Routing fusible links to battery, have a few questions

[d0n_3d]

I'm trying to re-route my starter wires to the engine compartment and was wondering a couple things. First, I cut off the stock links including the black pieces. Can I attach 14 gauge wire to the 10 gauge wire and then splice in the 14 gauge fusible links and then connect them to the battery? They say your fusible links should be 2 sizes smaller than the main wire being protected so I assume adding the 14 gauge wire extension won't hurt anything.

The other thing is...the 4th wire on the harness which is purple with the small terminal, where does this go? Is that a negative line? Should I just attach that to the starter or can I attach it to the battery as well?

 

[jsta6]

purple wire:
http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/images/wiring_images/starting_circuit.jpg

fusible links:
http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/fusible-link.shtml

I wouldn't put a 14gauge wire in between the 10gauge wire and the fusible link. I would have hte 14guage fusible link cirectly connected to the 10guage wire.

 

[d0n_3d]

OK so should I use 10 gauge wire instead because the OEM wiring only stretches so far. I have to make the connections right by the PCV valve. On two of the OEM fusible links, there's 2 10 gauge wires that go into one. Maybe I'll just attach 10 gauge wire extensions instead of the 14.

So I am assuming the purple wire is negative and I can put that to the negative on the battery. I have an optima battery with 2 sets of terminals and terminal extensions so I can put alot of wires on this thing.

 

[jsta6]

The purple wire should be going from the ignition switch to the starters solenoid.

Are you talking about the power distribution wires? I think they are 12 gauge and the fusible links are 16.

 

[TurboDave]

That purple wire, If I understand your original post, is the one shown in the diagram attached to the starter solenoid (coming from the ignition switch). It's what "fires" the solenoid.

FYI, I installed the Caspers fusable link relocation kit. Made things SOOOOOO easy!

 

[jsta6]

power distribution and wire gauges:

 

[salvageV6]

I'd use 10 gauge wire, oil and gas resistant thick insulation, one gauge larger size than the factory 12 gauge, don't want to add much additional resistance there for sure.

Then put the fusible links at the battery.

Actually I wouldn't do any of that, but just redo the factory wiring properly at the starter location, proper testing with a voltmeter should have found the original problem(s).

 

[d0n_3d]

Cool very helpful info. Thanks guys. Maybe I'll check out that Casper's relocation kit. I have their ground stretcher kit on the firewall and that is nice.

 

[chrisgarrett]

Caspers makes nothing but high-quality stuff and they stand behind their products. I have purchased many things from Caspers and they are all first-rate.

 

[jsta6]

Keeping things as stock as possible makes it so much easier for troubleshooting.

And forget about what kind of nightmares you will have if somebody else needs to troubleshoot and you are not there...

 

[d0n_3d]

Stock? What's that? I think 95% of my car is not stock anymore. Not that it's a bad thing because everything is done right. I just ordered that relocation kit from Caspers. $90.

I just tested my fuse link extensions that I did and I still have no power locks, radio, dash lights, dome lights, etc. but I have power windows, gauges besides the dash work and the gauges in the dash work themselves (but no lights).

Basically ONE of the fusible links is working. The other 2 are not. Something is going on. Maybe I never blew a fusible link in the first place. Man I hate wiring issues. And I just checked all my fuses. None are blown.

 

[d0n_3d]

OK I still have a problem. I bought the Caspers battery positive terminal kit and did everything per the book. I still don't have power. What in the world is going on? I checked all the fuses and none are blown. Anything else I should check for?

 

[salvageV6]

So do the wipers work? Obviously that's a IGN key "On" test.

Fusible link B is definately dead, should be a one link wire to one fat red wire link setup.

The fans are one fusible link to two fat red wires.

The fusible link A is one link wire to two fat red wires all found near the stock starter location, I believe the Y's to two wires are within 6" of the links but the one wire one is definately giving no power to the fuse panel.

Check the main C100 connector at the firewall as well, just under the wiper motor, it's the main entry point from the fusible links to the fuse panel.

Just exactly how many fusible links do you have to fat red wires near the starter location, or extended over to the battery.

Should be 3 of them, one for fans splits to two wires, one for link A which also splits to two wires, and one for link B a single red wire going to C100 and then the fuse panel.

And the skinny purple wire to the starter solenoid.

 

[d0n_3d]

The fusible links are per the book...there are 3 of them. Two links have 2 wires going into one and the one link has just the one wire.

I did put the purple wire back to the starter. Battery is grounded to the front timing cover like it always has been.

I did cut off the factory fan relay connectors since I don't use a factory fan anymore (Trying to clean up the engine compartment). I have a standalone dual Spal fan setup with a Spal fan controller (all wired on a seperate circuit). I hope cutting those connectors off didn't complete a circuit or something. I wouldn't think they would since I never had them hooked up even when the car was running.

I'll check that C100 connector back there. It looks pretty hard to get back there and diagnose wire problems. I haven't tried the wipers yet. I have power to my ECM and my translator Pro I just wired in though?!

 

[DR BOOST]

the battery should be grounded to the cyl head. probe the main power wires at the c-100 connector

 

[d0n_3d]

I normally would ground the battery to the head but I have aluminum heads.

 

[GNVenom]

The OEM feeders are all 12 gage wire and the OEM fuselinks are all 16 gage (1mm) links. If you want to improve the system, put an individual 1mm link on each of the five feeders.

John

 

[d0n_3d]

I KNEW it was something stupid. When I was cutting out the fan relay harness I forgot I was playing around with that C100 connector and loosened it up with a 1/4" socket trying to gain more access in that area. I never tightened it back up! Now everything works fine. Now I feel stupid. I'm doing so much to this car right now and it's the little things like that that you sometimes forget.