Wiring help - 1986 B body

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

Wiring help - 1986 B body

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Rats, I wish I'd known. I could have copied the wiring diagram and posted it for you before I mailed the manuals!

I can't do it right now but if you don't get an answer by later today I'll check the 87 manual. It's likely the same. If I'm remembering right the 87 didn't have fuel injection yet like the pickups did.

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

I thought the same thing this morning, but when we made the deal I didn't know where the issue was. I do believe 87 would be the same as far as that part goes.

Bob F · Guru

My first thought is to check the fuse panel, as the issue you described may have fried a few fuses (so that a variety of things don't work).

RockAuto may be a good place to get your replacement wire, as the local PickNPulls sadly don't have much 80s stuff any more.

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

Makes sense. Fuses are all good, there is clearly this wire that should be fixed before continuing to look for things as it may just be dead due to it. I think I need to confirm wire size and if a fusible link should be present to continue.

You are so right about 80s cars not being around anymore to go to the local wreckers. Ill have to find these answers so I can properly repair and replace the wires and see if things come back to life

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

So its not just one wire... looks like one chafed through and almost burnt the car down. I can hardly believe I drove this car on and off my trailer and around the block a few times. These are the starter wires that rest in the steel conduit by the starter. Ill bet the car is better with these fixed.

-- Edited by Urban_suburban on Thursday 25th of November 2021 09:31:21 AM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Rats, I forgot to check the 87 manual last night. Let me see what I can find.

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

I think I am good as far as this goes. Would be nice to confirm but the wiring was not roasted at the fusible links. It was past them up the line in the conduit

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Here's a close up from the 87 where. What I don't get is why it only shows a purple wire to the starter. Obviously there has to be a battery cable to the starter as well.

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

That looks the same as what is there. Yes not including the battery cable this is very much there. And I should have taken a photo of that mess too

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

On the right side of my picture you see 2 red wired that go into one and then continue on out the top of the picture as a single wire. That is the positive battery cable in the diagram.

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

Its alive. After replacing all the fusible links and repairing the damaged sections of wiring it powered up.

next was the task of replacing burnt out bulbs and cleaning sockets. 19 bulbs later (includes two interior bulbs) they are all working.

sadly my power seats are not moving still. I am not sure if they are stuck in the tracks or what. I think I will have to pull them out and take a closer look to see what is going on as power has been restored to them now also.

still more to do to get it mechanically fit but its coming along nicely.

Thanks everyone for your help so far.

-- Edited by Urban_suburban on Saturday 27th of November 2021 05:05:33 AM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Do the power seats make any noise, or just quiet like no power to them?

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

The make noise, one direction the sound as if they have maxed out. The passenger side doesnt sound healthy trying to move forward. The drivers just makes a click sound like its not trying to go the other direction

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Ok, it doesn't sound like stripped gears then. That was very common on these cars back in the day. We stocked the gears at our dealership, we had that much demand for them.

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

Thanks for all the help... And Carl for the books. All the electrical is sorted out. I need to rebuild the power seat transmissions once I can secure new plastic housings as mine will clearly explode when I try to take apart.

For now the car is on the ground and no longer looks like a wreck.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

4SPEED427 wrote:
Ok, it doesn't sound like stripped gears then. That was very common on these cars back in the day. We stocked the gears at our dealership, we had that much demand for them.

I bet it's just old petrified grease in the trans, slides and cables. The works sound stuck.

Nice looking Caprice by the way!

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

cdnpont wrote:
4SPEED427 wrote:
Ok, it doesn't sound like stripped gears then. That was very common on these cars back in the day. We stocked the gears at our dealership, we had that much demand for them.
I bet it's just old petrified grease in the trans, slides and cables. The works sound stuck.

Nice looking Caprice by the way!

Exactly sadly I can see the case is brittle and full of cracks. I think Ill have to bite the bullet and try the repops on eBay

65Camino · Uber Guru

They usually don't get moved very often unless there are multiple drivers. Petrification is probably the culprit

Urban_suburban · Poncho Master!

I almost bet on it for the drivers side. I think the couple may be gone on the passenger as it makes unhealthy noise