<VV> Maddening Electrical Problem - Can Anyone Help

[J R Read]

If the lighter socket caused all of this, have you disconnected this 
(unfused) circuit?
Later, JR


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill H." <gojoe283 at yahoo.com>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2012 1:04 AM
Subject: <VV> Maddening Electrical Problem - Can Anyone Help


B"H
Hi all, hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! I had a problem with my 66 
Monza the other day where a live wire (I think it was the cigrarette lighter 
wire) shorted out, filling the interior with acrid electrical smoke. The car 
died on the street, I turned the ignition off and pulled my cell phone 
charger out of the lighter socket.
After the smoke cleared, the car started right up and I didn't see anything 
obviously wrong. Then the next day, I noticed that with the key out of the 
ignition (and everything OFF), the GEN/FAN light was glowing a faint red, 
and the TEMP/PRESS light was glowing also, but was dimmer.
I pulled the instrument cluster out and looked at all the wiring, but 
couldn't find anything out of place. No shorts or grounded wires. Sometimes 
the lights would go off, but then go back on again with no obvious reason. 
All this is with the ignition OFF and the key out of the switch.
Thinking I may have damaged the alternator (it's an upgraded Clark's unit 
with built in electronic regulator), I pulled the two wire connector off the 
alternator from the wiring harness. The GEN/FAN came on with full 
brightness. Reconnected the harness, the GEN/FAN light went back to glowing 
dully.
There's power to the GEN/FAN bulb from the dash multiconnector, it's the 
brown and white wire, with the key off.
When you start the engine, both idiot lights go off, the volt gauge shows a 
normal 13-14 volts, and everything appears normal. I've checked the ignition 
switch and all the contacts appear to be ok, couldn't find any shorts 
between the terminals.
Can anyone help?
Thank you all...Bill Hershkowitz 66 Monza 110 PG A/C