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Some Basic Wiring Q's...
scootz - 9/11/11 at 04:35 PM

The positive battery terminals main cable goes to the starter and then a narrower positive connection is taken from the starter to the alternator... correct!?

What other minor cables should be crimped / soldered into the ring connector on the positive battery terminal ?

I'm thinking...

1. To ECU
2. To Starter Relay
3. To Fuse Box
4. To Digidash

Go gently on me ... I'm an electrophobe!

wylliezx9r - 9/11/11 at 04:47 PM

I would have thought all those things would want to come from the posotive on your ignition when it's switched on. Otherwise everything will be switched on permanently which would be bad.

scootz - 9/11/11 at 04:49 PM

Good point... well made!

1. To ignition!

The end!?

deezee - 9/11/11 at 04:50 PM

On my setup I have the main battery cable to the starter. Then off the same terminal a smaller gauge wire to the alternator. Then the only other wire on the starter is the ignition wire going to the solenoid.

Going off my battery I have two to the main fuse box and the other one goes off to the alternator to give it a reference value. I used my original Sierra wiring loom, modified for the car / engine.

deezee - 9/11/11 at 04:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Good point... well made!

1. To ignition!

The end!?


Not unless you don't want your side lights or hazard lights to only work with the key in the ignition? Also will you have an electric fan for the radiator? That shouldn't be only on with the ignition, that should come on when the engine is hot. So it can cool your engine down after a drive etc.

scootz - 9/11/11 at 05:10 PM

Thank you!

No fan rad (it's air cooled).

big-vee-twin - 9/11/11 at 05:23 PM

Scootz you will need two fuse boxes one which is connected permenantly to the battery positive, the other which is switched via the ignition switch so they only come live when you switch on.

So Big fat red from Battery to Starter motor, smaller red (4mm) from Starter to Alternator then another smaller red (4mm) to serve your permenant live fuses.

Then another smaller red from your battery positive via the ignition switch to serve the 'switched' fuses.

You can then decide what needs permenant live and what needs switched live

Hope that helps

scootz - 9/11/11 at 06:37 PM

Cheers BVT! That makes things nice and clear!

big-vee-twin - 9/11/11 at 07:06 PM

You may need to control a relay with your ignition switch if you Ign switch cannot carry the required load, should have said earlier

chris mason - 9/11/11 at 07:19 PM

Most thinwall 4mm cable is only rated too 39amps, probably insufficent for most alternators,

I'd use the same as for the battery or at least 8mm thinwall for a cec alternator.

blakep82 - 9/11/11 at 07:23 PM

think the starter to alternator cable that came off my vauxhall engine was something like 16mm2. i'd go with something like that

scootz - 9/11/11 at 07:29 PM

Cheers guys... I have a starter to alternator cable that came with the engine.