wiring prolbems with my 66 charger please help

[copps]

i have a 1966 dodge charger and im having wiring prolbems. i cant seem to get my gas,tac,water, and oil pressure gauages to work. the wire that goes to the fuel guage gets so hot it melts the wire. this happens when the brake light switch on the brake pedal has the white wire hooked up on it. if i disconnect the white wire it wont melt the wire. if i try to leave it hooked up it heats up and shorts out. i dont no why if this is the reason i cant get my other gauges to work. also i hooked up the water temp gauge directly to the batterie and put a brand new sending unit in and the water temp still wont move. i just did this to see if i could get the temp gauge to work. can i do it this way or do i need some other way to hook it up to see if the guage works. like i said the sending unit is brand new and i dont no if i need a condeser on this to make it work or what. i think i got a short somewhere and its driving me crazy cause i cant seem to find it. if anyone has any information on this please please please, help im at my witts end....lol....

thanks,
copps

[consultIII]

I don't have a wiring diagram and have never worked on a 66 charger (nice car by the way).

Does the wiring look factory or has it been altered. I don't recall ever seeing any car wiring that has the brake lamps connected to the guages. Is that what your saying the white wire is connected to both the gauges and the brake lamp circuit?

the brake lamp draw is too much for the small wiring needed to power the gauges. Separate the cirucits...they probably were never suppose to be connected.

[copps]

let me start with the 1st prolbem.. lol... i cant get any of my gauges to work. that means gas, oil, water, and tac. the speedometer works though. lol. the hot wire that goes to the instument pannel seems to get so hot it burns the coating off. i no i have a short somewhere but cant find it. could this be in my ignition and if so is there a way i can test the ignition without bringing it to a shop.

thanks copps

[copps]

oww and yes the wiring colors are correct to the diagram. everything is good there

[consultIII]

can you post the wiring diagrams. Hard to do anything without it.