be between the fuse block and where the wires split off to the buzzer, cigar lighter and dome lights. Years ago I worked at an RV center...when we had an electrical short we couldn't find on am RV...sometimes up to 35 feet long...we would simply bypass the original wiring and run a whole new wire and repair the problem that way. You could install that jumper wire permanently and if you like add an inline fuse.

I could not find a common point; however, I did trace the black wire (14 gauge ??) in bundle where i could access just above the accelerator pedal on firewall. So, I just tapped in there with a hot 12v wire from the left kick panel Not the best solution but all items on that circuit now work.

Thanks

Joe