1978 Vehicle Wiring Guide
1978 Vehicle Wiring Guide
INTRODUCTION
This booklet contains Wiring Diagrams for 1978 vehicles listed in the contents
below.
All diagrams contained in this booklet are based on the latest product information
.. available at the time of publication approval. The manufacturer reserves the right
to make product changes at any time.
CONTENTS
•
2
T OPEN CIRCUIT
T
SHORT CIRCUIT G R 0 U N D E D C I R CUI T A·6537
another type of trouble or condi ti on (figure 2) overloads, circuit protectors of some type are
which can develop in cal circui ts or used.
units. It refers to a circuit that is completed
in the wrong way, such as two bare wires fUSES
touching each other, so that the current by The mo~t common protector in the vehicle
passes part of the normal. circuit. By-passing circuit is a fuse. A fuse consists of a fine wire
part of the normal circuit simply means that or strip of metal, inside a glass tube. The strip
the current has found the path of least resis melts and interrupts the flow of current in the
tance and a higher current amperage, flow circuit when there is an overload caused by an
resul ts. This can result in blown fuses, wiring unwanted short or ground. The fuse is de
or component overheat, burned parts and signed to mel t before the wiring or electrical
insulation and of course inoperative compo components in a circuit can be damaged.
nents. Naturally, the cause must be located and
A short in an electrical circuit causes more corrected before the fuse is replaced or the
current to flow through the conductor than the new fuse will also blow.
conductor can handle. Too much current Since different circuits handle different
causes a conductor to heat up. If the overload amounts of current, fuses of various ratings
is severe or lasts long enough, the wire will are used. f uses are rated in amperes. Be sure
melt in two and the insulation will burn. Hot, to replace a blown fuse with a fuse of the
smelly insulation is always a sign of trouble. If correc t rati ng.
the wire melts through, there is no electrical
path so the circuit then becomes an open CIRCUIT BREAKERS
circuit. Circui t breakers are another form of ci rcui t
protector. When a circuit overloads, it heats
GROUNDED CIRCUIT up a bimetallic strip in the breaker and the
A grounded circuit is similar to a short strip moves, opening its contacts temporarily,
ci rcui tin that the current bypasses part of the and breaking the circuit. When the bimetallic
normal circuit. In this instance, by going cools, it remakes the contact. So the circuit
directly to ground. This may be caused by a breaker opens and closes until the cause of the
wire touching ground, or part of the circui t overload has been fixed or the circuit is
. within a unit coming in contact with the frame opened with a switch •
or housing of the unit (figure 2).
This condi tion may also be caused by depo FUSIBLE LINK
sits of oil, dirt and moisture around connec A fusible link is a short piece of wire con
tions or terminals, with these deposits acting nected into a heavy circuit of the wiring
as an excellent path so that the current flows system. The wire is generally four gauge sizes
to ground. Again, current follows the path of smaller than the circuit it serves, and is used
the least stance in attempting to complete when that circuit is not protected by a fuse or
its circuit back to ground. ci rcui t breaker.
The function of the fusible link is to melt
before any damage can occur to the circuit
CIRCUIT PROTECTION itself when an overload develops.
The fusible links are marked on the insula
To protect wiring and equipment from such tion with wire gauge size because of the heavy
4
TEST LIGHT
There are various types of test equipment. An ordinary magnetic compass is a valuable
Most of these uni ts have a speci al purpose and tool for use in locating grounded circuits. The
are limited to one specific step in the diag compass makes use of the fact that a wire
nosis procedure. carrying current creates a magnetic field.
In ci rcuits that are prot ected by a ci rcui t
JUMPER WIRE breaker, the technician should be able to
locate a short or ground quickly through the
The jumper wire is simply a piece of wire use of an ordinary magnetic compass. This is
usually fitted with an alligator clip at each accomplished by turni ng on the ci rcui t and
end. The technician can bypass parts of a following the wiring with a compass, the
5
compass will "kick" each time the circui t NOTE: Due to the low resistance (good
breaker closes. conduction) of the shunt, located within the
As it passes the point of the short or ground, ammeter, the meter would act as a direct
the compass will stop "kicking". Thus, the short if it were hooked across a potenti
problem can be pinpointed without removing vol tage without some additional resistance
trim, cover plates or tape. If the circuit is connected in series in the circuit. Remem
fused, the problem can be located in the same ber to connect meter terminals according to
manner by substituting a circuit breaker for polarity. Refer to figure 4 for correct
the fuse. connection.
By using a circuit breaker as a substitute for The voltmeter is used to measure the elec
a fuse, the technicIan can more effectively use trical pressure-voltage drop of a resistance
other tools to locate troubles. unit in a circuit. A voltmeter senses and
registers the voltage drop through a resistance
A turn signal flasher makes a convenient unit. It therefore is also pressure sensitive.
circuit breaker. Solder a lead to each of the This type of hookup is referred to as "paraliel"
two prongs on the signal flasher, then solder an because unlike the ammeter, covered previous
end cap from an old fuse to the end of each ly, the voltmeter is not inserted into a circuit,
lead. If this unit in inserted in the junction but rather parallels an existing circui t.
block in place of a fuse, it may operate too
fast to produce good compass needle deflec The difference between ammeter and volt
tion. To slow it down, insert a generator field meter hookup is that it directs all the current
control rheostat in series with the flasher, one through the ammeter, while the voltmeter
clip on a flasher lead, the other clip in the hookup creates, and in effect is, an additional
junction block. By cutting in additional resis (parallel) ci rcui t.
tance, the flasher rate of the unit may be
slowed down to produce good compass needle Current flowing through a parallel circui t
deflection. divides according to the ratio between the
resistances, therefore, the internal resistance
of the voltmeter would take too much current
from the circuit and give an untrue reading of
DIAGNOSTIC METERS the voltage drop across the resistance unit
being measured. Besides an untrue reading,
allowing too much current through its circuitry
AMMETER would burn up the moving coil.
The ammeter is used to measure the flow of The moving coil will operate only if the
current through a conductor. The circuit has current flows through it in the proper direc
to be broken and the meter inserted into the tion, so care must be taken to connect its
break so that all the current, in an electrical positive terminal to the positive side of the
circuit, flows through the meter. The am circuit and the negative terminal to the
meter is placed in series with the circuit being negative side.
tested. That is, the circuit must be opened
and the meter inserted, thereby completing NOTE: Remember, due to the high resis
the circuit. Since all electrons in the electri tance of the voltmeter, it must be con
cal circuit must pass through the ammeter, the nected in parallel with the resistance unit
meter will indicate the number of amperes per being tested. If connected in series, that is,
second, passing through it. inserted into the circuit so that there is no
resistance unit between the meter probes,
The ammeter must be connected so that the the nature of the ci rcui t would be changed
current flows through it in the proper direc and the reading would have no particular
tion. Care must be taken to connect its value or significance. Remember also to
posi ti ve terminal to the positi ve side of the connect meter terminals according to polar
circuit and the negative terminal to the ity. Refer to figure 4 for correct connec
negative side. tion.
6
AMMETER
AMMETER
1 Connected in
AMPHERES AMPHERES
series IN a circuit
+
according to polarity.
2 Measures current
f low.
3 Used in a closed
circuit.
t
12 VOLT
BATTERY
VOLTMETER
VOLTMETER
1 Connected in
parallel to a
circuit or part
of a circuit according
to polarity.
2 Measures voltage .."",
drop: This is
the di fference
between voltage
MULTIPLE RESISTANCE
RANGE SELECTOR
I
12 VOLT
BATTERY
at its two leads.
3 Used in a closed
circuit.
OHMMETER
OHMMETER
1 Has its own supply
of power.
OHMS
Z USED ONL Y WHEN
UNIT IS DISCONNECTED
from its original
VARIABLE circuit.
RESISTANCE
3 Measures resistance
V BATTERY
TEST SWITCH
CLOSED
A·6539
CIRCUIT TABULATION
The electrical harness connectors, illustrated in the wiring diagrams, are used
with a "Circuit Tabulation Chart" to aid in circuit identification. Both the
illustration and the chart will provide assistance during diagnostic, repair and
replacement procedures.
Because some harness connectors carry wires for different circuit functions,
numbers have been assigned to each connector cavity to distinguish one circuit from
another; the numbers are displayed in the connector illustration, showing the
physical characteristics of the connector in addition to its circuit wire location.
CIRCUIT TABULATION
CIRCUIT TABULATION
CIRCUIT TABULATION
..""
Circuit CircClit Circuit Circuit
Circuit Name Circuit Name I
Number Color i Number Color
181 Light Blue Power - Solenoid - Fore and Aft 219 Light Green- Starter Interlock Controlled
182 Yellow Power Seat - 6-Way - Aft and Black Starter Feed
Down 220 Yellow Starter Interlock Buz and Lp
183 Light Blue Tailgate or Center Partition Feed
Window Up 221 Brown Lo Level Actuation Passenger
184 Tan-White Tailgate or Center Partition System
Window Down 222 Dark Blue Common Return Hi & Lo Fire
185 Tan Vent Control LR Open Circu i ts Passenger
186 Gray Vent Control LR Close 223 Light Blue Bumper Sw. Actuation
187 Dark Blue Vent Control RR Open 224 Light Green Lo Pressure Warning
188 Light Blue Vent Control RR Close 225 Purple Warning Lamp Ground
189 Dark Green Power Seat - 4-Way - Fore and 226 Orange Warning Lamp Sensor
Down 227 Tan Recorder to Sensor Power Feed
190 Yellow Power Seat 4-Way - Aft and Up 228 Yellow Warning Lamp Feed
191 Light Green Power Seat 4-Way Solenoid 229 Pink Sensor & Bumper Sw_ Power
Up and Down Feed
192 Purple Defogger - Hi or Single Speed 230 Pink Recorder Power Feed
193 Purple-White Defogger - Low Speed - 0.38 231 Light Blue Driver Low Level Actuation
Ohms per foot 232 Dark Blue Driver Return
194 Black Electric Door Lock - Unlock 233 Dark <;Jreen Hi Level Actuation Passenger
195 Light Blue Electric Door Lock - Lock 234 Tan Ign. Sw. Cont Air Rest Feed
198 Light Green 237 Yellow Feed, Belt Warn Timer Con
Black Ground, Resistive, AIC In-Car trolled (Timed 39 Ct.)
Sensor Controlled 238 Black Seat Belt Warn System-Buzzer
199 Brown Rear Seat Speaker Feed from Ground to Belt Assy Sw. """.,
Radio Left Stereo 239 Pink-Black Feed, Ign. Sw. "On & Crank"
200 Light Green Front Speaker Feed From Radio Controlled Fused
Single or Right Stereo 240 Orange Feed, Battery Fused
201 Tan Front Speaker - Feed from 242 Tan Feed, Throttle Control Spark
Radio - Left Stereo Valve Controlled
202 Black Ground, Compressor over Heat
243 Black-White Feed, Drive Selector Sw. Con
Sw. Controlled
trolled
203 Light Blue Rear AIC Potentiometer Feed
244 Purple Feed, L T F /0 Solenoid Relay
204 Dark Blue Thermal Limiter Feed
Controlled
205 White-Black Seat Belt Seat Sensor to Belt
245 Dark Blue Feed, RT FID Solenoid Relay
Retractor (Grd)
Controlled
206 Dark Blue Neutral Start Sw. to Buzzer
246 Dark Green Feed, AD L Lock Relay Coil
and Lamp
247 Brown Feed, to AIC Shut-Off Relay
207 Yellow Seat Sensor to Neutral Start
248 Dark Blue Feed, to AIC Compressor Harn
Sw. (Lamp and Buzzer Grd)
Relay Controlled
208 Gray Sw. Controlled Ground (TCS)
249 Dark Green Feed, From AIC Harn
209 Purple Park Brake Warning Lamp
252 Yellow Ground, ADL Module Unlock
210 White Power Seat - 6-Way - Fore and
Down - "A" Body Output Controlled
253 Dark Brown Ground, ADL Module Lock
211 Dark Blue Power Seat - 6-Way Aft and
Up - "A" Body Output Controlled
254 Light Green Ground, ADL L T Unlock Relay
212 Yellow-
Coil
Black Stripe LH Seat Sensor
255 Yellow Ground, AD L RT Unlock Relay
213 Dark Blue Center Seat Sensor
Coil
214 Gray RH Seat Sensor
256 Dark Blue Ground, Module Controlled,
215 Tan-Black LH Sw.
Lamp Out Indicator
216 Dark Blue-
257 Brown Ground, AIC Press, Sw. Con
White Center Buckle Sw. (Feed)
trolled "..",
217 Gray-White RH Sw.
260 Black Theft Deterrent Hood Sw.
218 Dark Green Interlock Relay - Ground
261 Yellow I Theft Deterrent Alarm Arm
(Provided by Electronics) i
11
CIRCUIT TABULATION