ok, got to working on my 85 stepsde to replace the hacked up/burnt wire harness. I already did a cab swap. so now getting it up to par for wiring.

I swapped in a complete 86 under hood harness and matching 86 dash harness along with the chassis sub harness for tail/brake lights also the 86 wiper motor.

**FYI 86 has plug change and wire routing change. weather proof plugs? NSS moved from chassis sub harness to firewall at engine sub harness connection.

this is a 40,000 mile harness from a 86 w150 there are no cuts/burns/splices on this 86 harness other than the washer motor wire/plug were melted. looks to have been on a manifold.

I have the stock dist by-passed/BR by-passed for full 12 volts to coil on stand alone IGN. system.

install and power it up. get every light/device to work except headlights and it starts with or with out the NSS.

park/turn sig/side marker/flasher/dash/dome/cargo/ashtray/glove box/intermit wiper-2 speeds.

swapped in another 86 dash harness and get NO POWER any where but HEADLIGHTS WORK-HIGH/LOW BEAMS WORK NOTHING ELSE WORKS OR POWERS UP.

SO I swapped matching dash harness back in and get every light/device to work but NO HEADLIGHTS!

not sure how to trouble shoot it other than swapping complete harness out.

I forgot the field wires on alt and fired engine up. they bounced around and sparked a couple time on the BATT stud of alt.

change field wire connectors and hooked them up. start/run engine and VR smoked for a no charge problem.

replaced VR and it charges fine now 14.5 volts.

with a test light I have 3 wires on headlight switch that is hot with switch off, 1 wire has a buzzer go off when probed with test light hooked to ground.

popped a fuse when I hit the spray washer motor = found the wires shorted together. cut out shorted wire and now it no longer pops a fuse and works the test light.

just came in after dark and confirmed the inst cluster lights work/dim with headlight switch = passed.


how do I get power out of switch to headlights?

can I toggle them on a separate switch?

and why does it crank/run WITH or WITHOUT NSS?

no power at headlight plug/bulb with switch on.

all fuse links seem to have power each side of connection, all fuses check good,