Headlights

...The Problem is at Your 'Ignition Switch'! The Cooling Fans, Headlights, ALL Accessories and The Ignition to the Coil and Electronics/Points!! And the starter curcuit; Momentarily! ALL this Off the Same contact in that switch! Try Jumping from the Battery 12V+ to the Coil and ignition!(By-Pass the switch) I'll bet Your Engine doesn't dye this time!!...

Thank you for the prompt response. I will work on the car this weekend and let you know the result. Based on what I have read about the ignition switch on earlier forums this sounds like a great place to start. Bruce32751

Bruce,
There is a picture of a wiring diagram that George did a while ago, it's somwhere in the archives...It's a relay system that we hooked up on my car. This takes all the juice off the ign. switch. Good Luck.

Ignition:

OEM Headlight

Revised Headlight Wiring

There are 3 circuits in the Pantera you should consider revising.

Ignition Supply

The contacts in the steering column ignition switch cannot take high current loads, the contacts burn, creating a high resistance contact & a resulting voltage drop. Voltage to your ignition is marginal. When you turn on the headlights, the system voltage drops; lower system voltage to the ignition switch plus the voltage drop across the ignition switch drops the voltage to the ignition below the voltage required to operate it.

Headlights

The headlight rocker switch is also notorious for failing because it is not designed for the current in the headlanp circuit. Revising this circuit is a common upgrade to take the load off the rocker switch.

Radiator Cooling Fans

Finally there's the fan circuit. Its a truly botched design. The fan motor current passes through the ignition switch, and the design of the fan circuit results in engine run-on even when the ignition key is switched off, because the fan motors act as generators and supply voltage to the ignition.

I'm in process with the fan relay upgrade and while I'm at it maybe I'll attack the other circuits too.

Could you help me out with answers to a few questions?

Ignition: If one had the inclination to run the wire would it be better to get the power for this circuit at the ammeter rather than the battery cable? I ask because I have spare wires running from the ammeter area to the starter relay area. They were added by a prior owner for what I don't know, it's gone now. But they're there, 12 or 14 guage,neatly taped over and folded away.

Headlights: Where would be the best place to mount these relays? Right footwell near the fusebox looks like it would put them closest to the wiring involved?

Would it be worth the effort or even possible to use the headlight raising limit switch to keep the headlights off until the headlights are fully raised?

Fans: Where in the harness roughly is the Black/Pink junction you've tapped into with the 10 guage blue wire? Is it a soldered or mechanical connection?

quote:

Originally posted by larryw:

Ignition: If one had the inclination to run the wire would it be better to get the power for this circuit at the ammeter rather than the battery cable? I ask because I have spare wires running from the ammeter area to the starter relay area. They were added by a prior owner for what I don't know, it's gone now. But they're there, 12 or 14 guage,neatly taped over and folded away.

Better? No, but go ahead and use the wires so long as they're in good shape.

It's best to replace the ammeter with a voltmeter. Then where you pick up a high current connection becomes a moot point.

quote:

Headlights: Where would be the best place to mount these relays? Right footwell near the fusebox looks like it would put them closest to the wiring involved?

Sure that's one place where people mount them. Kinda makes for a awkward or tight installation. Behind the battery in the front boot is another common location.

quote:

Would it be worth the effort or even possible to use the headlight raising limit switch to keep the headlights off until the headlights are fully raised?

Consider this. I moved the red wire to unused terminal #7 of the headlight rocker switch. This raises the healights with the switch in the mid position, but the headlights remain off. Now I can momentarily rock the switch from mid position to the headlight on position, and back to the mid position; allowing me to flash my lights at slower traffic. This is a very simple 5 minute modification.

quote:

Fans: Where in the harness roughly is the Black/Pink junction you've tapped into with the 10 guage blue wire? Is it a soldered or mechanical connection?

There are several options. Poke your head under the dash.

Again, it's best to replace the ammeter with a voltmeter. Then the place where you pick up a current source is a moot point.

Theoretically you want all the electrical loads to be downstream of the ammeter, so it accurately displays a charge or discharge condition. But as we install higher current ignitions, higher current headlights, higher current cooling fans, we risk creating a condition where there is too much current passing through the ammeter with a resulting melt-down or fire. It has happened.

Mike Daley's web site, The Pantera Place, has a section regarding these modifications that will give you ideas too. Go to his technical section.

cowboy from hell

Read "Applications Considerations" paragraph.

http://relays.tycoelectronics.com/appnotes/app_pdfs/13c3236.pdf