Burnt up wiring


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By San Diego Ron - 18 Years Ago
Recently purchased car not running and soon discovered all the 10 gage wiring was fried. Car had been converted to 12 volt system with alternator and drop down resistors for insturment lights and stuff. Took the harness apart and replaced burnt and damaged wires. Thinking car was POS ground (because RED battery cable went to block) I tried to start and engine cranked but wires started to burn again and wouldn't stop cranking with key off so pulled cable from battery. Now I'm back where I started with fried wires. The 10 gage wire starts at solenoid (same post as battery cable) goes to light switch then another 10 gage wire from same post on light switch goes to regulator finally another one goes from that same post to alternator...all were and are fried again. Should I rewire and go with NEG ground or is something else causing problems? Also, can and where could I add a fusable link or breaker? This is my first day at this sight and really hope someone out there can get me on the right track, I love this car and want to get it moving.
By Teros292 - 18 Years Ago
Go with negative ground, all alternators are negative grounded. If You had it positive grounded then alternator is pushing + 12 volts directly to ground.



Tero from Finland
By San Diego Ron - 18 Years Ago
Thanks Tero,

    Do you think it safe to rewire then hook up battery to NEG ground and try again or should regulator and selonoid be checked or changed out first?

By Teros292 - 18 Years Ago
Just rewire it and put battery negative to ground. If starter solenoid is 12 volt version i think it is ok. Can't say anything about regulator, it might be burned because of the short. What alternator / regulator You have?



Tero from Finland
By San Diego Ron - 18 Years Ago
That was it....NEG ground, it starts...it runs...it turns...it drives...it stops...it turns off, does just about everything it is supposed to do. THANK YOU SO MUCH< Ron

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