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Hello gentlemen. Need help identifying these wires.. had to replace my starter with a new one. Took the old wires off and put in new starter put wires back on and hooked up battery and low in behold one wire just melted. Can’t for the life of me understand why. They were all on the old starter. But foe some reason it caught fire. Also the wire with the plug in on it I found tucked in the splash shield on the bottom of the car. Can someone please let me know just how many wires are supposed to be on the starter
Before we help, promise that you have disconnected the battery, and won't reconnect it until you remove that fuel filter and plumb a proper steel line. You are luck that the fire was purely electrical, this time.
Before we help, promise that you have disconnected the battery, and won't reconnect it until you remove that fuel filter and plumb a proper steel line. You are luck that the fire was purely electrical, this time.
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I'll wait.
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And tell us what year your car is.
my car is a 73 coupe. And yes the battery is disconnected.
I can’t find were it comes into the interior of the car. It looks like it only melted to the fire wall before I could unhook the battery
my car is a 73 coupe. And yes the battery is disconnected.
I can’t find were it comes into the interior of the car. It looks like it only melted to the fire wall before I could unhook the battery
I was hoping this would be an easy one.
Later cars have a replaceable starter extension harness. Yours does not.
Those wires may lead to the block plug at the back of the fuse panel, and others to the horn relay. Some helpful diagrams are here, though the early diagrams are really difficult to follow. The "fusible link" called out is likely what cooked.
Later cars have a replaceable starter extension harness. Yours does not.
Those wires may lead to the block plug at the back of the fuse panel, and others to the horn relay. Some helpful diagrams are here, though the early diagrams are really difficult to follow. The "fusible link" called out is likely what cooked.
Looking again, I'm not sure those are the fusible links that cooked. I'm also not sure those are stock wires. On a 51 year old car, anything is possible.
Hopefully someone chimes in.
In the meantime, look for other example harnesses, including the replacements available from Lectric Limited. That might give you the answers you need.
Looking again, I'm not sure those are the fusible links that cooked. I'm also not sure those are stock wires. On a 51 year old car, anything is possible.
Hopefully someone chimes in.
In the meantime, look for other example harnesses, including the replacements available from Lectric Limited. That might give you the answers you need.
yup don’t believe they are. I just don’t know why they melted now the cars been running with them all along. I put them back on the new starter the same way they came off the old one. Can’t explain what changed
I have seen this issue numerous times on Corvettes. It's an easy mistake to make. When the starter is pulled there are usually 4 wires involved, but some times 5. A ground circuit wire is also down there. It should be fit to one of the lower bell housing bolts, but sometimes I've seen them attached to one of the starter mount bolts. When the old stater is removed and the new one installed, the mechanic is looking at 5 hanging wires which all look like they should attach to the solenoid. The eyelet for the ground wire is designed to take a 3/8" bell housing bolt, which also fits perfectly on the main solenoid battery cable stud, causing an immediate dead short when the battery is reconnected. It was not designed with this potential error in mind.
Purple wire: S terminal to clutch safety switch or neutral safety switch.
Yellow wire: R terminal to coil
Red wire: Main stud to horn relay junction (this wire has the fusible link).
Black cable: Main stud to battery positive.
Extra black wire: Bell housing ground.
I'm sure most of that damage will be isolated to the engine compartment, perhaps as far as the fuse box outer connector. It's not that difficult to replace. You'll be back in the game today.
I have seen this issue numerous times on Corvettes. It's an easy mistake to make. When the starter is pulled there are usually 4 wires involved, but some times 5. A ground circuit wire is also down there. It should be fit to one of the lower bell housing bolts, but sometimes I've seen them attached to one of the starter mount bolts. When the old stater is removed and the new one installed, the mechanic is looking at 5 hanging wires which all look like they should attach to the solenoid. The eyelet for the ground wire is designed to take a 3/8" bell housing bolt, which also fits perfectly on the main solenoid battery cable stud, causing an immediate dead short when the battery is reconnected. It was not designed with this potential error in mind.
Purple wire: S terminal to clutch safety switch or neutral safety switch.
Yellow wire: R terminal to coil
Red wire: Main stud to horn relay junction (this wire has the fusible link).
Black cable: Main stud to battery positive.
Extra black wire: Bell housing ground.
I'm sure most of that damage will be isolated to the engine compartment, perhaps as far as the fuse box outer connector. It's not that difficult to replace. You'll be back in the game today.
Cheers, Greg
I’ll go look and see.
Any thoughts on the plug end wire that was just hanging down there
Ok next question is are these two red wires maybe the same but one got terminated and they ran a new one. And yes the ground wire is attached to the bell housing
Should only be one red wire there. Check both of those for continuity to ground.
only the one with the connector on goes to the starter the one that’s cut off is just in the harness with the other wires that go down there. It doesn’t connect to anything.
You may want to consider just replacing the engine harness. Some of your wires there look pretty beat up. Will cost a little but that harness is not difficult to replace.
Pat
Should only be one red wire there. Check both of those for continuity to ground.
everything I am seeing is that the Main wire to the starter is the positive cable from the battery then the wire from coil and then the ignition wire. My main cable to the starter is black which to me means the negative cable. Unless the previous owner ran a black cable from the positive terminal of battery. It’s red on the inside of battery tray but I really haven’t traced from battery to starter. Doing that in the morning
You can really save the time. The negative cable is about a foot long. No way it can reach the starter.
Battery cables are almost always black. Sometimes with a red end on them. A previous owner didn't change that. The factory built it this way.
the ONLY Battery cable that can possibly reach your starter has to be the positive cable. And it is always black. (With a red cap on the battery end)
You may want to consider just replacing the engine harness. Some of your wires there look pretty beat up. Will cost a little but that harness is not difficult to replace.
Pat
many on here can relate to this statement. Well honey looks like I will need to buy a new engine wire harness for the car. (Wife) how much does that cost. Only 700 dollars but it-will make the car run better. (Wife) ABSOLUTELY NOT YOUR NOT SPENDING ANY MORE MONEY ON THAT CAR. YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO MAKE Do WITH WHAT YOU HAVE “AND THATS FINAL YOU UNDERSTAND ME” LOL.
So replacing the wiring harness is probably not going to happen.
oh and buy they way. I already have a 75 coupe in full restoration mode frame off in the other garage. Which has taken my life’s saving down to zero. And she ain’t happy with that one either. LOL.
Starter wiring
