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Gremlin Circuit Improvments

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billd View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/18/2017 at 10:49am
Amc the first? When do you believe they introduced it?
My memories of working on early Ramblers was this - 1963 for printed circuits while Plymouth/Dodge and Oldsmobile had them at least 1 or 2 years prior. 
So I looked in my old wiring diagrams - and the first indication of Rambler having a printed circuit was 1963. The others - I didn't go WAY back but indeed did find they had printed circuits before AMC did. 

Fuse panel location, I will argue your logic on that - in later years the fuses were moved AWAY from where AMC had them - why? WATER/moisture induced corrosion and oxidation. 
I have replaced countless fuse panels on AMC and the reason is always water damage. Windshield leaks accounted for a number of them, including my OWN cars - water down the firewall inside and onto the fuse panel. 
Further, it's next to the dimmer and parking brake in pre-1980 cars and in our climate, snow, rain, SALT tracked into the car from feet, etc. all led to damage. 
Many had fuses inside but AWAY from the driver's feet, and some had them on the right side. 
Grand Cherokee and a few others had fuses in the area of the glove box (FAR more convenient and cleaner and dryer) where major fuses and relays were under the hood. 
There really isn't a water problem under most hoods - not in the cars I've owned. The only real problem was when electrical circuits were closer to the early batteries and then off-gassing caused troubles within a few inches of the battery. 
With experience in auto electric dating back to the 1970s and having worked on cars dating all the way back into the 1920s, I have to say one of the worst places was where AMC had them. Especially if the windshield leaked or you lived in Iowa with wet weather and salty roads. 
I moved as much as I could of my car to the PDC........... under the hood, of my Eagle. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SCRAGTOP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/23/2017 at 7:31pm
Your culprit for the dash lights going out randomly is the light switch.  Get a NEW one... 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/23/2017 at 7:49pm
That actually is the most likely culprit. The lights for the dash, etc, go through an external switch/rheostat and that does frequently cause the lights to blink out and in, etc. It is exposed to dust, dirt, the environment behind the dash and is a common issue with dash lights.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/29/2017 at 8:13am
I've replaced a motorcycle fuse panel with a little six circuit blade fuse panel. I added a relay to power the fuse panel for good measure! The problem I had was apparently vibration. It left me stranded a couple times (about a year apart) because the wire inside the fuse had come loose from the end inside. Look at the fuses, all look good, so suspect something else. Finally check each fuse when trouble shooting... there it is!! The new blade fuses won't break inside like that.

I keep thinking I'm going to do the same to my 63 Classic. The old Ramblers have a little 6-8 circuit panel, and Bussman sells them in 4/6/8/10/12 circuit models. Most auto parts stores carry the six fuse type, have to order the others. Luckily my bike only needed 4-5. I have a secondary panel in my Rambler now to power accessories, run through a relay. I use a switch connection on the original panel to power the relay.
Frank Swygert
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