BSiegPaint

As I was working on my '71 throttle cable today, I see a resistor dangling in front of my face, attached to the brake switch. Since it's attached with a couple blue splice clips, I'm thinking Bubba was here long before me, and I took the thing off and taped over the small holes in the wires. Did he have some radio interference in his Pioneer Supertuner back in '76? Who knows? Anyway, problem solved.

Forward to a bit later this afternoon, I'm digging through an old spare wiring harness, snipping needed clips and wires, when dang if I don't see the EXACT SAME FIX on this particular harness (from a '74, and from far, far away from where I live, so Bubba would have to have a twin). So here is the "fix" I saw hanging in my '71:



And here is the resistor (?) I took off my car a few hours earlier - again, in exactly the same place with exactly the same clips.



Did I just undo some factory fix of some kind? Here I thought I was doing myself a favor... Anyone (everyone?) else have this thing?

G dad

Somebody put it there to try and stop the pop(spike) in the stereo when you step on the brakes...that's my guess.

The13Bats

Factory doesnt use the cheesy sqeeze taps, at least I have never seen it.
I agree it was to cure the "pop" which was very common with some music radios of the era...it would also "pop" in some CB radios also popular in those days....some people who be far more bothered by the pop than others....

Carlos840

I have the same exact resistor dangling in my 76! its not really connected to anything anymore though...

moonsteel

Ditto for my 74

joewill

my 70 has one, i am pretty sure it is factory though, there is even one on the blower motor....

The13Bats

If this is factory when did the factory get so cheap and cheesy as to use squeeze taps?

thoyer

A bit of clarification, that is a capacitor, not a resistor.

It was probably installed to supress the radio noise generated when the brake pedal is depressed as indicated in previous posts. The brake switch would arc when the switch contacts were opened and closed. The capacitor would "absorb" the arc effectively eliminating the pop heard in the radio.

Tom

BSiegPaint

Thanks, Tom - I thought I had it wrong... Maybe this was one of those dealer repairs from a service bulletin if the customer complained of this particular noise. Sounds like I need to put it back on And I'm glad to hear others have the same thing - still cheesy with the snap clips!

one-72

my 72 has one identical tothat one

guappy

Could have been some kind of fix for the popping noise and the dealer was instructed to add the capacitor and clips

champs65

My 69 has those same quick clips and capacitor under the column, and I haven't found a single cut or bubba'd wire anywhere inside the car. I would think they are original, except I don't know if that type of solderless connector even existed back then.

There are at least three capacitors on my car that I can think of right now...brake, blower motor, and one behind the cluster, wired into the clock IIRC.

markdtn

I think I read somewhere this was a Chevrolet field campaign in the early 70s to help with radio noise, but I can't find any proof. All the 68-72 harness I have seen have that capacitor.

7T1vette

That is a capacitor which is used to suppress 'clicks/pops' in the radio sound when you activate the brake pedal. And, yes, the cheezy blue clips were installed by the factory and/or the dealer. Apparently, it was a design change from the original wiring diagram and done that way for a period of time. If you have upgraded to a modern radio system, you don't need that noise filter...unless you wanted to keep it 'stock'.

P.S. You will find other similar 'noise filters' on the alternator, the ignition coil, the blower motor, etc. throughout the electrical system. Who knows if these old capacitors still function?

1Fordman

Those were installed by the dealers when a customer complained about the popping in the radio on the AM band. We also installed them on the turn signal flashers.

The Scotchlock wire taps were used because they installed quickly. Not the best way to splice into a wire but most shops were "flat rate" so the pressure to meet or beat it was always there.

thoyer

They are (at least the one pictured) paper film capacitors which are notorious for becoming less effective over time.

I hope to take a look under the dash of my 71 tonight and see if there is one installed.

Tom

sharkskin69

I have a 69 and the capacitor and clips are there. It is definitely factory at least on the 69 and I suspect yours also. No bubba job, it shows this exact configuration clips and all in the 69 assembly manual under the radio option section. it is just supposed to be taped to the brake light switch connection.

capevettes

Factory capacitor for radio noise supression. They didn't work effectively even when they were new.

thoyer

Just checked and my 71 LS5 has the same capacitor and wire clips. Secured to the harness with electrical tape

FWIW.

Tom

BSiegPaint

Well, I for one am glad to hear all this good news I reinstalled mine in the same location last night, if nothing but for originality... I can't ever remember hearing pops on the radio when I hit the brakes (with side pipes, what CAN you hear, really?) so maybe it was actually working. I'm almost sorry I popped off the original cheesy clips! They fell apart pretty easily, and the metal connectors were pretty corroded, so I'm guessing I didn't hurt anything...