Electrical 1987 GT Hazard switch connector

Gs1987GT

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Sep 25, 2019
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MidAtlantic
Hey Guys, good afternoon,

When I removed the instrument cluster to replace the speedometer cable, the hazard switch connector on my 87 broke internally (despite my best effort to be careful.

Now the wires won't stay in the plug and they fall out.

I went ahead and ordered a replacement connector from LMR, but as some of the wires fell out, I'm not sure where they go now.

I searched and found the following old thread


Is the diagram in that thread applicable to my 87?

I found other threads where folks used glue of various types to retain the wires, so I am considering some super glue to do this and then return the LMR connector. Or, I may just use it so I have a proper repair.

If the diagram in the attached thread has the same wire color codes I should be good to go. If not, if anyone has one for an 87 GT, that would be much appreciated

Thanks,
Greg
 
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I just checked my car and I believe the diagram in the old thread is accurate. See my attached photos of my plug. My harness seems to have a pink wire where the W/R is showing on the diagram, but beyond that, all matched up.

I'm attempting a repair first, using JB weld to hold the wires into the plug. If that does not work, I'll just replace the plug with the new one from LMR when it gets here. This was taken before I corrected the wire locations
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Here’s the same page from the 1987 EVTM
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Thanks. By the looks of your chart I have 2 of them wrong based on the chart in the link of my original post. Oh well. They are glued in now so when the epoxy is set I'll try em and see what I have. If I have them wrong I'll just install the lmr plug when it comes in

Looks like the positions of the w/r and lg wires changed between the two. Yours has the w/r on the bottom position, the one I used from the old post has that wire one up from the bottom. And the lg ones on the bottom.

Who knows why that would have changed as all others are in the same positions

Thanks
 
Ok well this is interesting guys.

Using the 87-88 hazard switch connector diagram, I reversed positions of the two light green wires with the one in my harness which is Pink. My harness does not have a white with a red in it. The only white one I have is white with a blue stripe, which is showing on diagram.

Unfortunately, when I switched the wires, it makes no difference. With the wires the way I had them hooked up, or reversing them so they match the diagram for the 87, I have no Hazard flashers.

Connected up either way, I have left and right turn signals. And even with the wires disconnected completely, I still have left and right turn signals.

The turn signal switch in this car has been replaced by someone else prior, and I believe I had Hazard flashers before I took the dash cluster out. But I can't be certain.

So, at this point I'm not sure what to do. I believe the balance of the wires are connected correctly I just had the light greens and the white or in my case pink reversed on the connector.

Is there any chance the convertible harness for the hazard flasher is different from the other cars? All the other wires in the harness except for that pink one match the diagram for the 87 cars. If you look at the third photo of my original post you'll see what I mean.

Any other thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Thanks, Greg
 
@Gs87GT

The fix for connector pins that keep falling out is found at Walmart. It less than $10 if you already have the acetone and Q-tip type swabs.
This method does work and I have used on the hazard light switch. :)

You will need:
Small size hot glue gun, a package of small, high temp (450°) glue sticks. The small size hot glue gun is easier to maneuver around the closely spaced wiring. The high temp glue sticks work to keep everything in place if the connection tends to get hot. Connections get hot because they have a higher resistance than a few tenths of an ohm and carry more than 5 amps.

Some acetone to clean the area of inside of the pin plastic shell and some Q-tips. Acetone is also a solvent for most hot glue, so it you are messy, the acetone may be what you need to clean up with.

Clean the wiring connector pins with a swab soaked in acetone. Rub the outside of the plastic connector shell with the swab soaked with acetone and observe that it doesn't soften or harm the connector shell. After about 10 minutes, check the connector shell to make sure the acetone didn't damage it. If it looks OK, then proceed to swab the hole where the pin came out with the acetone swab. When you finish, the swab should come out clean looking; this may take more that one pass.

Look very carefully at the orientation of the connector pin to make sure you get it inserted in the correct position on the first try. Be sure you have the pin lined up correctly like the other pins!!!

Take the hot glue gun and make a glue ring around where the wire is crimped onto the connector pin. Avoid getting hot glue on the contact part of the connector pin. Work quickly since the hot glue has a limited time before it sets and becomes immobile. Once the pin has fully seated, add a little more hot glue between the wire and the back end of the connector shell. This is a permanent fix and undoing it and then doing it a second time probably isn't going to work well at all.
 
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Jrichker, many thanks as always, but my issue is I had already glued the wires in place using three 1990 diagram. But my biggest issue is that my harness appears to contain a pink wire and not white with red stripe. All of the others match the 87 and 90 diagrams. The wire coding itself does not appear to have changed 87-89 and 90 on, only the location on the connector of the W/R wire and the two LG wires(one with red stripe I believe)

My issue here is regardless of what I do with those wires I have no 4 ways. Connected, reversed, disconnected, all the same result so I'll need to do some more diagnosis and go from there.

Question- the diagram mentions testing with a multi meter using ohms but mentions no readings? Any idea what they are looking for? (I may buy a power probe also which will make figuring this out a lot easier.

Thanks
Greg
 
Not really ohms, you just testing continuity between the wires to see if there’s a connection, or not.

The hazard worked before the wires pulled out right? Have you checked the fuse?
 
I believe they did, but cannot be certain. Thanks for your post, I appreciate it. I need to find some time to get further into it and iron it out. The car has had some prior electrical repairs so that does not help
 
Page 54 (actual book page number, not google doc page) of the '88 EVTM linked in post #4 applies to 87 as well if you need to trace wires to see what's going on.
 
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Page 54 (actual book page number, not google doc page) of the '88 EVTM linked in post #4 applies to 87 as well if you need to trace wires to see what's going on.


Ok thanks! Much appreciated. Question. - I should already know this but cannot remember right off. On the front end lights, are the turn signals the center most lights only? When I was doing some initial testing only the center most lights flashed, the outsides did not. I believe they (outer most/corner lights) are parking lights only, but if that's not correct then I have more issues.

Thanks again.
 
I didn't get to work on the car much yesterday, but I did some and find the following.

- with the key off I have no power at the hazard switch connector.
- the fuse for the hazard lights is good
- I realized yesterday the car has 2 flashers, one for turn signals, one for the hazard lights. (Someone has reversed the connections and had the hazard flasher stuck in from the back side of the fuse block...yes as said there's been some inappropriate wiring done on this car that until I figure out what and why it's making figuring stuff out harder...remeber my horn does not work either and the PO rigged up a temporary one to pass inspection)

I suppose it's noteworthy that the turn signal switch was replaced, but there are butt connectors there on the steering column, so I'm not sure why. The turn signals do work.

Also the PO told me he had to replace a connector in the steering column area that melted, he said due to overload from the fog lights. He said that resulted in a no start condition.

At any rate those are some additional challenges for me.

Questions

- I have to have power, key off at the hazard switch for the hazards to work.
- seems based on the diagram in the electrical troubleshooting book, (thank you very much for that) the power comes from the fuse to the hazard flasher, through the flasher and the white/red stripe wire at the hazard switch connector should be hot. Am I correct on that?

Does the flasher have power through it as it appears on that diagram when the switch is off?

- looks like from the fuse the power into the flasher is red/white stripe, out of the flasher is white/red stripe and that is the one that should have power at the hazard switch connector. Correct?

If the above is accurate, if need be I'll run a separate wire from the flasher to the switch connector if I need to and can't otherwise find the fault. I'm not done digging yet....just working on narrowing down the source of the problem so I can start tracing wires.

Thanks again
 
Hello guys, good afternoon.

I did some more testing this afternoon, and found the problem. Thanks to blown 88 GT for the 88 wiring diagram book. That was absolutely invaluable and fixing this problem.


Using the information in that book, I was able to determine, that power comes from the fuse to the hazard flasher, which from the OEM is plugged into the backside of the fuse block. Power goes to the hazard flasher to the hazard flasher switch connector, and then to the hazard flasher switch itself.

What the problem appears to have been, was the Flasher was not plugged into the back of the fuse block correctly. I can see how this could be a problem, because it's very difficult to get your hand up and behind the fuse block and get the flasher connectors into their correct spots on the back side of the fuse block. I also tested the Flasher itself and insured I had continuity through the Flasher. So I knew the Flasher we should be good.

With the Flasher correctly installed, I then had power through the Flasher and to the wire at the hazard switch connector. As I had prior hooked the wires up using the (wrong) 90 and up diagram, (thanks for pointing that out to me) and glued them into the connector, I had to reverse two of the wires to match the 87-88 diagram.


Doing so, the hazard flashers work properly, and I also double checked all the turn signals work properly.

Thank you very much to everyone who contributed to this thread I really appreciate the help.

This forum is great. Y'all are fox body brothers to me.

Have a good rest of your Sunday..

Sincerely
Greg
 
Hello guys, good afternoon.

I did some more testing this afternoon, and found the problem. Thanks to blown 88 GT for the 88 wiring diagram book. That was absolutely invaluable and fixing this problem.


Using the information in that book, I was able to determine, that power comes from the fuse to the hazard flasher, which from the OEM is plugged into the backside of the fuse block. Power goes to the hazard flasher to the hazard flasher switch connector, and then to the hazard flasher switch itself.

What the problem appears to have been, was the Flasher was not plugged into the back of the fuse block correctly. I can see how this could be a problem, because it's very difficult to get your hand up and behind the fuse block and get the flasher connectors into their correct spots on the back side of the fuse block. I also tested the Flasher itself and insured I had continuity through the Flasher. So I knew the Flasher we should be good.

With the Flasher correctly installed, I then had power through the Flasher and to the wire at the hazard switch connector. As I had prior hooked the wires up using the (wrong) 90 and up diagram, (thanks for pointing that out to me) and glued them into the connector, I had to reverse two of the wires to match the 87-88 diagram.


Doing so, the hazard flashers work properly, and I also double checked all the turn signals work properly.

Thank you very much to everyone who contributed to this thread I really appreciate the help.

This forum is great. Y'all are fox body brothers to me.

Have a good rest of your Sunday..

Sincerely
Greg
Thank you very much the infos. I waste 2 hours trying to find on my 1988 a plug for the hazard relay in the glove box and i found your post. I finally understood it was only for the 90-93 Very sharp infos. Not much infos for the 87-89 models. Happily i found this. I added some picture for the futur readers that would be looking to, locate the relay on a 87-89. Btw, to get more access, i've unscrewed the fuse box and rotate it. Much easier that way
 

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