Wiring Fix Qestion

[73NorthernDuster]

Hopefully a quick question.

I am pulling apart my 73 Duster and found the multi connector from the ignition switch to the harness is burnt at the red ignition wire and the plastic connector is burnt and turned to dust when I pulled it apart.

Looks like the guy's at the factory left a little bare wire on the ignition wire and over the years it arced and burnt.

Can I just break away the plastic connector, fix the bare wire and then plug all the wires back into each other without the plastic connector using the original pins? I would electrical tape up each wire separately then tape them all together.

Would the wires get too hot for the electrical tape?

Thanks in advance
Brent

[68_Val_Sedan]

That should work, make sure you replace any connector that is burned or discolored.

[75Dart440]

My 75 Dart Sport already had the heavy gauge Red and Black wires removed from the main steering column harness and had their own smaller 2 wire black connector on them.  Looks like it was a factory change or maybe TSB repair at a dealership.  Of course I still bypassed the ammeter gauge to avoid the problem with it down the road.

[Jim_Lusk]

It shouldn't be too hard to find a connector that hasn't melted. I would replace it with what it came with. Too much room for error and problems otherwise.

[73swinger]

I had to do the exact same thing on my 73 Swinger when I first got it. I just pulled the 2 wires outta the connecter and put a new single one on

[demon340v]

should be the ignition switch that is done for right on the connector?! if so hit up yoru auto part store they sell the part. and it plugs right in.

Mine did

[PureGTS]

  Another thing you can do is to find out what the switch is controlling that it requires that heavy a gauge wire and rig it for a relay instead. This will stop the switch, and wiring, from having to handle such high amperage and save the steering column harness from melting down and you from dealing with it again...   ever! This can be done under the dash and out of sight pretty easily.
  The Snap On type trucks (GM's) suffer from this same disease; GM, in their infinite wisdom, ran all the amperage from the starter's solenoid to the ignition swtch. After a while it melts down and burns and stops working all together. The fix, permanent fix that is, is to put a small Bosch type relay, triggered from the switch, so the relay can handle the amperage NOT the switch.

[73NorthernDuster]

Thanks for the advice.  I think I'll fix up the wires then add a relay so the ignition switch doesn't melt again.