DennisH

I have an '88 Vert with a few small electrical issues, and I wanted to see if anybody might know what the problem is.

My dome light and cigarette lighter do not work, are they connected? What usually causes the issue? I know it's not the fuses as I've checked those several times.

My dash lights and clock work intermittently, without any logical reason as far as I can tell, they are off one moment, and on the next, what could cause this?

Any ideas or suggestions are much appreciated, thanks!

clokker

iTrader: (2)

How long have you owned the car and what kind of condition is it in?

The clock problem is common, resoldering the circuit board usually solves the problem.

The cigarette lighter is a dead simple circuit, check that it gets +12v when the key is on and that the ground is good. If both those conditions are met, then the lighter will work unless the element itself is burned out, a simple and cheap fix.

The dome light doesn't work at all or just fails to light when the door opens?
Is the switch set to OFF? Do the two little map lights work?

The dash lights issue is probably the dimmer circuit in the main switch.
Can you get lights in any dimness setting?

All of these suggestions assume that the harness is in good condition, the connectors aren't corroded or loose and some yahoo hasn't been hacking away while installing a CB radio.

DennisH

I've owned it for around 6 months now, give or take a month.

I had a feeling about the clock, and I'll need to take a closer look at the cigarette lighter.

The dome light just doesn't work, I've tried new bulbs, but nothing. Switch can be on, off, etc, and even with the door, nothing happens.

The dash lights work, and then one minute they won't. The lights in the logicon/radio still work, but will go dim as the gauge panel goes completely dark. If that makes sense.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

You didn't mention condition, so I'll assume "average".

There are basically three things that could be going on:

-It's a twenty year old car and the connections are getting corroded and crispy.
Most of the connectors/sockets haven't been apart since it left the factory, maybe it lived by the ocean.

- The RX does have some commonly acknowledged weaknesses in the electrical system (your clock is probably #1, closely followed by power window switches and the wiper switch).
Fixes/workarounds are all over this forum for the typical issues (which yours mostly are).

-Over it's lifetime, who knows what indignities have been inflicted on your pride and joy by admirably enthusiastic but less than competent hacks?

You need to get very up close and personal with your car.
Spend a few hours studying the FSM schematics- the individual circuits are not that complex- until you have a grasp of the layout.
Grab your multimeter, a can of dielectric grease and a Phillips head screwdriver and start taking apart the dash.
Start with the gauge bezel and work over to the center stack.

You can test for power where it should be, burnt/melted wires/connectors, splices, etc.
Take apart every connector you can get your hands on.
Pay attention.

You'll find the problem.

Later, schedule a day to go over the whole car, doing the same thing.
Every external bulb and socket, every connection in the engine bay.

If you don't get on top of your electrical system, it will screw with you mercilessly.

DennisH

Well, for condition: Was pretty bad, much better now that I've gotten it. I'm in the middle of installing an aftermarket stereo, only to find tons of wires spliced, and some severed randomly. I constantly am finding bolts and screws missing all over the place, it's actually pretty ridiculous, so I wouldn't be surprised if the previous owner messed more than a few things up.

I'm planning to switch out my dash for a black one soon though, which should give me good access to the wires for testing I'm thinking. I'll do what you've suggested then and see what happens! Thanks for the advice.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

So, you hit the trifecta...an old car with known weaknesses AND Wolverine was the previous owner.
Congratulations on your find.

I'd hold off on your stereo install until you've removed the dash and repaired any damage.

I just finished refurbing a '90 GTU and made some mistakes that I can maybe save you from replicating. My chassis had no drivetraiin or battery, so I knew nothing of how the electrical system worked. At one point I had the entire interior stripped all the way to the firewall but, because I couldn't run the car, had no idea of what was missing/nonfunctional.

You have the luxury of knowing exactly what's wrong, so it should be easier for you.
Make a list of every little glitch you can find so when the dash is out you can address them all at one time...I'm going to have to strip mine bare again to fix/add the stuff I missed the first time (I actually kinda planned on this but you don't need to).

DennisH

I was planning to hold off at this point. I'm going to try and address the electrical issues, and the stereo and speakers I was going to rewire completely. I wanted to add some 6x9's to the read anyway, so it'll be fun. I also planned to redo the carpet, so we'll see how it all comes together.

I don't have a lot of experience with electrical stuff, but I'm pretty interested in it, and I kind of see it as a good challenge to help me learn, let's hope it works out that way.