TheSamba.com :: View topic - Another new Thing owner with a few issues!

Tue Apr 11, 2017 4:52 pm

Just purchased a 73 Thing that's on a 67 Ghia chassis complete with a strong running single port by the previous owner that I hope to replace with a 1679cc dual Weber motor currently in my wife's 67 bus after we upgrade it to something a little stronger. I've fixed a few issues such as gas gauge and parking brake but still have a few electrical issues to fix.

One issue is that the engine has a generator and I believe a 73 thing came equipped with a alternator. I have verified that the charging system is working but the alternator light is on. Is there a quick wiring fix for this like?

Thanks!

Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:12 pm

All things had generators not alt if the light is on it probably is not charging the easiest way to make sure is to start it rev it up and remove the battery cable if it stays running it is charging if it dies it is not.

Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:42 pm

citroen wrote: All things had generators not alt if the light is on it probably is not charging the easiest way to make sure is to start it rev it up and remove the battery cable if it stays running it is charging if it dies it is not.

I put a charging system/battery tester on the battery and voltage shows 12.5 at idle.....when I rev the engine it climbs to about 13.5volts yet the light stays on.
This thing has some funky wiring going on such as the factory ignition switch is bypassed. It has power coming into a toggle switch which then goes to a universal NAPA ignition switch to start engine. When you turn the headlights on only the park lights come on.....then if you look to the right dash panel there are 2 toggle switches....one for low beam and one for high beam.
When I turn the ignition switch into the on position neither the charging or oil pressure lights come on. When I start the engine the gen light comes on and stays but I never see the oil pressure light come on.

Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:06 am

What a mess if you take a light bulb and put one end to hot when you turn on the key the other end goes to the small terminal on the regulater I don't remember the number and start the car the light will go out if it is charging and it sounds like it is when the generator charges it takes away the ground

Thu Apr 13, 2017 3:29 pm

citroen wrote: What a mess if you take a light bulb and put one end to hot when you turn on the key the other end goes to the small terminal on the regulater I don't remember the number and start the car the light will go out if it is charging and it sounds like it is when the generator charges it takes away the ground

Thanks for the tip....I took a spare bulb and bulb holder and a few feet of wire lit them up to a power source and determined that when the engine was started the charging and oil pressure lights turned off as expected. This tells me that at the speedometer both the charging & oil pressure bulbs should be energized with the ignition on and the volt reg and oil pressure switch should ground them out if working properly.
My next question is why aren't they energized with the ignition on and when the engine is started the generator light comes on though it is charging.

I'll have to start again tomorrow since I blew my test light and I'm lost w/o it.

Sun Apr 23, 2017 12:25 pm

You might want to get wiring diagrams for the Thing and the 67 ghia and figure out how the PO did. Maybe get a new Thing ignition switch and start there.

Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:47 pm

moondogi1 wrote: You might want to get wiring diagrams for the Thing and the 67 ghia and figure out how the PO did. Maybe get a new Thing ignition switch and start there.

I used the wiring schematic from the tech section of Samba for a type 181. I used it to add one wire connection from the back of the speedometer to the fuse box and low and behold generator light, oil pressure light, turn signal, and flasher indicator lights on the speedometer are now working. I think I'm going to leave the wiring modifications from the past owner as is and just clean them up since after spending about an hour everyday trouble shooting I better understand what he did.

Thanks