Col Wickham

Fitted a new radio on the weekend and was looking for a wire that ran off the Accessories position on the ign switch. Coudn't find one. The existing radio and 8-track player and everything else seems to run off ignition or battery. Put a test light over every fuse terminal up under the dash and it was either powered or dead until ignition. Nothing on "Accessories".
I want this sound system running on accessories. How can I test that my accessories (key) position is even working? Is there a fuse terminal somewhere on the car that should give me what I need?

svnt442

Check this. I know it's a 70 diagram, but it should mostly be the same.

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svnt442

The yellow wire is the power for radio and that's what you need to tap off of.

MDchanic

The fuse block should have a tap (a hole smaller than a fuse hole with a male spade lug inside it) labeled ACC.

And there should be a 3-terminal plug up in there somewhere with, as Randy said, a yellow (acc), a grey (lights), and a black (ground) wire, which would have gone to the original radio.

- Eric

Col Wickham

Thanks guys. I found the 3 pin connector when I was trying to wire the radio in. It and the radio fuse in the fuse block were both dead with accessories switch in the on position. Both active with ignition. Someone has obviously re-routed the wiring which makes me think the accessories switch may be dead.

MDchanic

Ignition switch sits on top of the steering column, not too hard to get to, but you've got to drop the column.

Before you do that, check the wires from the ignition switch coming from the column. You've got to lie on your back under the dash and look up to see the wires from on top - they're a bit hidden to discourage hot-wirers. The wires are big - Purple, Green, Orange, Red, Pink, and Brown. Acc is the Brown one. Try sticking a pin through the insulation, hooking a light to it and to ground, and turning the switch to ACC. If the light doesn't go on, the switch is no good.

- Eric

Col Wickham

Thanks Eric. I did tinker with those and from memory the brown had power with ign off, ie constant power. I'll check again though. Besides the radio, what else should run off accessories? The convertible top, remote trunk release & cigarette lighter etc all run off battery. Nothing seems to run off accessories.

MDchanic

The heater fan, and, I believe, the w/s wipers.

Col Wickham

Just back from the shed. w/s wipers & fan work off ign. Every fuse / male spade lug on the left side of the fuse block has power with ign off and with accessories on. Every one one the right side has power only with ign on.
There is therefore no difference between acc & ign off.
That male spade lug has a dual terminal fitting. Off one is the pump for the convertible top. Off the other I've run the new radio clock. What I might do is splice off that and run the radio via a toggle switch under the dash so at least I can turn the radio off and not have it drawing power (red indicator light). The clock in the tach & the one in the new radio is probably enough stuff drawing power in a car that only goes out on sunny Sundays.

svnt442

Wow. it sounds to me like you need to check over your wiring. Either you have a bad ignition switch or the car has been rigged in a bad way. You might be in the market for some new harnesses.