I was wondering if there is aqnyone in Auburn, Wa area who'd be so kind as to take a look at my 1979 Bronco and let me know exactly how bad it is.... and if you know anything about fixing the wiring, I would be more than happy to pay for it...
Need Wiring Help...BAD..!!!!
- Thread starter Jackyl16
- Start date
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My wiring is all shot...my radio comes on when it wants, havent seen my dashboard at night in over a year, my tail gate window only works when it feels like it, my dome work if you hit the roof and the driver side blinker doesn't like working..... The wiring is shot, I need to get it replaced and I have never done it before, so, thats why I was wondering if anyone on here would be willing to do it (with me paying and all) so I could learn how to do it myself also....
BroncoJoe19
Active member
Jackyl16,
I would like to suggest that you try to get a copy of the EVTM Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual for your '79 Bronco. They are often available on ebay.
Also get yourself a voltmeter/continuity tester.
Armed with both, and a little guidance and a lot of patience, you should be able to find the problems yourself.
Overall it sounds like you have loose, dirty, or corroded connections.
I would like to suggest that you try to get a copy of the EVTM Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual for your '79 Bronco. They are often available on ebay.
Also get yourself a voltmeter/continuity tester.
Armed with both, and a little guidance and a lot of patience, you should be able to find the problems yourself.
Overall it sounds like you have loose, dirty, or corroded connections.
Ya not to mention cracked, broken, rotten wires most likely. You figure out how to do it yourself and you will grow attached to that machine like you never thought possible. Noone is born knowing how to fix autos, you have to learn. I personally would look around and try and find a new wiring harness. Assuming of course yours is in the condition I previously described. Its not as hard as it sounds.
thanks for the help all....I finally got my rear window up, but now my ds tail light is out....go figure....so, I have decided in a few monthsw to due a total change of the wiring, it is orginal after all, 29 years old....I have been looking around, Painless and Ron Francis both have a good set of harness for the Bronco, but, nieghter have a 79 Bronco in there cats...has anyone ever delt with them and are the 77 Harness the same as for the 79? I have tried calling durning my lunch hour and I am out on hold, so, cant talk to anyone about it....btw, I'll prob. go with the Ron Francis Wiring, anyone delt with them? How are they? How are there wires? Instructions? Fuse panels?
Thanks again all....
Thanks again all....
J&SBroncolvrs
New member
I'm an electrician by trade, and my advice is to go through the system and check all the grounds. Grounds are always connected to the chassis and almost always are the source of your problem. They get rusty and even if they don't look like they are bad, they can be. You can even get a voltage reading sometimes, but the ground is still too bad to let current flow enough to light up lights, etc. Also being an older truck, there could be alot of wires repaired by crimp on connections. Unless they have been waterproofed by heat shrinking them, they will most likely be corroded as well. Replace them and heat shrink them. Electrical tape doesn't count. Check both these things before you go buying wireing harnesses, as that can seem like an impossible task. Hope this helps, good luck!
welps, after hours of researching, and thought, and looking at my money, and the investment into my beautiful truck, I have decided that I will go ahead, strip the truck and re-wire the whole thing. not saying it would be easy, but, I think it'd be fun, give me a chance to do a few little things I wanna do to her, hook up a better radio, ect.... I am looking at a few wiring companies, and since I have never done this before, but, I believe it'd be a great learning experience and a fun and challenging task..any input you all have will be takin..thanks for the help so far and I am sure with the coming months more questions are going to be asked....
J&SBroncolvrs
New member
BroncoJoe19
Active member
welps, after hours of researching, and thought, and looking at my money, and the investment into my beautiful truck, I have decided that I will go ahead, strip the truck and re-wire the whole thing.
Seems to me, (and I might be wrong) that the $1000 cost of getting a painless or Ron Harris wiring harness may be a little out of your reach. Especially when one can buy a fully functioning bronco for the same price. I agree.. I would be very hard pressed to put that much money into a wiring harness.
For you to try to recreate the entire wiring harness sees to me to be a bot of overkill. Why not just do as J&S___ stated and check and clean all of your connections?
Seems to me, (and I might be wrong) that the $1000 cost of getting a painless or Ron Harris wiring harness may be a little out of your reach. Especially when one can buy a fully functioning bronco for the same price. I agree.. I would be very hard pressed to put that much money into a wiring harness.
For you to try to recreate the entire wiring harness sees to me to be a bot of overkill. Why not just do as J&S___ stated and check and clean all of your connections?
Well, I can say that, I am the second owner of this truck. My in-laws bought it brand new in '79, so, tha being said, if I pay 1000 bucks for a wiring harness, i
t is money well spent. It'd be pointless for me to buy another Bronco that may or may not have the same problem, and not know any history of it.
Granted, 1000 bucks is kind of hard to part with for something such as this, but, with this truck being as clean as it is (the wiring issue is the only thing wrong with it)
I dont see me throwing the truck away, and besides, I get to learn how to re-wire a vechile....that in it's self is gonna be more than money can buy.
Seabronc
New member
To be quite honest with you, when it comes to that level of rewiring, the best way is to rip everything out and make the new harness work. Approach it by function, and test as you go, don't wait till you have the whole thing done to turn the key. Start with engine functions, Ignition, Start and run, charging circuit. Once you have these functions installed test it and then go on to lighting, test. Then other functions, one at a time and test. Hook up instruments as required. If at any point the testing fails, determine why and fix it before moving on. If you wait till the whole rewiring job is done before testing you will probably have a night mare on your hands. Get an EVTM for the truck to help make the job easier, it is laid out by function. All you are doing is replacing the factory harness with new wires, don't do anything extra until all the stock functions are working. If they are currently working, functions like dash lights, courtesy lights, radio, clock, etc. you may want to consider leaving them alone.
Take your time and Good luck,
>-
Take your time and Good luck,
>-To be quite honest with you, when it comes to that level of rewiring, the best way is to rip everything out and make the new harness work. Approach it by function, and test as you go, don't wait till you have the whole thing done to turn the key. Start with engine functions, Ignition, Start and run, charging circuit. Once you have these functions installed test it and then go on to lighting, test. Then other functions, one at a time and test. Hook up instruments as required. If at any point the testing fails, determine why and fix it before moving on. If you wait till the whole rewiring job is done before testing you will probably have a night mare on your hands. Get an EVTM for the truck to help make the job easier, it is laid out by function. All you are doing is replacing the factory harness with new wires, don't do anything extra until all the stock functions are working. If they are currently working, functions like dash lights, courtesy lights, radio, clock, etc. you may want to consider leaving them alone.
Take your time and Good luck,
Hey thanks, I will do the way you said...It wont be for a few more months, but, yeah, one fuction at a time....thanks...
