Electical system on a 67 Skylark

[Guest]

How hard/long would it be to re-do the electrical system on a 1967 Buick Skylark? I'm asking because my batteries just dying while sitting in the car, while i have free access to electrical wire.

[YellowLark]

Are you talking about replacing the wiring harnesses? Making your own? These are professionally made, with specially molded connectors...not for amateurs.<P>It's often a difficult job to install a pro-made harness, let alone try to make one from scratch. For the '67 Skylark, only some of the harnesses are available...<P><P>------------------<BR>

[Guest John Chapman]

'67,<P>First, if the battery is dying, I'll make the assumption that you've had the system checked out and it's not a fault in the charging system (defective alternator regulator points sticking?) or a faulty battery (dead cell, broken plates). <P>An auto electric shop could check that out for you and then do a current draw check with the car turned off. <P>Isolate the circuit that's hot/draining by pulling fuses unitl the drain stops, then you know what circuit or components are causing the drain. Isolate from there. Frequent culprits: <P>glove box lights (broken striker switch)<BR>underhood/trunk light (bad mercury switch)<BR>clock that's inop can drain system<BR>Horn system (grounding relay)<BR>Headlight switch with dome light on and powering a grounded circuit.<P>Rewire should be the last alternative, unless your electrical system is a real mess. Check YearOne for harness prices. The aggrivation saved is worth a fortune, even if you have a boxcar full of free wire.<P>Just my chatter.<P>JMC<P>------------------<BR>John Chapman<BR>BCA 35894<BR>1965 Skylark Convertible (Some Assembly Required)<BR> jmchapman@aol.com <p>[This message has been edited by John Chapman (edited 09-18-2000).]

[Guest]

Anyway, stupid me, it was just the fuse.<BR>Replaced the fuse. Then less than a month after swictching the fuse, on the same dang hill it blew the same fuse. Can't remember which one exactly it is at the moment, but it's one of the bottom two on the left side the fuse panel. My question is this, can I put in a stronger fuse or what?

[Guest]

Well, currently there is a AC25 fuse in the slot designed for an AC20. So far so good. I'll let ya know if anything bad happens (or feel free to issue warnings and what not).<BR>Ciao =)

[Guest]

Don't put anything bigger in there. The fuses were not designed to blow just to tick you off. They're FIRE protection. Something is pulling to big a load for the circuit and the fuse is blowing to keep it from burning up. Adding accesories into the circuit can increase the load and cause them to blow. I personally have never blown one when there wasn't some other problem in the system. Find out which wires are on that fuse and trace them down looking for bad spots etc.<P>Don't be like that idiot that put a .22 caliber bullet in the fuse panel then crashed into a tree when it blew and shot him in the balls.

[Guest]

so a .22 caliber will fit eh? I'll have to try that one.... <BR>Well, I'm gonna have to gank out my stereo I think, cuz now whenever I put a fuse in (regardless of the rating) it blows upon contact with the panel (hey, it was fun melting em, I dunno why). Sheesh this is becoming a pita.