The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Tech → Rewiring from Scratch
Basically exactly as the instructions for the switch say.
Thanks for this. Last time I looked at the part in the store, for whatever reason I only could see the top side picture and main stud; I never saw the instructions or the bottom view. It makes a lot more sense now.
Thanks for this. Last time I looked at the part in the store, for whatever reason I only could see the top side picture and main stud; I never saw the instructions or the bottom view. It makes a lot more sense now.
You're welcome. I might have mixed up which is the second set and which is the third, but if you're using the same type of switch without instructions you can just test for where there's continuity in the off position, and that's where you connect your alternator to ground.
if you're asking if my kill switch grounds out the starter, it does indeed
I meant alternator here. Oops.
circuit breakers tell you which circuit is out. Just sayin'
I took a different approach when I rewired my simple carb car. I just started removing wire that didn't seem to go to anything still in use. Then isolated the stuff that had to stay. I found the OEM starter relay wire and connected it to a push button. Ignition hot to a toggle switch, which powered the gauges thru a fuse and the fan relay. I salvaged all the wire I needed from the car. Ignition switch is gone, and all I have in the car is the kill switch, a toggle switch, and a push button. Super simple and it was free and easy.
This was how I started too. Whittle back not tear out and go from scratch. Battery to kill and back down to starter contractor were all custom done, but the rest was initially sorted by Weeding out stuff like armrest console lighting radio/HVAC etc.
I took a different approach when I rewired my simple carb car. I just started removing wire that didn't seem to go to anything still in use. Then isolated the stuff that had to stay. I found the OEM starter relay wire and connected it to a push button. Ignition hot to a toggle switch, which powered the gauges thru a fuse and the fan relay. I salvaged all the wire I needed from the car. Ignition switch is gone, and all I have in the car is the kill switch, a toggle switch, and a push button. Super simple and it was free and easy.
I guess I can't really say I'm going to tear out everything and start completely from scratch. I like your idea and I'd salvage more of what's there if it were in better condition, but the previous owner(s) have really made a mess of most of it. Basically I've attempted to identify everything in the engine bay with a wire going to it to determine whether I need to wire it up again when I'm finished. I've decided to keep the Duraspark ignition control setup, and the wires coming out of the duraspark box and going to the distributor and coil will mostly stay. I think I'll leave most of the factory headlight and parking light wiring in place to maintain the ability to be street legal, but I don't think I'll actually connect them to anything for now. The neutral safety switch and brake light switch will stay but get new wiring to my circuit board.
So much of the wiring that's there currently does nothing, as this vehicle originally had a "computer"-controlled idle speed control motor attached to the factory carb, and the prev owner swapped in a different engine and an aftermarket carb. The "computer" is still there and has a massive bundle of about 20 wires coming out of it and disappearing into the harness snake. There are many many loose connectors dangling from various points along the engine bay harness and not going anywhere. And then there are a bunch of added wires (like lamp cord wires) from previous owners, with exposed twist connections to random harness wires. These power the aftermarket electric radiator fan, aftermarket fuel pump, custom starter button (since the steering column is shredded), and probably at some point there was a stereo done the same way.
Anyway, it's a mess. Basically I'm starting from scratch, but with the exception of a few components that haven't been defiled by previous owners and don't really need any changes to perform their function in the new setup. There's way too much mess there for my tastes, for an electrical system that really only consists of about 10 components in the entire vehicle.
Start by cutting all of the electrical tape off of the wire harness. You will temporarily have a bigger mess. Then grab one of those unused dangling connectors and pull its wires out of the loom. When you run out of those, start following the critical wires, like ignition and starter to their in car end. This is were you will be putting in replacement switches. It seems daunting, but process of elimination will have it simplified pretty quickly.
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