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1975 Toyota Hilux - No headlights, then fire, then smoke. Now she won't turn over.
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jstnz95
New User
Sep 8, 2014, 2:11 PM
Post #1 of 3
(1509 views)
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1975 Toyota Hilux - No headlights, then fire, then smoke. Now she won't turn over.
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Hello my name is Justin, and here's what I have going on.
Any and all help is much appreciated.
1975
Toyota
Hilux (pickup)
2.2L (20R)
121k miles
(Skip down a ways to get to avoid the back story.)
I've been having trouble with my headlights for a while.
Running lights and indoor lights have worked fine though.
1st time: headlights went off but came back on after playing with the switch for a minute or two. The relay was also buzzing, but that went away when they finally came on.
2nd time: the switch wasn't enough to get them going or shut up the relay, so I unplugged the connector nearest the battery and cleaned it out a bit. They worked fine after that.
3rd time: the lug nuts of a car in oncoming traffic came off (40mph zone), and I was hit with a wheel on the right front side directly beneath battery and said connector. Pretty jarring impact. Headlights would not work at all after that. Relay continued to buzz when headlights were switched on.
Replaced relay. No dice. Still buzzing.
Decide it's the connector (40 years of corrosion whatnot).
Have no idea what I'm doing. Cut wire on both sides of connector and try to twist the two copper wires on the wiring side to the two sliver (steel or aluminum?) wires coming off the battery. Insulate with gorilla tape. Flip on lights. Headlights come on momentarily before both silver wires burn through. Again, have no idea what I'm doing, so I remove what remains of the silver wiring off the battery terminal and proceed then to use a length of 1/8" copper wire I have laying around.
------------------------Long story shortish---------------------------------
Secured 1/8" solid copper wire to + battery terminal. Wraped both copper headlight wires to 1/8" wire. Flipped on lights for 1 sec. Then off immediately. Headlights came on but lots of smoke and a little bit of fire. Headlights were still on with switch off. Waited about 10-15 sec before pulling the 2 small wires off the big one. Headlight turned off at that point. Insulation is melted with wires charred all the way to the relay. Relay was very hot and is now stuck into the connector.
Now no headlights, no running lights, no inside lights and no whirring sound when I turn the key half-way like I typically hear (maybe fuel pump?). Also, truck will not turn over.
Remaining wire bundles connecting and adjacent to the relay look good and were only warm.
Battery voltage is still good. Couldn't get a reading off the alternator, but I'm not sure if I'm connecting to it correctly. Wire going to starter is showing about 12.5v, but I couldn't get a reading off the starter either.
I'm slightly more educated on the subject of headlight connectors and wire current capacity, but have seemed to create a much larger problem and really don't know where to go at this point. Replacing the melted wiring might get my lights back, but I don't imagine that will get my engine turning over, whatever might be causing that.
If you have read this far, I salute you. Thanks so much for the help.
(This post was edited by jstnz95 on Sep 8, 2014, 2:13 PM)
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 8, 2014, 4:07 PM
Post #2 of 3
(1494 views)
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Re: 1975 Toyota Hilux - No headlights, then fire, then smoke. Now she won't turn over.
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Those wires that were originally there where probably fusible links. You have a short in the headlamp circuit..somewhere. Unless you have knowledge, equipment, and service information on the system your dealing with, I suggest you have a repair shop check it out before it burns to the ground.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 8, 2014, 4:17 PM
Post #3 of 3
(1493 views)
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Re: 1975 Toyota Hilux - No headlights, then fire, then smoke. Now she won't turn over.
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OMG! Undo everything you did so you have a chance after fixing the damage to find the original break. "Gorilla tape!"
Smoke, fire wiring hot, relay welded on now nothing works and you are surprised!!??
12.5V where?
At best with everything you did undone I think you may have to hunt for one of these in a salvage yard if anything left of a donor truck for plug ends.
No telling how much damage to assorted wires, some may be fusible link wire or not and will need to put things back to what it should be somehow or get some serious help as what you've done might just be the end of this thing time wise to figure out if no OE style plug connections are available leaving just some even good hackery.
For now, disconnect the negative cable from the battery and leave it off till you have a source of a harness or help for touching anything electrical.
I doubt this has an electric fuel pump but might even for a carbureted engine but for now that means little.
Job one is find parts and help. Sounds like you dead grounded some kind of Romex wire without any fuse direct to battery. Whatever you mean by 1/8th and the word "solid" are not motor vehicle wiring anything and must go if this is to get fixed at all,
T
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