85 240 n/a 2.2 wiring

ok all, i bought an updated 2.2 harness for my car to replace the crumbling mess, but the new harness has two wires that the old one didnt.

i made sure i labeled the old harness as i was removing it... i layed it out on the ground, and matched colors and connectors, but this new harness has two wires that the old one didnt have...

the red spade on is up by the alternator, with the line going to the alternator and the oil pressure dummy light (bullet connector)



and this thicker red ring, is by the starter / starter solenoid:





can anybody tell we what / were these are, or should be connected to?

the old harness worked ok, the car started and drove...

once installed the new harness, no love...

any help would be awesome

1 there should be a spade on the back of the alt for that.
2. Dunno. That doesn't look like a stock connector.
3. would go on the starter w/ the bl/y lead if there wasn't already one there. WTF?

I'll hit the books.

pictures 2 and 3 are the same wire, just different angles...

yea, i was thinking that its heavy enough guage to have to be on the starter / solenoid, but i wasnt sure where / what post it would go on

Really? it looks a lot bigger in the 2nd pic.

I see you are still missing a spade on the solenoid btw

that blue / yellow wire goes to the solenoid, i pulled it out in the second pic, so i could get bigger / better pics

there is another terminal on the solenoid, but there wasn't anything there when i pulled the old harness...


additional info

old harness was who knows how many degrees or screwed up... fun biodegradability and over -enthusiastic previous owners.

new harness looks solid, and still in soft pliable sheething...

OK, yes, it all seems to be what I thought it was.

Some alternators didn't have a spade terminal but instead a little stud, you may just have to check and change the connector to a ring terminal.

Only auto cars use the other solenoid spade, my mistake.

The left over red w/ the big ring should feed power to the alt, that's why it's part of the engine harness. And plug in the Bl/y on the solenoid

Ok, let me see if i am following you...

I need to check the alternator for stude-age / a place for the red spade terminal

The solenoid is good as is with the black / yellow


that leaves me with this ...

that ring in that picture is on the starter / solenoid side... it is almost the same length as the black / yellow spade

i will go take some better pictures tomorrow am...

The blue/yellow goes to a solenoid spade
That fat red should be the other end of what I think I see already attached to the back of the alt, it indeed should have a ring and go on the large terminal on the starter.

However

I don't know why you already have two heavy leads already on that terminal. doesn't look like there's room for it.

If you don't want to crawl under the car again, just find the mystery alternator connection on the harness you removed.

The terminal on the alt is kinda protected, might help if you had one of those little mirrors, you might miss it with your finger.

Responded on TB along with Dave Barton

i saw that, thanks chris...

are you coming to the autox this weekend?

BrickBaller wrote:

Responded on TB along with Dave Barton

Good catch on the dipstick BB.

You have the Bl/Y on the correct terminal Keith. The other one is blank if you have a manual trans.

I'm still curious what that other heavy lead is on the solenoid.

Nope. 760 isn't reassembled (or sold), 740 is puking coolant new gaskets in hand but not installed, both need full detail, pictures, and CL ads.

World cup soccer is on, going wakeboarding on the river with a bunch of bikinis, and money is a bit tight to drive that far and autox.

I could make it happen, but I have a lot of tiny reasons to just let it go.




You may want to remove the alt to see all the connections on the back - it makes it a bit easier.

Keith make sure one of those thick wires isn't a ground... I only remember 2 big spade connectors on the starter.

on the solenoid now is a line going to the positive battery cable, and another going to the alternator...

i will check to see if i can get a better view on the alternator from the bottom tomorrow

any suggestions about what to do on the dipstick?

im thinking pull out the stick, and put a 2x4 on top, and gently pound with a mallet to get it back in the hole?

Pretty much. Doesn't look like it's coming out from blowby.

That's one too many going to the alt.

too many going to the alternator huh?

hmmm, i wonder if i have a have created a duplicate in my new harness...

so from what chris and dave were saying :

1. Fat red cable B+
2. Thin red wire D+
3. Ground cable to engine.

1.fat red cable is connected...
2. so i should have this thin red wire in question attached either with a ring, or the spade thats on there
3.a ground to the block( i replaced this with new wire and new connectors when i did the alternator)

i think thats all the wires i have, that just leaves the question of why i have 3 wires on the starter solenoid...

and the answer to that may be, that when we rebuilt that harness, we ran the thick wire from the starter to the alternator separately...

i will disconnect that tomorrow, and put her together, and report back

and a big thanks to both of you for all your help so far, i dont know how this turned into so much of a project.

Keith sounds like you have it squared away, just need to put the time in to get it finished.

So, the other fatty one goes to the alt. Did you put the new B+ red on top of this at the alternator?

If so, yes, one or the other is superfluous and you can leave it out.

Whatever the D+ (skinny) terminal is, be it a post or spade, emulate that connector in the new harness.

Car should start & run without this though, so...

BrickBaller wrote:

Keith sounds like you have it squared away, just need to put the time in to get it finished.

lets hope... fridays are usually long at work, but the flashlight might have to make an appearance, to get this done... i wanna drive it... and autox

s_r_c wrote:

So, the other fatty one goes to the alt. Did you put the new B+ red on top of this at the alternator?

If so, yes, one or the other is superfluous and you can leave it out.

Whatever the D+ (skinny) terminal is, be it a post or spade, emulate that connector in the new harness.

Car should start & run without this though, so...

yea, i currently have two wires on the alternator, a red, ringed terminal (wrapped in the sheathing-- ), and a black ringed terminal (to the block)

Alright, add the skinny red D+.

So long as the alt ground wire is a decent, heavy gauge; good.

You said though, one of the two big black leads on the starter solenoid was connected to the Alt.
How is this the case?

And no worries dude, wiring can get messy; especially if you don't know what the hell went on before you got there.