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all interior electrics disconnected: can't figure out disconnect!

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    all interior electrics disconnected: can't figure out disconnect!

    Alright, getting closer with my HO swap and very first real engine work at all. It's been scary

    Went to start 'er up. The starter itself works if you short across the solenoid.
    But NOTHING interior works. No dome lights, no dash lights, no radio, no clock, and of course, no ignition using the key.

    Investigating I found I'd neglected some serious connections. One ground wire that bolted to the back of the passenger side head. Another ground wire that bolted to the top left rear of the lower intake. Two large harness connections.
    I'm doing an alternator swap too and had had that disconnected... lots of cars run fine without the alternator, well, for a short distance of course. But in case THAT was the issue I plugged the harnesses back into my old alternator.

    But still, nothing. Nada. No dome lights, no dash, no ignition, no windows, locks, etc.
    There's nothing left to miss.


    1) if my new used computer, the mark vii for the HO swap, is bad, or has a poor connection, would that directly affect such things as dome lights??
    2) could I have knocked anything in doing the computer?
    3) for simplicity, I left my headlight relay wiring disconnected. Are the headlight grounds important for all the interior lighting?? Doubtful.
    4) MOST likely maybe, is that I've misplaced a hot wire: that one of the wires that I've got off the starter wire half of the starter solenoid, belongs on the battery side?

    So, does anyone have a photo of their starter solenoid?
    Mine's the older style, I think I heard somewhere that 1990 was a split year, with the starter solenoid mounted at the top, not built into the starter.


    thanks for any ideas!!
    -Bernard

    #2
    Are your fusible links on the starter solenoid? All wires go to the Batt Terminal on the solenoid, the only wire that goes to the starter is the big wire.

    Which starter does it sound like

    Comment


      #3
      Old style.
      I think some must be positioned wrong, then.
      Just to start from the beginning so there is no doubt: which of the two terminals should go to the battery? I believe it to be the top one.

      Comment


        #4
        you have something mixed up on the starter relay. It doesn't matter which you designate for the battery, but the battery needs to go to one side along with all of the other cables except the one to the starter. The small push-on terminal wire should go to the S terminal on the relay if there is more than one terminal, otherwise put it in the only place it fits.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          #5
          Thanks! YUP-- all of the fused link wires were with the starter motor. Moved them over to the battery hot, it lives! I got my windows closed before it rained
          And-- my new engine, with new computer, started right up! I'm still missing niggling details like, well, drive belts, a fan, coolant for the fan to blow air past, an entire exhaust, hahaha.
          But the engine starts and runs smooth, if rich. I haven't played with the distributor yet, I'm having a friend help me on that point. I also want him to show me how to adjust the throttle cables and the proper way to refill and check the level on the trans fluid.

          Comment


            #6
            what exactly does the solenoid do? I'm glad to hear it, means it's ok, but why doesn't it matter which terminal is used for the battery or for the starter? I used to think it was something like an ignition coil to deliver a higher voltage, but obviously that's wrong.

            Comment


              #7
              It's an electrical switch. Like a relay. It used a small current (ignition switch) to deliver a large current (starter motor). The power is transferred from one contact to the other, so as long as the stuff is setup properly, it will work either way.

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