In my enthusiasm, I stripped the engine compartment wiring harness out of my '65 Dart, neglecting to mark anything. A year and half later, I have reassembled everything and now I have a question. The big wire from the alternator goes to a singe lug on the bulkhead connector. The fusible link runs from the other single lug on the bulkhead connector to the starter relay.

I suspect I have them backwards, the alternator wire is running to the drivers side lug and the fusible link runs from the passenger side lug. How is this suppose to be wired?

I have a '67 valiant Ilook and post back when I get home.

Simple to test. Turn on the headlights and watch the gauge. If it goes +, it is backwards.

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Chuck Rivers, Webmaster

Actually it goes negative. I have a known good alternator and regulator. I may have wired something wrong. But I don't think so. The battery dosen't seems to drain down.

This car has some interesting electrical problem.

The alt meter goes negative and will advance to the positive when I rev the engine. I suspect the panel is dead. None of the other gauges work correctly and all the dash lights seems to be non-functional. Which, to me, is suspect. The wiper switch is a single position on/off (never seen that before), and needs to be held down for the wipers to actually work. I already replaced the headlight switch and the dimmer switch.

I suspect some kid messed the under dash wiring up, the car had the obligator Pioneer under dash unit. It looks like mid '80s vintage, with living FM and tape! At least the interior wasn't chopped up for BIG speakers. The good news is that the 37 year old OEM AM radio may actually work! No need for that new fangled Hi-Fi stuff now...

I like the '65 Darts insturment panel design, it kinda grows on you. It actually makes sense how everything is laid out. Maybe I will refob the '66 Barracuda Formula S style panel. Now do I want digital gauges or actual round gauges with pointers? Hmm...

Does anybody know just were the hell the backup lights are located on a '65 Dart? A '64 has a separate set of lights in the trunk lid, a '66 has them in the rear bumper. But a '65, I can't find them...

The alt gauge just could have an offset to it (reads neg when it is actually at zero amps). Another one might be that the alternator blew a diode - this decreases output, but doesn't kill it completely.

I thought the '65 reverse lights were in the center sections of the oval taillights, but I can't remember.

Good luck,

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Lou's right, they're in the inner oval of the oval tail lights. I don't remember if they are in the fender half of the tail lights, or the trunk lid half.

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'66 Cuda 225/4spd
'66 Dart GT convertible 225/auto
'64 Dart GT 340/4spd

Wouldnt' the centers be white in color? Mine are a solid red and they are not from a '66. No provisions in the wiring harness for extra lights in the trunk side of the tail lights. Were backup lights optional in '65?

I bet they were.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

That figures, now how to explain that one to the local constables. The only options on this car are heater, AM radio. Talk about a stripper...