1960s Need help identifying dash wire

[chrisbutnut]

I removed my instrument cluster to repair the speedometer and a few other things.  I got it reinstalled, but there is a green wire that's part of the wiring harness that has the connector that goes into the back of the instrument cluster, among other wires.  This is a single green wire with a black connector at the end.  I also have a double green wire with a connector, which goes into the climate sensor at the top of the dash cover.  Any ideas what the single green wire goes to?   This is a 68 Coupe DeVille.

[Highwayman68]

I just looked in my dash and I don't have that wire, a dark green single connector. I looked at the each of the wiring diagrams in the manual and I don't see one like this in there. Can you trace it back to see when it comes from? What type of connector is on the other end?

[chrisbutnut]

I just looked in my dash and I don't have that wire, a dark green single connector. I looked at the each of the wiring diagrams in the manual and I don't see one like this in there. Can you trace it back to see when it comes from? What type of connector is on the other end?

Thank you for checking.  It's part of the harness that contains the wires that plug into the back of the instrument cluster, plus the double wire connector that goes into the climate sensor, and I think it also has the wires for the map light and radio.  That harness is all bundled and taped together as it comes out of the left side of the dash, where the wires originate.  I didn't remove the metal piece that contains the instrument cluster, headlight switch, wiper switch, ignition switch, climate control and radio, so I don't think it would have plugged into one of those, but i'm not sure.  It's entirely possible that it wasn't plugged into anything.  I just want to make sure.

I will take another look at it tomorrow when it's light and see if I can tell where it originates. 

[Big Fins]

Possibly the left front dash speaker or the light for the clock.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Don't have the speakers a specific connector?

[chrisbutnut]

My car doesn't have a stereo, so it only has the single center speaker in the front. 

[_Cap_]

This looks a lot like the connector used for the Auto Dimming section of the light switch, I don't have any good pictures but you can kind of see it in this one, though it wouldn't make sense from were the wire is coming from i would think

[chrisbutnut]

This looks a lot like the connector used for the Auto Dimming section of the light switch, I don't have any good pictures but you can kind of see it in this one, though it wouldn't make sense from were the wire is coming from i would think

Yea, and mine is a single wire, and I also don't have auto dimming (or twilight sentinel).  My biggest concern is that it's supposed to plug into the back of the climate control selector/module, and that I inadvertently unplugged it.  I have the service manual, which has wiring diagrams, however they are tiny and very hard to read, and I'm not sure I'd be able to read it properly even if I could see it.

[_Cap_]

Just took a look through the AC wiring diagrams in our 68 shop manual that we have for our sedan, I was able to find similar connectors, but the closest i could find to one with 2 green wires, was one with a light green and brown wire, and a yellow wire witch hooked to the ambient temp sensor.
Also its possible it goes to a addon that your car never came with and its berried in some obscure diagram, for our 68 shop manual its littered with wiring diagrams everywhere, its very confusing and annoying to find what you need

[chrisbutnut]

Thanks for all of the responses!  I was able to sit down with my shop manual and looked at the chassis wiring diagram.  I can't find a single connector with a green wire anywhere, and everything seems to work as it should, so I'm leaning towards the wire wasn't connected to anything before I took the dash apart.

[Highwayman68]

Yea, and mine is a single wire, and I also don't have auto dimming (or twilight sentinel).  MI have the service manual, which has wiring diagrams, however they are tiny and very hard to read, and I'm not sure I'd be able to read it properly even if I could see it.

Get the manual on CD, they are available on ebay. It makes it so much easier to search for words and numbers PLUS you can increase it to make it easier to see.

[chrisbutnut]

Get the manual on CD, they are available on ebay. It makes it so much easier to search for words and numbers PLUS you can increase it to make it easier to see.

Good idea! 

[dadscad]

If it was my car, I'd get my voltmeter out to find out if it was a ground wire or a power wire. If it's a power wire you could remove fuses until you find the circuit supplying the power. That would be a step closer to finding the purpose of the wire on the wiring diagram. A ground wire would be for something that doesn't get it's ground from its frame or mounting. Maybe something mounted in a plastic part of the dash.

[Highwayman68]

I was at my parts car today so I figured I would check it to see if it had this single Dark Green wire and it did. I was able to trace it and found that it comes from terminal #6 on the Instrument Panel. In the manual that is supposed to be connected to the Trunk Tell Tale which goes to the switch in the trunk to indicate that the trunk is open.

After getting home I checked again now that I knew more about what I am looking for and it is there on mine, buried in with other wires. It connects to a White wire with a Green strip, the manual doesn't identify the color of this wire anywhere that I could find. Look behind the instrument panel for the White wire with a Green strip and a female connector.

[chrisbutnut]

I was at my parts car today so I figured I would check it to see if it had this single Dark Green wire and it did. I was able to trace it and found that it comes from terminal #6 on the Instrument Panel. In the manual that is supposed to be connected to the Trunk Tell Tale which goes to the switch in the trunk to indicate that the trunk is open.

After getting home I checked again now that I knew more about what I am looking for and it is there on mine, buried in with other wires. It connects to a White wire with a Green strip, the manual doesn't identify the color of this wire anywhere that I could find. Look behind the instrument panel for the White wire with a Green strip and a female connector.

Thank you very much!  So the white wire with the green stripe and female connector...is that coming from another wiring bundle/harness?  I will get in there and see if I can find it.  Really appreciate your efforts on this!

[Highwayman68]

Unfortunately I was not able to see past the main wiring harness that fills up that space behind the instrument cluster. Tomorrow I will look at the parts car now that I know what I am looking for.

[Highwayman68]

Checked on my parts car and the wire wasn't there. This car doesn't have the remote control trunk like my Fleetwood does.

When I got home I did a search for Trunk and found this in Section 12-35
"The Red Trunk light will come on whenever the trunk lid is unlocked on car equipped with Remote Control Trunk Lid."

So there you have it. If your car doesn't have a remote control trunk then you won't have the wire from the trunk so there is nothing for you to do with the wire from the instrument cluster because it is looking for a ground source to illuminate the indicator.

[chrisbutnut]

Checked on my parts car and the wire wasn't there. This car doesn't have the remote control trunk like my Fleetwood does.

When I got home I did a search for Trunk and found this in Section 12-35
"The Red Trunk light will come on whenever the trunk lid is unlocked one car equipped with Remote Control Trunk Lid."

So there you have it. If your car doesn't have a remote control trunk then you won't have the wire from the trunk so there is nothing for you to do with the wire from the instrument cluster because it is looking for a ground source to illuminate the indicator.

That makes perfect sense.  When I took my instrument cluster out, I noticed that there was no bulb housing for the red Trunk light at the top of the warning lights, and I do not have the remote trunk lid.  I didn't notice that the wire was there when I removed everything.

Thank you again for checking!