Guest Anthenium Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Okay, here's how my weekend went!I am the PROUD owner of a '90 YBB Twin-Cam/5 Speed. This is my 2nd summer with this car, and it had some minor issues since I've had her. The passenger door controls were "dead". The door had to be opened from the outside, window & door locks were inoperable. I've been putting it off, since I open the door for my wife anyways. Well, recently several other "Minor" problems have arrisen, all of an electrical nature. Brake lights no longer work, the button in the glove box that "Pops the Trunk" doesn't work, the radio quit working, and the clock comes on at 12:00, and shuts itself off when I turn the key off. Okay, so I figure I'll make a day of it, and address these issues. Starting with the electrical, I went to the brake lights. 2 Blown Bulbs! Easy fix, right? Nope. Replaced the bulbs, and NADA! Well, the Flashers DO work now. But no brake light activity. Fuse! Nope, it's good. I pulled out the Trusty Chrysler TC repair manual. The only thing even remotely related to Brake Lights issues is the sensor on the pedal. I tried to locate it, and it is Buried! I pulled off the Fuse panel, and the shroud surrounding the steering column. Okay. Tony Zero, Car One...I tried to find an explaination for the Radio/Clock & Trunk release. Fuses were good, and I could find no other relays or breakers to fuss with. Since I'm fairly "Electronically Challeneged" I figure this was looking more and more like a job for "The Shop". On to the door. Mechanical! More along my kind of problem!I peeled the door cover off, and the first thing I noticed was that the lock & door handle rods were attached to the wrong Handles! Easy Fix! Switch the rods, close the door, and everything is working. Door locks, unlocks Manually & Electricly, and the door opens from inside the car! (Opening from only the outside lead to a couple of Pretty uncomfortable Moments while having a Male Passenger!) Great! Something was accomplished, and I put the door panel back on, test the window, and door locks, Everything is working! Then I closed the door...The door will NOT open from inside, or outside the car. The electric lock switch will LOCK the door, but only the Drivers side will unlock it. Manual works too. The window switch is not working either...And, as I mentioned the door will NOT open at all.I took all the fasteners off the door panel, but of course it will not come off. I can get inside the door from the top of the panel by pulling it away, and a little from the opening in the door itself, by snaking my arm in between the panel. I have a couple of nice scratches, but I have SOME access. Everything seems to be moving as it should, but the latch is NOT releasing. After 2+ hours of trying to find the Magic lever inside the door, I wrapped up the car, put it back in the garage, and enjoyed the rest of my day...My plan at this point is to use the drivers door to try and discover a way to "POP" the latch. It's probably on the Bottom of the latch, where I have almost no access, and even less leverage. Once I get the door opened, I'll look into replacing the latch. I'm assuming this is NOT a TC only part, and will be easily found. Unless any of you Fine People have any suggestions, I'll take the car to "The Shop" for the electrical issues.So how was your weekend?Fat Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LouZ Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Hey Tony, I think I would try a "Slim Jim" to open the door lock from the outside. In case they don't call them by the same name in your part of the country, That is the thin metal door opening tool mechanics use to open doors when they are locked and there is no key, or it's locked with the keys inside.. Good Luck, Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LouZ Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Now Electrical, From the pos. post of the battery there is a heavy ga. wire with a slightly larger torpedo shaped connector built in.This is the connector for the "Fuseable Links" the feed all the electricity to your car. Open this connector and make sure the male and female connectors fit tight. Then follow that a couple of inches, it seperates into a bunch of "Fuseable Links" check all the links. The outside of the wire will not show any damage but by running your finfers over them one at a time and squeezing you should feel the void where the inside wire has blown out. Experienced techs pull & squeeze at the same time as they run there fingers along the full length of these wires and find the blown one real easy. The wire will stretch and you will also feel a hollow/empty spot. GL Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anthenium Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Hi Lou,I wish it was that simple. The door does unlock, but the latch isn't releasing inside the mechanism. I'm hoping that when I go home tonight the door will somehow MIRACULOUSLY open for me. But I think I'm in for a BEAR.Thanks for the reply, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anthenium Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 AH!! Yes, I've seen this Torpedo shaped "Monster!" I'll give it a feel tonight. If I find one is it pretty easy to replace? ANd then there's the matter of WHY it blew in the first place...Thanks again!Fat TOny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LouZ Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Parts stores hav an attachment to put under the nut on the battery cable. the one I found locally fits 3 spade terminals. I only needed 1 so I made 3 8ga. wires connected them with female spade terminals at the battery ends. I used barrell connectors on the car end. Then I put a replacement fuseable link on the car end and connected it to the car wire just past the fuseable connection bypassing the bad link without removeng it.. couple of tie wraps looks like factory.. Those links protect the wiring before it gets to the fuse so anything could happen.. My radio worked fine before I replaced the link.. It worked better after. Links feed more than 1 circuit. my Radio problem was probably Voltage Drop on the radio line and only God knows what else..1 more thing.. When I put one of those attachments on a battery post I always replace the battery clamp bolt with a new one, sometimes drilling out the 1/4" to 5/16" and adding another nut to the outside for the wire attachment. I have nuts with shakeproof (star)washers built on them and I always use one of them.. LZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Reichert Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 And I thought I was having a bad time!Here is a picture of the latch in a Mopar. The rod showing is for the inside door latch. It goes forward to open the door. Should be the same on the TC. The outside one is buried. You need the door panel off to get to that one. Note the little white clip on the rod at the mechanism. They break. That's probably why the outside handle doesn't work. I'm guessing you broke the one in the picture when you got in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anthenium Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 No, nothing is broken. I had to swap the 2 rods for Lock and Latch back to their correct handles and I was very careful not to break them. I can get into the door with it closed by removing all the fasteners to the panel, and lifting the top up and away. Everything is connected & moving. It's just not releasing the latch. I think I need to get to the bottom. I'll try to take some Pic'sI'm not going to be able to mess with this for a while now. My band has a show in Nashville this weekend, and I'm going in for surgery on my knee the following Thursday. I'm hoping to make a pass or 2 down Woodward during the Dream Cruise on Aug 17 & 18. We'll most likely be driving my wife's Red '89 T-II. It looks Much Sharper anyways. Doesn't lay much rubber in the Burnout Box though. Anyone else planning to make the cruise?Thanks for all the input. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LouZ Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Hey Tony, I'm sure you probably did this but I gotta ask. Did you spray the heck out of it with a good oil base penetrant.. LZ Almost acts like the lock is just not quite releasing. because when the lock is engaged the open levers work but the lock just don't release to open.. GL, LZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anthenium Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Yes I did spray it really good. I'm actually thinking this might somehow be causing the Problem! <jk> Somehow I think I should've gotten more inside of the locking mechanism housing. Everything is really slippery except where it releases... When I had the door open I clicked the latch shut. It wouldn't re-open. I had to pull the handle, and Push the plastic latch down, and then it opened back up. I'm guess I need to do this somehow with the door shut. It is VERY Tight, but I do have room to get inside the door. I'll "Practice on the good door, and maybe make a tool that will reach under there. On the Bright Side, at least I didn't destroy my head, my trannie, or the clutch! (Digging deep, I know...)Fat Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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