Unknown wires & Unwanted Chime

[GRNCH]

Greetings!
It's been ages since I last started a post.
So I finally decided to deal with the sagging plastic panel under the dash by installing a metal brace (see pic). What that did was push the wires up into the dash. Prior to this, everything worked and now there are issues (of course).
Although my brake lights, hazard lights, and turn signals all work, the rapid headlight warning chime comes on when I press the brakes and the ignition is off. Turn the ignition on and the chime stops.

So I looked under the dash and noticed three disconnected wires (see pics).
1. Brown wire w/ White Stripe with what looks a factory connector hanging loose. Gets power on ign.
2. Flat black wire with double blade connector coming from steering column. I recognize this but drank that brain cell long ago.
3. 4- pin factory looking plug with one purple and many grey wires hanging loose.

I figured one of these is causing the gremlin, but couldn't find any of their proper places through all of the spaghetti. I would like to put them back in place and solve the chime issue but used up all my genie wishes and can use your help.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

- Grinchy

 

[GRNCH]

Okay, doing more research it appears that the flat black wire with the blade connector from the steering column is for the cruise control. I disconnected cruise when installing an aftermarket intake so that's that.

I'm thinking that there could be a ground or pinched wire from the chime module causing rapid chimes when pressing brake pedal with ignition in the off position. I'll check and post the result. Any other things I should check?

Anyone know where the brown/white wire and plug go?

Thanks in advance!

 

[GRNCH]

Update: So I was looking way up into the dash and saw a panel with sockets above the fuse panel. I put my hand up to feel if any were loose and pop!, the dome light fuse blew. Obviously there is a loose wire somewhere I can't see yet. Been through three car alarms over the past 29 years so I'm not really surprised something's loose. The "good" news is that after the fuse blew, the chime no longer sounds when I press the brake.

I know most GN owners had to trouble shoot wiring problems like this. Any ideas where to look or what to check? Need a little help guys. I seem to be going backwards here.

 

[Frederickdav]

I feel your pain! My chime comes on when I turn the headlights on. The only time it goes off is when I turn the dash lights all the way down. I have back/neck issues that keep me from spending much time under the dash. For now I just don't drive after dark. Some day I'll get under it again and see what can be done to fix the issue.

 

[GRNCH]

Hi All,

Update on the chime issue: I discovered that when I disconnect from the dimmer the brown wire that comes from the headlight switch, the issue goes away and the chime no longer sounds when I press the brake with the ignition off.
Question: I'm getting ground on the brown wire from the headlight switch to the dimmer. I know that it carries current from the headlight switch to the dimmer when the lights are turned on. Is this normal?

Thanks!

 

[Frederickdav]

You really shouldn't use the term "normal" with our cars. After thirty + years of people adding and subtracting electrical equipment and various other gadgets the wiring on our cars can be all messed up.

 

[vader87]

Have you changed your headlight switch yet? The fast chime is the headlight warning. slow chime is the keys in ignition with door open. All the lighting circuits go through the light switch to include the chime. I would swap that first!

 

[GRNCH]

Hey,

I did replace the headlight switch about a month ago. I still have the old one I can try out. BUT after pouring over wiring diagrams with a magnifying glass, I went back and took off the headlight switch and the dimmer switch. Here's what I found:

There are only four (4) wires coming out of the headlight switch: Thick red (fusable link, I'm guessing), another red wire, an orange wire, and a yellow wire. NO brown wire and NO black wire, which the wiring diagrams indicate should be there. Am I supposed to have these two wires going into the headlight switch? I don't have twilight sentinel and I didn't see any loose wires with terminals hanging around.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[GRNCH]

Update:
* Did research & found pics of the headlight switch connector. Looks like an alarm installer changed the brown wire to red. Looks like there are supposed to only be 4 wires & mine are all in the correct sockets.
* Tested the headlight switch and it sends power where it supposed to.
* Checked the shift light in the console and the wires are in tact and that light works just fine.
* Disconnected the dimmer switch and the dash lights don't get power and there's no chime. But the aftermarket gauge lights still turn on when I press the brake.
* I saw that some of the aftermarket gauges are tied to what should be the brown wire from the headlight switch. Didn't spot any loose or cut power or ground wires tho.
* The brake switch is new -- replaced it a few months ago and it worked fine. The connectors are plugged in and the white wire is not cut.

Any suggestions on where to look next?

 

[GRNCH]

Hey y'all,

I've been out due to knee surgery but I'm back in the driver's seat again!
Did some more trouble shooting this weekend. All the fuses check out okay but I think I narrowed down the problem because:

1. When the hazards are engaged, the chime dings with each flash.
2. If I pull just the Stop/Hazard fuse, the chime no longer goes off when I press the brake pedal.
3. If I pull just the Instrument fuse, the chime no longer goes off when I press the brake pedal.
4. If I pull just the Instrument fuse, the chime no longer dings with each hazard flash.

I don't see any loose wires, other than that one brown/white one with the connector shown in the pic in the first post. I know the answer is staring me in the face, but I've been working on this same problem for so long, I can't see the forest through the trees - lol.

Any ideas where the problem may be?

Thanks!

 

[Frederickdav]

I've read/heard somewhere that a possible problem with chimes comes from a faulty ground. Haven't tried anything with mine yet.

 

[GRNCH]

One problem solved!
The brown wire I eluded to in the opening post is officially called a tan/white wire and it plugs into a slot in the parking brake alarm switch, which is located above the parking brake mechanism.

Still not able to discover a loose ground coming out of the chime module...

 

[GRNCH]

Hi Folks,

Okay, from the wiring diagram, the brown wire from the light switch sends power to the hazard switch, front and rear side markers, turbo/tach lights and to the dimmer switch (I don't have theft deterrent, digital dash, digital clock or opera lights). I unplugged the dimmer switch so that power doesn't go to the chime or dash lights (through the INST Fuse). When I press the brake pedal, there is +5v in the brown wire as tested at the hazard connector and the dimmer switch and the parking lights come on.

Okay, so what does the brake switch have to do with the brown wire from the light switch? In other words, how is power going from the brake switch to the brown wire circuit?

The brake switch is only a few months old and worked fine before. I plugged in the old switch (I bought a new one because the plastic threads were stripped), and the same thing happens.

Any ideas what's going on?

Thanks for your help!

 

[GRNCH]

PROBLEM SOLVED!

Hi all,

I'm very please to report that the problem has been solved. After 6 months of searching, researching and using the process of elimination, I discovered that there were three sources of unwanted current bleed into the brown wire causing the parking lights (and therefore the chime and dash lights) to come on when pressing the brake pedal. The three sources were:

1. An alarm installer tied into the brown wire instead of the dome light circuit;
2. Rear brake light LEDs bled current into the brown wire causing the parking lights etc. to come on when the brake pedal was pressed;
3. The front turn signal LEDs caused the dash lights and chime to turn on when hazard lights were turned on.

The solution was to rewire the alarm and install rectifier diodes on the brown wires at each LED bulb (two per brake light housing and two at the front bumper). Rectifier diodes are about 65 cents each and can be bought in 10, 15 and 25 packs on Amazon or Radio Shack. I used 1.5a 1000v, which are perfect for this problem. If you need to block a larger bleed current, use a diode that can handle more amps.

Note that one side of the diode has a silver strip which serves as an arrow head and should be installed with the wanted current flowing towards the silver striped end of the diode. Attached are two pics: What the diodes look like and a diode installed (before solder & heat shrink). For those who want a detailed analysis of the problem and what I did to trouble-shoot, I've attached a pdf to help you.

Now I to fix a stuck wastegate and I'll be ready to sell my GN. Yes, after 30 years, it's time to let it go. I don't have the time or the tools (since they were all stolen) to maintain it anymore. Don't worry, I'm not getting old. I've ordered a Challenger Demon! Once it's fixed, I'll post the details on the "cars for sale" section of the board.

If you have any questions, you can email me at chinten@usa.net.

Cheers!