1971 c10 16 year old girl

[snipescastle2]

Picture of front light harness for a 71' Chevy...
If you look at the harness I have here, I have a chrome pointer- pointing at the ground connections for the lights. Its in the front lamp harness real close to the voltage regulator (small black box ) mounted on the radiator support, near the point the fender bolts on.
Hope that points you in the right direction...

[snipescastle2]

Another picture of a front lamp harness

[kehstr]

You are not the only one that is 16 working on one of these old trucks. Here is a link to my build, http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=7378180
it's a 1972 gmc highlander with the original paint, and has a 5.3 ls that is going in it

[Lattimer]

FWIW, after I replaced my grill and painted/powdercoated brackets and whatnot, I lost the ground on my turn signals. I ran a new wire from the metal backing of the light housings to the rad support and grounded them that way. It wasn't worth it to me to chase down why I didn't have a good ground, easier to just make a new one, unless you are striving for factory correct.

Any time a light doesn't work right on my truck, I first check the bulb itself, then the bulb connection in the socket, then the ground.

[snipescastle2]

here's a wiring schematic showing the under hood wiring and the front lamp harness... the black circles show the grounds....

[Dagr8npwrfloz]

Unless your striving for a show truck, I second the advice of just making a new ground... The others are probably correct in that the accident disturbed the ground at your radiator support. So unless you want to "inch" your way through the harness... A new one spliced in will probably get you blinking...

[klwebb]

Thanks all for the advice about the turn signals! I am going to take a closer look today, after i get the fresh professionally rebuilt carburetor back in so long to the rest of my truck money.... hopefully today ill get some driving pictures to post to the thread. Next after turn signals (and some more money) is some new tires, some gauge work, then it should be good to drive for good. After that its radio, new/old steering wheel (the current one is off a late 70s-80s pickup), and then some carpet. It will be decent looking eventually! Thanks much!

[klwebb]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

Picture of front light harness for a 71' Chevy...
If you look at the harness I have here, I have a chrome pointer- pointing at the ground connections for the lights. Its in the front lamp harness real close to the voltage regulator (small black box ) mounted on the radiator support, near the point the fender bolts on.
Hope that points you in the right direction...

Ive seen that ground connection, ill just have to make sure its on correctly. That loose wire that comes from the ground ring, what does that go to? its the same on my truck too. Dang i wish everyone commenting on this thread could just come fix it

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by klwebb

Ive seen that ground connection, ill just have to make sure its on correctly. That loose wire that comes from the ground ring, what does that go to? its the same on my truck too. Dang i wish everyone commenting on this thread could just come fix it

Might need a picture on the loose wire. Essentially if you just follow the wire harness around and find a wire with that open ring, it's likely a ground. Might try turning the ign. switch on (w/ turn sig. switch. on for that particular side), place the ground end of your test light on the positive (yes, positive) side of battery, and touch the ring, see what happens.

I have not worked on mine lately, but had issues w/ the rear bulb sockets, might keep that in mind. Have you checked all your bulbs? Turn signal bulbs are 2 element, one element can burn out, allowing brake lights to function, but not turn signals...not likely all 4 bulbs could be bad....

Carry On!!!

[benbloom]

your a badass! good for you, need more girls like you in the world, sweet truck, if your looking to do a cheap paint job, i used a roller on my k10 and it came out looking pretty presentable actually. look up 50 $ paint job, or message me if your interested

[klwebb]

Finally got the carburetor back and into the truck, it started and ran after a little adjusting and i got to drive it down the street! sounds pretty awesome too. Runs good, but wont idle down on its own. its getting there! next i've got to look at the blinkers and figure out why they're not working. Is the turn signal relay on the top of the steering column behind the gauges? After blinkers work ill be taking it down to pass emissions and then it'll be new tires as soon as i have about $250 id like to get some white rims or whitewall tires, maybe ill sell the rims that are currently on it. My dad says theyre nice pictures to come later.

[kehstr]

The relay is on the fuse box on the firewall by the ebrake, there is a relay for the hazards, and a relay for the turn signals, so you may need to replace both of them, just depending on what is working, and what is not.

[Dieselwrencher]

Congrats on your first truck! My first truck was a 70 Longhorn. Hopefully your carb idle issue is something simple. Keep at it and great work so far!

[klwebb]

CJ the Christmas truck is doing pretty good! Went to start it Sunday night and it didn't start, I'm thinking it was just cold cuz it sounded like it was trying I might need a new starter soon, but it's not an immediate threat! If y'all have Instagram, follow me @ionlyc10s (I only see tens) one account I follow called @fredstruckparts was doing a Christmas giveaway where they "filled your stocking" with truck parts from your wish list and guess who was one of the winners!!!!! Parts are expected this week, my goal of having my truck legal and driveable by the end of the year just might be possible!! Thanks to everyone for all the help. We're gettin' there!

[vics stuff]

Welcome to the site klwebb. One question I have for you , regarding the turnsignals is , when you switch the signal lever to right or left , does the signal bulbs light up and stay on ?
Vic

[klwebb]

Originally Posted by vics stuff

Welcome to the site klwebb. One question I have for you , regarding the turnsignals is , when you switch the signal lever to right or left , does the signal bulbs light up and stay on ?
Vic

The actual light doesn't do anything. Gets brighter with the brakes and stay on as driving lights. The left light on the gauge stays lit no matter what

[snipescastle2]

Any luck chasing the gremlins in your electrical system? If you haven't already, buying an inexpensive test light can be a very useful tool.
Not everybody has a muti-meter at their disposal. Basically, you take the ground clip (cord of the test light) and attach it to a good ground, might have to take a piece of sand paper and clean the surface rust off to get a good ground. You take the pointy end ( probe if you will) check each lamp socket for power at the terminals. If you have voltage available,(with the lights turned on)
You need to replace the bulbs or, check ground connections to each lamp. If you have no power available, you need to check the wiring further back towards the firewall.since your truck had damage to the front end, it's likely you have broken connections/wires in the harness. The factory grounds are probably not making a good contact to ground.if anything else, you might need to unplug the harness from the firewall/fuse block, and do a continuity check.
(Using an ohm meter/ part of a multi-meter) set the meter for the continuity setting or "OHMS" if you have continuity, the meter will read infinity (peg out) or, if you have one that reads continuity,it will beep or buzz if you have continuity( complete connection/no broken wires)
what you do is take one lead of the meter on one end of the harness, and check the opposite end with the other lead to see if you have continuity.if the harness isn't damaged, that will tell you there is a problem further towards the dash....and so on and so on....good luck!
Ben Smith

[bigmac73]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

Best way to find the ground connections is to hand over hand the wiring harness where each branch goes to the lamps. If anything else, the light harness starts at the firewall (under the brake master cylinder) the harness routes along the driver side fender and then across the core support(part where the radiator bolts up to) there will be a voltage regulator behind the driver side headlamp, inside the engine bay. you might find a couple ground wires there, but most likely, on the radiator/core support near each turn signal lamp.... I have an extra lamp harness here at work, I'll pull it out and let you know where they are for sure...when the collision happened, probably disturbed/broke the grounding connections. that's where I concentrate looking...
Happy hunting!
Ben Smith

with a name like Snipecastle2 , you must have lived in the old barracks at Great Lakes???? From One old Steamer

[snipescastle2]

well Sir,
I spent my fair share of time at "Great Mistakes" and I'm an Engineer too....
Engineman First Class, Retired of course...... Guess I'm a "seasoned engine room Snipe " I always liked that name, kinda stuck with me. Did five
"west -pac" deployments, seen my share of the Persian Gulf, that's for sure!
Ben

[Dieselwrencher]

Ben, thanks for your service!

[stsalvage]

When it comes to wire harnesses M&H Makes the best factory re pop harness around the front head light and Enginer harness with set you back 169.00 But trust me you will thank your lucky stars I own 12 Chevy trucks from 1964-72 my 1965 had all kids of wire issues then i just said to my self i was fed up with nothing working pay 600.00 for every wire harness for my 1965 3/4 ton after not one problem with my lights my relays my radio wipers heater my high beams brake lights turn singles running lights brake lights my starter my alt and drove it for 15 years and put 750,000 on it in the scrap and junking business.Had to retire here for my New 1972 3/4 ton that i spent 15,000 on just to replace my baby.Don't nickle and dime your wire harness do it right and buy from M&H wire harness company Or www.truckandcarshop.com

there system is a Plug and play system No splicing not connectors they have all New factory Plugs

[snipescastle2]

Thank You! and I'd do it all again if I had too!

klwebb,
If you need a front Light harness, I do have that extra one I posted the picture of earlier, it's collecting dust on my shelf....I also have the engine harness as well........just let me know if you need it. free, just pay for the postage
Ben Smith

[klwebb]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

Thank You! and I'd do it all again if I had too!

klwebb,
If you need a front Light harness, I do have that extra one I posted the picture of earlier, it's collecting dust on my shelf....I also have the engine harness as well........just let me know if you need it. free, just pay for the postage
Ben Smith

would having a new front harness help with the blinkers? theyre the only lights that dont work. ive looked for and at everything that people have recomended but no such luck... im debating just getting an led light strip thatll be my blinkers, reverse lights, turn signals, and brake lights

[ZacharyDouglas1992]

Originally Posted by klwebb

would having a new front harness help with the blinkers? theyre the only lights that dont work. ive looked for and at everything that people have recomended but no such luck... im debating just getting an led light strip thatll be my blinkers, reverse lights, turn signals, and brake lights

A new front harness would eliminate the chance that a piece of damaged wiring from the accident is causing your problems. It would also give you a chance to establish good grounds when you do the install.

Do you by chance know if the truck had blinker issues before the accident? This would help rule out other factors like within your steering column switch, and make it more likely that its damaged wiring or ground from the impact.

Hope you get the idle down figured out on your truck. I don't have to smog a 71' here in CA, so I am surprised you do there in AZ. I just went with an edelbrock carb. If that carb keeps giving you trouble I may still have the factory Rochester I could send your way. It ran just fine, I just HAVE to put an edelbrock in everything I've built since I put one on my Chevelle, and fell in love with how easy they are to tune/adjust/modify/rebuild.

Congrats on the truck and all the fun you're sure to have with it. If you ever need any help/guidance/pictures/ let me know, I'd be glad to use my truck as a reference.

[klwebb]

Originally Posted by ZacharyDouglas1992

A new front harness would eliminate the chance that a piece of damaged wiring from the accident is causing your problems. It would also give you a chance to establish good grounds when you do the install.

Do you by chance know if the truck had blinker issues before the accident? This would help rule out other factors like within your steering column switch, and make it more likely that its damaged wiring or ground from the impact.

Hope you get the idle down figured out on your truck. I don't have to smog a 71' here in CA, so I am surprised you do there in AZ. I just went with an edelbrock carb. If that carb keeps giving you trouble I may still have the factory Rochester I could send your way. It ran just fine, I just HAVE to put an edelbrock in everything I've built since I put one on my Chevelle, and fell in love with how easy they are to tune/adjust/modify/rebuild.

Congrats on the truck and all the fun you're sure to have with it. If you ever need any help/guidance/pictures/ let me know, I'd be glad to use my truck as a reference.

I have a question on a weird little strap ive found. its on the inside of the engine bay right next to the wheel well. to describe it best, i think it looks like a flat shoelace its connected to the frame by a little metal ring (like a ground) but looks like it was cut. Any idea what it is? i can post a picture later today