Another wiring/lighting issue

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   Electrical problems with my Matador coupe. I had removed the engine compartment wiring a while back to have the engine compartment painted (which never happened). I reinstalled the harness to get the car up and running. At least I thought it was the harness. Turns out, it was the harness from another AMC. While this was installed, I had some lights including running lights and I believe headlights.
So I found the correct wiring harness and installed it. Now the only thing that seems to work are the headlights! I get both high and low beams, but that's all. No running lights, stop lights, reverse lights, turn signals, etc. The alt light seems to stay on, too. I believe I have all the grounds hooked up, but maybe not(?). I know we put a new one from the engine to the crossmember. There's also one in the driver's side of the engine compartment that was screwed to the firewall (on bare metal) and something under the dash.

Any other ideas?

Oh, one other thing. When I pressed the horn button, I heard the horn relay click. When I went to check out the relay wiring, it zapped and smoked when I touched it, so I'm pretty sure that fried. I replaced the relay and now I get nothing. The light issue, though, has been happening since before the horn solenoid debacle. 

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imacarfan2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/01/2007 Location: Northeastern MA Status: Offline Points: 971	Post Options Post Reply Quote imacarfan2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Another wiring/lighting issue Posted: Oct/03/2019 at 2:25pm
	Electrical problems with my Matador coupe. I had removed the engine compartment wiring a while back to have the engine compartment painted (which never happened). I reinstalled the harness to get the car up and running. At least I thought it was the harness. Turns out, it was the harness from another AMC. While this was installed, I had some lights including running lights and I believe headlights. So I found the correct wiring harness and installed it. Now the only thing that seems to work are the headlights! I get both high and low beams, but that's all. No running lights, stop lights, reverse lights, turn signals, etc. The alt light seems to stay on, too. I believe I have all the grounds hooked up, but maybe not(?). I know we put a new one from the engine to the crossmember. There's also one in the driver's side of the engine compartment that was screwed to the firewall (on bare metal) and something under the dash. Any other ideas? Oh, one other thing. When I pressed the horn button, I heard the horn relay click. When I went to check out the relay wiring, it zapped and smoked when I touched it, so I'm pretty sure that fried. I replaced the relay and now I get nothing. The light issue, though, has been happening since before the horn solenoid debacle.
	67 Ambo conv 68 AMX 68 Ambo 4 door 70 Ambo 4 door (2) 71 Hornets (1 SC/360) 73 Hornet 2 door 77 Matador coupe 77 Sportabout 78 Concord 2 door 81 Concord wagon

CHAR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Nut Joined: Feb/22/2019 Location: NW Florida Status: Offline Points: 354	Post Options Post Reply Quote CHAR Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Oct/03/2019 at 3:38pm
	Whats the condition of the fuse panel and fuses? I dont know about late model Matadors, but almost everything you listed not working on your car is run from a single 20A fuse on my '72 Javelin. Stop lights are on a separate circuit. Is there a single Batt. circuit from the engine compartment/battery that feeds the panel separate from the ignition?
	72 Javelin SST P code 360/auto/AC/rear defrost /Go Pack/Polar White w blue cord interior.

imacarfan2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/01/2007 Location: Northeastern MA Status: Offline Points: 971	Post Options Post Reply Quote imacarfan2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Oct/13/2019 at 10:42pm
	So I figured out most of what the issue was. When we put the dash back in the car, some of the wiring going to the fuse box was installed upside down. Can't believe you're able to do that, but apparently this connector (has about 8 wires to it) can be installed either way. I studied the TSM and found it was backwards. I turned it around and now I have all lights except the turn signals. I checked the fuse and it's fine. I'll have to do some more digging, but I'm about 90% there. Thanks CHAR for the input!
	67 Ambo conv 68 AMX 68 Ambo 4 door 70 Ambo 4 door (2) 71 Hornets (1 SC/360) 73 Hornet 2 door 77 Matador coupe 77 Sportabout 78 Concord 2 door 81 Concord wagon

CHAR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Nut Joined: Feb/22/2019 Location: NW Florida Status: Offline Points: 354	Post Options Post Reply Quote CHAR Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Oct/14/2019 at 6:32pm
	Glad its working out. Now we are almost in the same boat. All lights work except the left rear turn/brake light. The running lights work, just cant get the secondary element to light up. For some reason the left side wire has only 10+/- Volts coming thru it when the turn signal is on, compared to the 12.5V for the right side. Good luck!
	72 Javelin SST P code 360/auto/AC/rear defrost /Go Pack/Polar White w blue cord interior.