1982 CHEVROLET CAMARO wiring

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 2
































This is an essential accessory for do-it
-yourself automotive repair. Each vehicle-
specific guide includes detailed informa tion and graphics to help you get your
car or truck back on the road. Included in most guides: step-by-step instructions
with detailed photographs and drawings, wiring diagrams, specification charts
and repair tips.

1. Body & Trim
2. Brakes
3. Chassis Electrical
4. Drive Train
5. Engine & Engine Overhaul
6. Engine Controls
7. Engine Performance and Tune-up
8. Fuel System
9. General Information & Maintenance
10. Suspension & Steering

Covers all U.S. and Canadian m odels of GM Camaro 1982-1992.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 55
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH
REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

Fig. 1: Brake light switch
1. Disconnect the wiring harness fr om the brake light switch.
2. Remove the switch.
To install:
3. Depress the braked pedal, insert the switch into the tubular clip until the
switch body seats on the clip. Cli cks should be heard as the threaded
portion of the switch is pushed through the clip toward the brake pedal.\

4. Pull the brake pe dal fully rearward (towards the driver) against the pedal
stop, until the click sounds can no long er be heard. The switch will be moved
in the tubular clip providing adjustment.
5. Release the brak e pedal, and then repeat Step 4, to assure that no click
sound remains.
6. Connect the wiring harness to the brake light switch.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 127
The normal automotive circuit differs from
this simple example in two ways.
First, instead of having a return wire from the bulb to the battery, the current
travels through the frame of the vehicle. Since the negative (—) battery cable is
attached to the frame (made of electrically conductive metal), the frame of the
vehicle can serve as a ground wire to complete the circuit. Secondly, mo\
st
automotive circuits contain multiple components which receive power from a
single circuit. This lessens the amount of wire needed to power components on
the vehicle.
HOW DOES ELECTRICITY WORK: THE WATER ANALOGY
Electricity is the flow of electrons - t he subatomic particles that constitute the
outer shell of an atom. Elec trons spin in an orbit around the center core of an
atom. The center core is comprised of protons (positive charge) and neutrons
(neutral charge). Electrons have a negativ e charge and balance out the positive
charge of the protons. When an outside forc e causes the number of electrons to
unbalance the charge of the protons, the electrons will split off the atom and
look for another atom to balance out. If th is imbalance is kept up, electrons will
continue to move and an elec trical flow will exist.
Many people have been taught electrical th eory using an analogy with water. In
a comparison with water flowing through a pipe, the electrons would be the
water and the wire is the pipe.
The flow of electricity can be measur ed much like the flow of water through a
pipe. The unit of measur ement used is amperes, frequently abbreviated as
amps (a). You can compare amperage to th e volume of water flowing through a
pipe. When connected to a circuit, an ammeter will measure the actual amount
of current flowing through the circuit. W hen relatively few electrons flow through
a circuit, the amperage is low. When many electrons flow, the amperage is high.
Water pressure is measured in units su ch as pounds per square inch (psi); The
electrical pressure is m easured in units called volts (v). When a voltmeter is
connected to a circuit, it is meas uring the electrical pressure.
The actual flow of electricity depends not only on voltage and amperage, but
also on the resistance of the circuit. T he higher the resistance, the higher the
force necessary to push the current through the circuit. The standard unit for
measuring resistance is an ohm. Resistance in a circuit varies depending on the
amount and type of components used in t he circuit. The main factors which
determine resistance are:
• Material - some materials have more resistance than others. Those with
high resistance are said to be insulato rs. Rubber materials (or rubber-like
plastics) are some of the most common insulators used in vehicles as
they have a very high resistance to electricity. Very low resistance
materials are said to be conductors. Copper wire is among the best
conductors. Silver is actually a super ior conductor to copper and is used
in some relay contacts, but its hi gh cost prohibits its use as common
wiring. Most automotive wir ing is made of copper.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 129
THE BATTERY
In most modern vehicles, the battery is
a lead/acid electrochemical device
consisting of six 2 volt subs ections (cells) connected in se ries, so that the unit is
capable of producing approximately 12 volt s of electrical pressure. Each
subsection consists of a series of positive and negative plates held a short
distance apart in a solution of sulfuric acid and water.
The two types of plates are of dissim ilar metals. This sets up a chemical
reaction, and it is this r eaction which produces current flow from the battery
when its positive and negative terminals are connected to an electrical \
load .
The power removed from the battery is r eplaced by the alternator, restoring the
battery to its original chemical state.
THE ALTERNATOR
On some vehicles there isn't an alter nator, but a generator. The difference is
that an alternator supplies alternating current which is then changed to direct
current for use on the vehicle, while a generator produces direct current.
Alternators tend to be more efficient and that is why they are used.
Alternators and generators are devices t hat consist of coils of wires wound
together making big electrom agnets. One group of coils spins within another set
and the interaction of the magnetic fields causes a current to flow. This current
is then drawn off the coils and fed into the vehicles electrical system.
GROUND
Two types of grounds are used in automot ive electric circuits. Direct ground
components are grounded to the frame thr ough their mounting points. All other
components use some sort of ground wire which is attached to the frame or
chassis of the vehicle. The electrical current runs through the chassis of the
vehicle and returns to the battery thr ough the ground (—) cable; if you look,
you'll see that the battery ground cabl e connects between the battery and the
frame or chassis of the vehicle.
It should be noted that a good percentage of electrical problems can be traced
to bad grounds.
PROTECTIVE DEVICES
It is possible for large surges of current to pass through the electrical system of
your vehicle. If this surge of current we re to reach the load in the circuit, the
surge could burn it out or severely dam age it. It can also overload the wiring,
causing the harness to get hot and melt t he insulation. To prevent this, fuses,
circuit breakers and/or fusible links are connected into the supply wires of the
electrical system. These items are nothing more than a built-in weak spot in the
system. When an abnormal amount of curr ent flows through the system, these
protective devices work as fo llows to protect the circuit:

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 132
Some electrical components which require
a large amount of current to operate
use a special switch called a relay. Sinc e these circuits carry a large amount of
current, the thickness of the wire in the ci rcuit is also greater. If this large wire
were connected from the load to the c ontrol switch, the switch would have to
carry the high amperage load and the fair ing or dash would be twice as large to
accommodate the increased size of t he wiring harness. To prevent these
problems, a relay is used.
Relays are composed of a coil and a se t of contacts. When the coil has a
current passed though it, a magnetic fiel d is formed and this field causes the
contacts to move together, completing the circuit. Most relays are normally
open, preventing current from passing thr ough the circuit, but they can take any
electrical form depending on th e job they are intended to do. Relays can be
considered "remote control switches." They allow a smaller current to operate
devices that require higher amperages. W hen a small current operates the coil,
a larger current is allo wed to pass by the contacts. Some common circuits
which may use relays are the horn, headlight s, starter, electric fuel pump and
other high draw circuits.

Fig. 3: Relays are composed of a coil and a switch. These two components are
linked together so that w hen one operates, the other operat es at the same time.
The large wires in the circuit are connect ed from the battery to one side of the
relay switch (B+) and from the opposite side of the re lay switch to the load
(component). Smaller wires are connected from the relay coil to the control
switch for the circuit and from the opposite side of the relay coil to ground
LOAD
Every electrical circuit must include a "load" (something to use the electricity
coming from the source). Without this l oad, the battery would attempt to deliver
its entire power supply from one pole to another. This is called a "short circuit."
All this electricity would take a short cut to ground and cause a great amount of
damage to other components in the circui t by developing a tremendous amount
of heat. This condition could develop suffici ent heat to melt the insulation on all
the surrounding wires and reduce a multiple wire cable to a lump of plastic and
copper.

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WIRING & HARNESSES
The average vehicle contains meters
and meters of wiring, with hundreds of
individual connections. To protect the many wires from damage and to keep
them from becoming a confusing tangl e, they are organized into bundles,
enclosed in plastic or taped together and called wiring harnesses. Different
harnesses serve different parts of the vehi cle. Individual wires are color coded
to help trace them through a harness wher e sections are hidden from view.
Automotive wiring or circuit conductors can be either single strand wire, multi-
strand wire or printed circui try. Single strand wire has a solid metal core and is
usually used inside such components as alternators, motors, relays and other
devices. Multi-strand wire has a core made of many small strands of wire
twisted together into a single conductor. Most of the wiring in an automotive
electrical system is made up of multi-strand wire, either as a single conductor or
grouped together in a harness. All wiring is color coded on the insulator, either
as a solid color or as a colored wire wit h an identification stripe. A printed circuit
is a thin film of copper or other conducto r that is printed on an insulator backing.
Occasionally, a printed circuit is sandwic hed between two sheets of plastic for
more protection and flexibility. A comp lete printed circuit, consisting of
conductors, insulating material and connec tors for lamps or other components
is called a printed circuit board. Printed ci rcuitry is used in place of individual
wires or harnesses in places where space is limit ed, such as behind instrument
panels.
Since automotive electrical systems are very sensitive to changes in resistance,
the selection of properly sized wires is critical when systems are repaired. A
loose or corroded connection or a replacem ent wire that is too small for the
circuit will add extra resistance and an addi tional voltage drop to the circuit.
The wire gauge number is an expression of the cross-section area of the
conductor. Vehicles from countries that use the metric system will typically
describe the wire size as its cross-secti onal area in square millimeters. In this
method, the larger the wire, the gr eater the number. Another common system
for expressing wire size is the Americ an Wire Gauge (AWG) system. As gauge
number increases, area decreases and the wire becomes smaller. An 18 gauge
wire is smaller than a 4 gauge wire. A wire with a higher gauge number will
carry less current than a wire with a lower gauge number. Gauge wire size
refers to the size of the strands of the conductor, not the size of the complete
wire with insulator. It is possi ble, therefore, to have two wires of the same gauge
with different diameters because one may hav e thicker insulation than the other.
It is essential to understand how a circuit works before trying to figure out why it
doesn't. An electrical schematic shows the electrical current paths when a
circuit is operating proper ly. Schematics break the enti re electrical system down
into individual circuits. In a schematic, usually no attempt is made to represent
wiring and components as they physically appear on the vehicle; switches and
other components are shown as simply as possible. Face views of harness
connectors show the cavity or terminal lo cations in all multi-pin connectors to
help locate test points.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 137
voltage) is present; it only means that so
me voltage is present. It is advisable
before using the test light to touch its ground clip and probe across the battery
posts or terminals to make sure the light is operating properly.
WARNING - Do not use a test light to probe electronic ignition, spark plug or
coil wires. Never use a pick-type test light to probe wiring on computer
controlled systems unless spec ifically instructed to do so. Any wire insulation
that is pierced by the test light pr obe should be taped and sealed with silicone
after testing
Like the jumper wire, the 12 volt test li ght is used to isolate opens in circuits.
But, whereas the jumper wire is used to bypass the open to operate the load,
the 12 volt test light is us ed to locate the presence of voltage in a circuit. If the
test light illuminates, there is power up to t hat point in the circuit; if the test light
does not illuminate, there is an open circui t (no power). Move the test light in
successive steps back toward the power source until the light in the handle
illuminates. The open is between the pr obe and a point which was previously
probed.
The self-powered test light is similar in design to the 12 volt test light, but
contains a 1.5 volt penlight battery in the handle. It is most often used in place
of a multimeter to check for open or shor t circuits when power is isolated from
the circuit (continuity test).
The battery in a self-powered test light does not provide much current. A weak
battery may not provide enough power to illuminate the test light even when a
complete circuit is made (especially if there is high resistance in the circuit).
Always make sure that the test battery is strong. To check the battery, briefly
touch the ground clip to the pr obe; if the light glows brightly, the battery is strong
enough for testing.
A self-powered test light should not be used on any co mputer controlled system
or component. The small amount of electr icity transmitted by the test light is
enough to damage many electr onic automotive components.
MULTIMETERS
Multimeters are an extremely useful tool for troubleshooting electrical problems.
They can be purchased in either analog or digital form and have a price range
to suit any budget. A multimeter is a voltmeter, ammeter and ohmmeter (along
with other features) combined into one instrument. It is often used when testing
solid state circuits because of its hi gh input impedance (usually 10 megaohms
or more). A brief description of the mult imeter main test functions follows:
• Voltmeter - the voltmeter is used to measure voltage at any point in a
circuit, or to measure the voltage drop across any part of a circuit.
Voltmeters usually have various scales and a selector switch to allow the
reading of different volt age ranges. The voltmeter has a positive and a
negative lead. To avoid damage to the meter, always connect the
negative lead to the negative (—) side of the circ uit (to ground or nearest

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 151
ARMING THE SYSTEM
1. Turn the ignition key to the LO CK position and remove the key.
2. On vehicles with a passenger side ai r bag, reconnect the yellow two-way
connector assembly located near the yellow 24-way DERM harness
connector. Install the glov e box door assembly.
3. Connect the yellow two-way connector assembly at the base of the
steering column.
Always be sure to reinstall the Connec tor Position Assurance (CPA) device.
4. Install the left side trim panel and rein stall the fuse in the fuse block.
5. Turn the ignition key to the RUN posit ion and verify that the warning lamp
flashes seven to nine times and then turn s OFF. If it does not operate as
described, have the system repair ed by a qualified technician.
HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING

BLOWER MOTOR
REMOVAL & INSTALLATION 1. Disconnect the negative battery cable. If necessary, remove the diagonal
fender brace at the right rear corner of the engine compartment to gain
access to the blower motor.
2. Disconnect the electrical wiring fr om the blower motor. If equipped with
air conditioning, remove the blower relay and bracket as an assembly
and swing them aside.
3. Remove the blower motor cooling tube.
4. Remove the blower mo tor retaining screws.
5. Remove the blower motor and fan as an assembly from the case.
To install: 6. Position the blower motor into pl ace and install the retaining screws.
7. Install the blower motor cooling tube.
8. Connect all the electrical connections.
9. Connect the negative battery cable.