what I found for the day!
Well I am trying to get my X more in line for a road trip. The other day I decided to tackle the gauge cluster. Many of the lights were burned out, Fuel gauge in-op(reads full all the time) and all the screws were missing, clear plastic face has rounded stress cracks though the entire piece.
removed it and came into the house with it to clean, and L.E.D. the thing. I swapped fuel gauges from another cluster (other one looks better) and maybe the problem is on this end, ok done.
It lights up SOOOO much better now.
I installed it only to find the oil psi light is now on with the key all the time, Break light is on all the time, and now the charging system is no longer working. grrrrrrr ok it
HAS to be what I just did.. ok charging, I remember this being talked about how the stock alt needs the dash lamp to work, so I swapped that back, still no go. (about now the sun is going down and I am working out side so in for the night to stew on it all.
This morning I tear into the rear access hatch to gain access to the wires on the alt, (at this point I am SURE it's something I messed up at the dash but I can't find it for the life of me. all the bottem bolts on the access hatch are rusted in three of them I was able to visegrip them to start them, then a screw driver, (one of them I had to grind the head off {I was able to extract it after the hatch was removed})
Just before I go to try to access the alt wires I take a close look at the belt (that is sitting VERY low in the pully) reach over and give the fan a fling and it spins,,,, oh my God The alt was working fine the day before I started the L.E.D. upgrade.... oh well easy fix (tightened the belt, re-started the car and now it works boy did I feel dumb, but three unrelated things stop at the same time I am fixing a 4th things.... ok off to town to get a belt and new hardware for the hatch. (Did you know those metric threads fit perfect into a standard thread pitch as well). (Did buy the metric thread and they went in perfect).
Ok.. Alt Check and fixed.
Now about that darn break light. Well I tugged and pulled, pushed and wiggled the e-break thinking maybe I did something or nudged that switch.. nope.. Pull the wire from the break fluid holder and the light on the dash goes out.. (what the heck) take the cap off and the float it no longer attached and is stuck in a corner of the holder, (bring it back to the center where it will push up on the switch in the cap and now the light it out) (ok not really fixed but some time down the road. not an issue and the light will come on if I get low on fluid so I'm ok with that one).
break light,, ok check.
Ok oil light. Well next step would be to unplug the sending unit and I can't quite reach it with my left hand (I"m right handed and recovering from a broken right wrist so in the brace is NOT going in their).
both seat tilts are rusted in place have not been able to tilt the seats. so another trip into town got some wd-40 penitrating oil, (and some hardware to install the drivers door card (more on that later))
I soak the working parts a BUNCH. Carpet is already trashed, seats are nasty so as long as I don't get the oil where it's going to get on the clothing I am good with stains under the seat. I am sure their already their. After a lot of soaking I still can't move them by hand, so I get a large pry bar and tell My self be gentle don't break them if they don't move a little today maybe in some time they will, I get a little wiggle, more oil, more wiggle (got them and the seat belts freed up!! So now I can get into the spair tire compartment, WHAT THE HECK their is a brain box, must the Fuel injection controler. ok focus Rod, focus get the access to the dizzy removed and I can unplug the oil sending unit and the flipping light goes out......
Grrrrrrrrr Three totally seperate systems all malfunction at the same time I update the dash board... ?? anyone here good with math. what are the chances!!!.
When I was in their I also swapped speedo's As the old one I could not re-set the trip meter and I don't know if I have a working fuel gauge yet so next best is a trip meter.
The speedo I removed had two wires going out of it (one went to ground on the cluster) (the other Yellow with a red strip went behind the radio to a screw together connector that I sorta remember seeing things similar on my 79. (I am guessing that has something to do with the mileage counter to do emissions maintenance. (If anyone knows please confirm) I have not been able to test the speedo yet.) I think I saw the mileage counter behind the ash tray in the center console. I f that is indeed what that is I should be able to safely removed it.
I did get the drivers door card installed and looks way better then a bare door (turns out 1 of the 3 screws is stripped for the arm rest) so I will be going back in their, but the power windows now work.
Did not take a lot of progress pictures (should learn to do that) Kinda feel a little embarrassed with the quality of the work some posters put. I hope to get part that good but this is what I got and doing what I can with what I have!!
unplugged the wiper motor (you know how nasty dry wipers with stuff sitting on them sound when your working on the dash and bump the wiper switch!!
I did find a posting (can't find it now of course) where this set of three wires is soldered into a round terminal (where is the round terminal then supposed to go) And where is the best place to add another power wire to the fuse panel. I will be using relay's to take the head lights, wipers off the stock system maybe the rear defrost, head light motors and heater fan).
I did take the windows switches apart as described here (thank you very much for that great wright up. I am sure I would have destroyed at least one before figuring out how to take them apart! I was surprised how well Vaseline did for cleaning up the appearance of the switch. Filled the contacts and a little lube at the movement points and they work great (still think I am going to do the relay upgrade though was not supper impressed with the voltage at the motors)
Kinda what started this part of the adventure removing the toggle switches and installing a NEW after market ignition switch. (though I did remove the only start once "safety" fetcher) and no key in the ignition harness, I would have unplugged that if it had it before anyway).
somewhere back their. their is now an open hold where the oil sending unit used to be. need to replace it. I don't think it "needs" to be a fiat part it just run's an idiot light. Not sure if you can see it their is an uninsulated connection I need to check into Blue wire on the right of the picture.
Still need to take it off again but I just had to put something together!!! It already had holes for screws so I got new screws and attached it the same way it was before.
Boy sun glare is bad. but It still has the frunk carpet and vacuumed out nice and found no rot under. (a few plugs were missing that I think helped to keep the frunk drained.
Very pleased that I have found VERY little in the way of PO wire cutting/splicing!! even the after market radio was installed with spade connectors into the harness connector! (would love to find a harness to plug into that!)
Any thoughts, sugestions, see something I missed. please say so!!
I am feeling SOOOOO much better then last night!!
