CJ dash wiring help (Aw, crap.)

[SeeJay]

I've been replacing my dash/guages/radio/knobs/lights/etc. on the CJ7 and ran into a snag today. I'm fairly certain I've mixed up the two wires on the back of the voltmeter and now I've fried many of the under-dash wires as well as cooked a fusable link just off the battery.

My dilemma is this...I wrote down where all the color-coded wires go on the back of my gauges and after re-installing them (and after the burning wires) I noticed that my illustration did not match the wiring diagram in my Haynes manual.

Can someone confirm the wires on the voltmeter for me? The fat yellow wire goes on the DRIVER side of the gauge, right? Therefore the black wire should attach to the passenger side. (This should be the correct way, I believe. My original illustration was opposite.)

Thanks all.

Jay

 

[jay79cj7]

I can't go look right now, but if my memory is correct, you are correct. Hot to the driver side. There should be an I on the back of the unit next to one of the posts. I am pretty sure that I have run across the same backwards diagram! A couple in the painless harness diagram too!

 

[SeeJay]

Thanks for taking a look for me. I connected it with the hot wire on the driver's side and got no smoking wires when I turned the ignition on. After dealing with all the smoking wires tonight I decided to just give up for today. I'll do the necessary repairs tomorrow and try to get the dash back in order in the next 2-3 days.

 

[wrangler4meplease]

I found out painless makes a CJ wiring harness :
http://www.painlessperformance.com/webcatalog/cat-jeepharn.htm#10142
They're like Bestop though you have to buy through a dealer :roll:

 

[SeeJay]

33x10.5r16 on a rubicon

After assessing the damage, I don't think I'll have to replace the wiring harness. A few of the wires have melted insulation but my buddy and I have isolated the damaged wires and we'll probably just give them a solid wrap in electrical tape and then regroup them with zip ties. 90% of the damage is under the dash. The fusable link under the hood we've found and we should be able to reattach that link and wrap it tightly in electrical tape per the directions in the Haynes manual.

Who knows, I might find more damage when I get out in the garage later and look at everything again, but it does seem fixable at this point.

Jay

 

[SeeJay]

Progress update:

All the damaged wiring was located and taped. A new fusable link was installed near the starter solenoid and new plastic sheathing was wrapped around the wiring bundle in the engine compartment as well as around some of the damaged wires under the dash.

All lights/gauges/switches worked properly and the new radio was installed. Looks like all of this resulted from 2 wires swapped into wrong locations.

So by tomorrow the new dash project will be complete - I'll post pics ASAP.

-Jay