engine runs till headlights are turned on - Automotive Wiring and Electrical


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engine runs till headlights are turned on

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Auto Repair Home>> Automotive Repair>> Automotive Wiring and Electrical

black bear 1
New User

May 3, 2008, 5:30 PM

Post #1 of 3 (1348 views)

engine runs till headlights are turned on	Sign In

hi, i have a 1988 chevy conversion van with a 350 motor in it, and i got it to run but when the headlight switch is pulled the engine dies. do you have any idea what could cause this to happened?

Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 3, 2008, 5:59 PM

Post #2 of 3 (1342 views)

Re: engine runs till headlights are turned on	Sign In

1. Try adding a good ground from engine block to body of vehicle. Bet one is broken somewhere.

2. The power block - rubber thing on firewall near brake booster has caused problems for me with this exact van - don't have a clue why but connections between that and the back of fuse panel inside didn't connect well. Stumbled on that one years ago and that might have been messed with during the conversion??

T

DanD
Veteran / Moderator
DanD profile image

May 4, 2008, 3:25 AM

Post #3 of 3 (1333 views)

Re: engine runs till headlights are turned on	Sign In

Yea Tom
That’s the first thing I thought of (bulkhead connector) when I read the question.
I can’t remember how many of these, I have repaired over the years.
And what a mess to get at, with all that black gummy tar that the factory sprayed on that firewall connector.
What I’ve found was that the male & female terminals were ok where they connected into the fuse block.
It was the way the male terminal was notched, inside the connector for the locking tab to hold it into the plug; it was so thin it would burn out.
Especially on a conversion van; the extra draw from all the accessories would just fry it and intermittently shut down half the feed to the fuse block.
The vans would start and run; step on the brakes, turn on the radio, turn on the heater fan any extra draw, would heat up the burnt terminal and the engine would shut down. Didn’t believe the customer the first time I heard the complaint.
I can’t remember right now but wasn’t it one of the 12 gage red or pink wires?

Dan.

Canadian "EH"

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