I hate wiring...? Battery dissconnect

[72-Madisyn]

so finally tracked down what i thought was my main issue - not charging and only running off the battery. It was the wire from the "S" terminal on the voltage regulator back into the harness was bad. Followed wire back and repalced with new wire, bronco is now charging when running. Good day. Go out this morning to start it and it is deader then dead. get a charger on it for a bit, key in the off position, check that wire and there is power to it. Should only be power to it while key is in the on position so i located my drain. I bet if i replaced the ignition switch then it would fix.... I think. ? I was also thinking about just putting a battery disconnect switch in as a fix/ theft detterent. Will this work? If yes what are the best and where did you get it.? thanks

 

[Viperwolf1]

Could be a bad ignition switch or it could also be a bad starter solenoid. To isolate the problem disconnect any wires on the "I" terminal of the solenoid and measure voltage on it (key off). It shouldn't have any. If it does replace the solenoid. If it doesn't have voltage replace the ignition switch.

I assume it is the green-red wire you replaced and you hooked the new up in the same place.

 

[72-Madisyn]

brand new starter solenoid. that is why i was thinking it was ignition switch. Just trying to figure out if i leave the same ignition switch in and just put in a battery dissconnect switch if that could solve this. A battery diss. connect would cut off power from the battery when in the off postion to everything right? meaning that i wouldnt have a draw but still be charging when running right.?

 

[Viperwolf1]

It would depending on where you put it. The thing is there are two points where the green-red wire could pickup voltage, the ignition switch or the solenoid through the brown wire.

If you want to put a disconnect in put it in line with the fusible link on the black-red wire.

 

[72-Madisyn]

going from the wiring diagrams that i have the black red under dash are voltmeter. is that the one you are reffering to or under hood? it is my understanding,(which isnt much of electical), that the wire that i just fixed/re-placed runs straight off the ignition switch to the voltage regulator to bascically turn on the regulator when running, to in turn make the system have the alt. work and charge the battery. the wire out of the igition switch was bright yellow, following it all the way up to the connection on the firewall then the the wheel well still bright yellow. From the fire wall it went to a plug in at about the pass side wheel well and fron that point it was orange to the connection at the regulator as are the other connections at the regulator. funky wiring or other than what you were thinking? would just a universal batter dissconect switch work or fix it at the source?

 

[DirtDonk]

Yellow wire to the regulator is always hot. Full battery voltage. Only the Green w/red wire comes from the switch.
I forget which positions they're in though, so F, S, A, or I is a mystery until I go out and look again.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

I re-read your post and see that you've got some funky coloring for sure. From the factory though Yellow was hot all the time and had a secondary yellow wire connected to a noise supressor, Orange went straight to the "F" terminal (Field) on the back of the alternator and the Green w/red stripe went to the ignition switch.
So my first comment about Yellow being hot in the last post is only true if the colors are original and in the correct positions.
Sounds like your correct though, about the "S" terminal being the one from the switch and so should not have voltage. Follow Viperwolf's advice and check those other items as well.
Although a battery disconnect could help, you'll still have another isue that could come back to bite you later. Seems to me you should fix it 100% before using the disconnect.
Sorry to add to the confusion (again) but when I saw "yellow" the first time, I assumed it was the original wire.

Paul