'89 Sidekick with seriously messed-up wiring. Help please!

[MacQuarrie]

My daughter has a 1989 Sidekick that we pulled out of a guy's back yard and cleaned up. It's about what you'd expect of a $300 car. We put in a new engine & transmission, so it runs okay, but some previous owner made a mess of the electrical system. They added fog lights that were wired up replacing the high beams, added and then halfway removed an alarm system and multi-CD changer. It looks like it was wired by chimps.

Last week, while driving in the rain, something went click and the lights went out. So did the radio. I can't find any blown fuses. So far I have successfully removed all the spliced-in stuff that used to go to the alarm, but haven't found anyplace where the wiring for the radio goes anywhere near the wiring for the headlights.

The brake lights and turn signals still work, both front and back, but the running lights all around and the headlights are out. Sooner or later I'm going to need to drive this thing at night.

I'm not really qualified to do this kind of stuff; I don't know a lot about automotive wiring, but I got laid off and can't afford to pay anybody, so I have to learn how to do it myself or it won't get done.

The Haynes Manual has a black & white wiring diagram that I can't make sense of. Does anybody know where I can find a decent wiring diagram for this car? Any suggestions on how to find this problem and at least get the headlights and taillights to come on? (My daughter would prefer having the radio work, but oh well.)

Any advice or guidance you can offer would be most welcome.

[rickf]

Can't help on the wiring diagram but look at the headlight wiring colors then trace them to the headlight switch,see if you have juice at the switch and backtrack from there. You have to get 12 volts from somewhere to activate the headlights so maybe this will help you narrow it down. Good Luck
rickf

[suzuki pro]

hope these help..
if you need i can get you the factory diagrams.. i'd start by looking at the big fuses in the engine compartment.

[MacQuarrie]

Thanks! I hope the diagrams help. I checked the big fuses and they look okay to me. I'll be back at it in the daylight...

[jtgh]

here is the 89 criticals.
89 data is the weakest of all suzukis.

but , here is 89 criticals (engine make run map)

http://carfix.stufftoread.com/INJECT...9-90schem1.jpg

see pm mail for link to full 91 schematic
the lighting my be good for you.

dont use my 91 pages for engine part. as above is correct only.



and the color codes.

cheers.

you do know there are fuse above left knee and on engine bay right fender front of battery , right?

[MacQuarrie]

Thanks, guys.

I ended up just running new wiring to the lights and radio. Bypassed the switch and installed a new switch on the dashboard where the switch for the fog lights used to be. Also removed a metric ton of leftover junk from the old alarm and stereo system Everything seems to work now. It's a bit of a kluge, primitive but effective. I tried to do it in a way that could be fairly easily removed when I have the budget to do the wiring correctly.

Anyhow, thanks again. I printed out the information you provided and will keep it on file.

[CodyJ]

Don't put yourself down as having to learn this stuff.

I'm not really qualified to do this kind of stuff; I don't know a lot about automotive wiring, but I got laid off and can't afford to pay anybody, so I have to learn how to do it myself or it won't get done.

I believe anyone that puts time and effort and feels they can always learn something is a mechanic. Goodluck doing it by the book as that does not even work half of the time... TV makes it look so easy as to removing a wheel and welding when they have all the proper tools, testers, etc.

[jtgh]

that is correct.
only you can tell how messed something is,
so you make a judgment call, ALL new OEM, or patch it ,or all new after market
on these old cars, it really dont matter.
good luck and if you need help , we have FSM and Full schematics.
and lots of tricks.


cheers.