Topic: Dash Replacement and Dash Wiring Harness Replacement.

[2ndchildhood]

OK, so while I'm trying to figure out my harmonic balancer issue (no money for that).  I decided it was time to change my dashboard and my wiring harness.  I have a few questions and I'm looking for some advice.  No I don't have a wiring diagram....LOL  My car is an 80 so it has the plastic fuses not glass.  Please see below. 

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Now on to my questions.  My replacement dash harness has a few extra things on it that my old one did not.

1.  The new one I believe came from a car with a power antenna option, I think that because it had an antenna cable directly in the wiring harness itself.  It also had these 2 connections that my old one did not.  I think they are turbo stuff?  Will they do any harm if I leave them there?  They were located at the farthest end of the harness away from the fuse box itself.




2.  These wires were cut in both the harness I have.  They came out of the same part of the harness as the parts in the background.  Does anyone know what they are for?  In case the color is not good they are yellow, black and a grey.



3.  Is there any reason anyone can think of that these harnesses are not interchangeable?  I would hate to go through this whole process only to find out that it was a waste of time....lol

4.  I want to get rid of the aftermarket gauges seen in the first pic and go back to my original stock gauges.  The oil pressure gauge had a yellow wire leading out from under the dash and obviously a power and a ground.  My question is what wire in the stock harness do I need to cut and splice with the yellow wire to make my stock oil pressure gauge work. 

5.  Along the same lines, I had a red wire leaving under the dash to the hood compartment for my aftermarket temp gauge and of course aftermarket power and ground.  My question is which wire would I need to splice the red one to so my stock temp gauge will work?

THANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!!

[SalNat]

I might not help a lot here but have you checked this

http://www.firebirdtransamparts.com/techinfo/harness/harness.htm

It might answer some if your Qs ... I think all pictures there are from an 80 as well.

[2ndchildhood]

Salnat thanks for the link.  It has me a little nervous now.  I can't remember if my new harness came out of an 80 or an 81.  Too late to turn back now.  I've got it about 40% re-installed. 

I did however figure out that the pics of the pigtails in question 1 are the power antenna relay plugs.  I found the relay in the box I had the harness stored in. 

[SalNat]

Would you like a copy of the 80-81 wiring diagram for more help!

[oldskoolubr]

^If you are offering I am definitely in!  Thx Sal! 

[SalNat]

^If you are offering I am definitely in!  Thx Sal! 

Check your email mate!

[brian c]

If you haven't got it already....

2. Yellow is power feed for radio, grey is more than likely the illumination for the radio, and black is almost always a ground again, for the radio.


Now as to getting your stock gauges to work....see the big white connector in the middle of your Y in this picture:



That plugs into the stock gauge pod. A blue wire (going off memory) runs from here, through the fuse block, into the engine compartment, and down to the oil pressure sensor. A green wire (again, going off memory) runs from here, through the fuse block, into the engine compartment, across your intake manifold, and connects to the water temp sensor. I may have those colors switched but you should have the idea. Both have slip on connectors to fit onto the corresponding sending units. You'd need to make sure those aren't hacked/shorted along the entire path and then connect them up accordingly.

Hope that gets you in the right direction...

[2ndchildhood]

Brian,

Thanks for the great help!  I found the oil pressure and temp wires under the hood.  After a ton of searching, they were tucked under the fuse block in the fender between the wheel well and the fender.  I hope they work when I get the car running.  Gonna try balancer #3 on Saturday.  I was still trying to figure out power and ground for the radio and the amp.  Now I have my answer for that and can finish the radio install.  I can tell you it is SO much easier to install the sound without the dash in.  I have cross-overs and amps under the dash that  could never have done with it in.

Hopefully I'll finish it Saturday!!!

[brian c]

Good luck!

[2ndchildhood]

It looks like the dash harness was from an 81.  Nothing in the engine compartment works.  Who knew ...lol.  I need a different set up now or an 81 engine harness.....Just a minor setback...lol

[Angelo]

The 81 engine harness is similar to past years  except they added an electric choke.

[2ndchildhood]

Interesting, not sure why nothing under the hood works then.  No ignition no headlights nothing.....  Can't really trouble shoot at the moment, pulled the 400 and Mongo is currently building up my 455. 

[Angelo]

I think at the firewall the plug is different. Also thinking about it the forward lights are different if you have the wiper with delay.