1 wire alternator set up

[DirtDonk]

Correct. You don't even have to swap them in fact. you can simply attach the 98 wire right no top of the 97 wire.
Remember, they're actually the same wire. So as long as one of them is not grounded, they are both "positive" wires. Can't short circuit two positives, or two negatives. Only when a positive touches a negative with no load in between do you get a short circuit and smoke.

It's why, in the past, we even sometimes recommended just connecting them both to the starter relay to keep things powered and safe.
But in most cases, the battery side of the relay was getting crowded enough as it was, without adding yet another wire. Hence the more typical recommendation to use it as another power source for an aux fuse panel or power terminal, or just to "cap it off" to keep it out of your hair.

Paul

 

[Oldtimer]

It is still not clear what you mean by "ignition"?
Exactly which wire has 12v with key OFF?

 

[DirtDonk]

how can i send pictures??

You can upload them to an image hosting site such as SuperMotors and then link them to your discussion. Or you can upload them to this site, to your "Garage" and/or "Gallery" functions in your User CP above.
Or, if you want to do it quickly and easily, and support the site at the same time, you can become a contributor for 12 bucks a year. It does go to a good cause!

In a pinch, you can e-mail them to one of us with the yellow "contributor" beneath their username.
Rather than volunteer others without permission, you can send them to me at paulb@wildhorses4x4.com and I'll post them up when I can.

So, lots of choices to get them up here. Thanks for doing it!

Paul

 

[Chester allen]

It is still not clear what you mean by "ignition"?
Exactly which wire has 12v with key OFF?

I'm just touching the threaded post behind where the key going into the ignition i have not traced to see what wire is exactly getting power. i will be able to see in the morning when i get some day light.

 

[Chester allen]

Correct. You don't even have to swap them in fact. you can simply attach the 98 wire right no top of the 97 wire.
Remember, they're actually the same wire. So as long as one of them is not grounded, they are both "positive" wires. Can't short circuit two positives, or two negatives. Only when a positive touches a negative with no load in between do you get a short circuit and smoke.

It's why, in the past, we even sometimes recommended just connecting them both to the starter relay to keep things powered and safe.
But in most cases, the battery side of the relay was getting crowded enough as it was, without adding yet another wire. Hence the more typical recommendation to use it as another power source for an aux fuse panel or power terminal, or just to "cap it off" to keep it out of your hair.

Paul

ohh okay that's not hard to do at all i would want it to be a fused line that is spliced to it correct?

 

[Chester allen]

You can upload them to an image hosting site such as SuperMotors and then link them to your discussion. Or you can upload them to this site, to your "Garage" and/or "Gallery" functions in your User CP above.
Or, if you want to do it quickly and easily, and support the site at the same time, you can become a contributor for 12 bucks a year. It does go to a good cause!

In a pinch, you can e-mail them to one of us with the yellow "contributor" beneath their username.
Rather than volunteer others without permission, you can send them to me at paulb@wildhorses4x4.com and I'll post them up when I can.

So, lots of choices to get them up here. Thanks for doing it!

Paul

i will get some pictures send in the early am as soon as i get daylight!

 

[DirtDonk]

I'm just touching the threaded post behind where the key going into the ignition i have not traced to see what wire is exactly getting power.

Well, that ain’t right! Maybe…
No matter how you look at it, that stud should not have power with the key in the OFF position. In the ON and ACC positions, certainly.
That’s your accessory power. It is not a ground.
There should only be one wire on older Broncos and maybe two or three on newer ones. On the old ones it was a large black with green striped wire.

 

[DirtDonk]

The only wire at the ignition switch that should have power when the key is in the OFF position, is the yellow wire.

 

[Oldtimer]

Take a look at the below schematic.
BK/YL is the 37 wire.
BK is the 38 wire.

With BK/YL connected to battery + post on relay, you should have power to ignition switch on yellow (YL) wire, AND power to the headlight switch on orange/black stripe (OR/BK) wire.
You mentioned in first post that you had no lights.

There may be a brake or poor contact in the BK/YL wire between relay and harness splice behind dash.

Connecting BK wire to relay will send power toward harness splice from the other direction, and give you power to ignition switch (YL) and headlight switch (OR/BK) wires.
If this fixes power to ignition switch and headlight, you need to find the break in the BK/YL wire.

YES, the BK or BK/YL should have a fuse (or fusible link) where connected to relay.

As Paul commented, there should be no power on threaded accessory stud with key OFF.
This may be related to connecting your electric choke?

 

[Oldtimer]

@DirtDonk ,

Chester's Bronco is a 75.
My experience is with 68, which has two bulkhead connectors for the main harness.
Did the 75 come with bulkhead connectors, or just pass thru grommets?

 

[DirtDonk]

Just pass through grommets. Sorry, I got sidetracked by the previous diagram, showing the Early style, and forgot to check the actual year!
It still has the same ammeter loop direction and function. Just eliminates the two firewall connectors and runs the harness through a driver side grommet, a passenger side grommet, and then the three or four wires behind the engine for the gauges and ignition coil.
Maybe a little extra going on behind the engine for the neutral safety switch and Backup lamps, but that shouldn’t affect what we’ve got going on here.

 

[Chester allen]

Just pass through grommets. Sorry, I got sidetracked by the previous diagram, showing the Early style, and forgot to check the actual year!
It still has the same ammeter loop direction and function. Just eliminates the two firewall connectors and runs the harness through a driver side grommet, a passenger side grommet, and then the three or four wires behind the engine for the gauges and ignition coil.
Maybe a little extra going on behind the engine for the neutral safety switch and Backup lamps, but that shouldn’t affect what we’ve got going on here.

I just sent some pictures to your email hopefully they are good pictures.

 

[Chester allen]

Just pass through grommets. Sorry, I got sidetracked by the previous diagram, showing the Early style, and forgot to check the actual year!
It still has the same ammeter loop direction and function. Just eliminates the two firewall connectors and runs the harness through a driver side grommet, a passenger side grommet, and then the three or four wires behind the engine for the gauges and ignition coil.
Maybe a little extra going on behind the engine for the neutral safety switch and Backup lamps, but that shouldn’t affect what we’ve got going did you get t

I just sent some pictures to your email hopefully they are good pictures.

Just pass through grommets. Sorry, I got sidetracked by the previous diagram, showing the Early style, and forgot to check the actual year!
It still has the same ammeter loop direction and function. Just eliminates the two firewall connectors and runs the harness through a driver side grommet, a passenger side grommet, and then the three or four wires behind the engine for the gauges and ignition coil.
Maybe a little extra going on behind the engine for the neutral safety switch and Backup lamps, but that shouldn’t affect what we’ve got going on here.

did you get me email by chance?

 

[DirtDonk]

I did, thanks!
I don’t want to copy and paste or upload from my phone. I’m sure I would get it wrong
When I get home to the desktop, I will upload your photos.

Actually, I did get the email. I better double check and make sure the photos came through.

 

[Chester allen]

I did, thanks!
I don’t want to copy and paste or upload from my phone. I’m sure I would get it wrong
When I get home to the desktop, I will upload your photos.

Actually, I did get the email. I better double check and make sure the photos came through.

okay perfect thank you ya if you can please so maybe oldtimer can check it out to. im hoping its nothing hard and can be fixed before the end of the month for my trip

 

[DirtDonk]

Here are the pics Chester sent. I'm gonna say right off the bat, you've got some more work to do!
Such as, don't wait until you figure out everything in life, before you replace at least the main battery cable! It's looking pretty much fubarred from here.
Other than that, I didn't look closely at them yet. Waiting until I can view them right here with the rest of you.
Oh, and don't route your positive cables across a body corner like you have there at the alternator. It's a disaster just waiting to happen. On a long trip, as far away from home as you can get, and late at night. On a Sunday!
Ok, now for the pics...

 

[DirtDonk]

Ok, a couple of things.

1. Is the Green w/red wire in your hand going anywhere? Is it actually burned up at the end in your hand, or is it just the light?

2. Toss out the main charge cable and get a new one! Installing rusty, burned, melted and compromised parts on a new alternator are not doing your new alternator (or you) any favors.

3. Toss out the battery cable that's attached to the starter relay. Is that from the battery, or the alternator? If the battery, where is your alternator charge wire in all this?

4. Double check that your bullet connector at the ammeter (large Black, and Black w/yellow wires) is clean and tightly connected.

5. The condition of the battery and charge cables in the picture alone, all by themselves. could be some of the cause of your current issue.

6. What all are the wires connected to each side of the starter relay? Hard to tell from here.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[Chester allen]

Ok, a couple of things.

1. Is the Green w/red wire in your hand going anywhere? Is it actually burned up at the end in your hand, or is it just the light?

2. Toss out the main charge cable and get a new one! Installing rusty, burned, melted and compromised parts on a new alternator are not doing your new alternator (or you) any favors.

3. Toss out the battery cable that's attached to the starter relay. Is that from the battery, or the alternator? If the battery, where is your alternator charge wire in all this?

4. Double check that your bullet connector at the ammeter (large Black, and Black w/yellow wires) is clean and tightly connected.

5. The condition of the battery and charge cables in the picture alone, all by themselves. could be some of the cause of your current issue.

6. What all are the wires connected to each side of the starter relay? Hard to tell from here.

Good luck.

Paul

1. the green and red wire is fine not melted at all its for my choke

2.the wire from the alternator to the starter relay looked fine and not melted just some surface rust and was able to clean it off unsure if i should still use or not.

3. the alternator is connected to the battery side of the relay.

4 i will double check the bullet connector. i just go about that by going behind my dash and pull it off to check it out right?

5.will get a new cable today from autozone

6.one side has the starter the other side has the alternator, the battery cable, and 2 smaller wires on a connecter one is that wire #37 with a fused line and the other one in not 100% what it is i just remember it came off the bat side of the relay

 

[Oldtimer]

What is this wire for?

Have you disconnected this connector, and checked the contacts?
What color are the wires on the far side, that the BK/YL wires (both) connect to?

 

[DirtDonk]

If the other wire at the relay is yellow with a fusible link, that’s normal and it is for the horn relay.
Horn relay is usually mounted to the fender apron nearby.