Getting wired!!!!

[71SATELITE]

Wow I hope someone has the answer to this one. All week after driving my car with the lights on the low beams would flicker after 20 minutes. I could shut them off with the switch and then turn them back onand they would be fine. I was thinking bad headlight switch, right? Well.... Then yetsreday I drove home I turned my lights on to see if they would cut out again. Well I sat in traffic forever so I cut them off. Got home shut the car off went to walk inside and wham!!!! the lights are still on. So I disconected the battery then removed the switch, reconected the battery and wham the lights are still on!! How is this possible? My car is a 71 Satellite with a 318. I recently replaced the alternator but no wiring changes. Does anybody have an idea on this one? I have a good meter if you can give me an idea of where to look. Thanks.

[71SATELITE]

Btt. Anybody know the path of electricty and what constant hot this thing could be drawing power from... anybody?

[pishta]

(this is from a 66 Satellite, dont know how much they changed)

looks like a light green 16G wire from the switch to the dimmer on the floor route the juice to the headlights, no other connection to power. BUT on the opposite side of the bulhead conector is the 12V CONSTANT oil warning indicator lamp that goes straight to the battery through the ignition switch. Maybe the bulkhead connector has arced and is giving 12v to the lights? Its a stab but something to consider. Also these are the headlights, right? Brake lights are a different matter.

[71SATELITE]

First off thanks for the reply! This is what I know, the juice is going to low beams only. Second the short is not in the engine compartment. It has to be from the conection on the fire wall to the inside. I disconected the harness at the fire wall and the lights cut off. I checked with the meter and these things are getting full battery voltage. I tryed to find the souce but so many wires in that harness have battery voltage its hard to tell. It has to be on the way back to the lights from the switch, if I could only narrow it down! The only work I have done recently was paint the car, this has me baffled! Thanks for the help any more thoughts on this?

[1972roadrunner]

if you can, one by one yank the wires out of the harness (while replacing them everytime) and see which one kills the lights. or if you have a fluke or sumthin, test the current of the wires. with all things off, i doubt there should be any current going through the wires, only volts. if you find one with current, unplug it and see what happens.

[71SATELITE]

Thanks for the reply, that was my next option. I located the correct harness. I have a real nice fluke and have tried a OHMS check but most of this car feeds off just a couple wires making it real tough to find the exact one. I am going to find the wire closest to the voltage output at the lights and give it a yank. Its a start I guess but I just hope it can lead me to the problem. Like I said it has to be somehwere after yhe switch otherwise the high beams would work to. Any more ideas on this one? I bought a Haynes manual today its realllllllyyyy gerneral for 71 B bodies. I guess if I bought a chebby I could get a manual for every year Chevette ever made! Go figure. All help and coments are welcome on this one.

[1972roadrunner]

especially with lights, trying to ohm sumthin will only get you more confused. as the light heats up, resistance increases changing the currant demand and voltage drops. if you can get to the wires easy enough, start yanking untill the lights turn off.

i've had many electical failures/problems in my roadrunner. i have 3 switches for things that quit... heater (blower motor), windsheild wipers, and clearance/interior lights (first click of headlight switch)... THEN...i have 5 more switches...fog lights, CB Radio, amplifier, NOS arm, and water pump for sprayers...