I'm confused

Sorry hit send before I was finished.. I've got a 64 Scout 80 that I've done a complete restoration on.. Trying to keep it as stock as I can with just a few upgrades. I've gone through all the wiring and when it was out of the truck it all made complete sense to me...

Now that ive installed it there are things that don't make sense.. When I check the ignition switch when all the wiring is hooked up, with the switch in the off position, I get continuity between the battery and start posts on the switch.. Is this right??
 
Sounds suspicious. Even though I have a multi-meter and know how to check for continuity and measure resistance, I've often found that an incandescent probe is best for speed and simplicity when checking basic electrical function. If you were to probe the 's' terminal and get a light with the key switched off, I believe that would indicate a problem within the switch itself. Either that, or the wire connected to the 's' terminal is being energized elsewhere. You could verify that by unhooking the wire from the 's' terminal and probing it in mid air. No light, no energy. The 'b' terminal on the switch is an input and thus constantly energized as long as a charged battery is properly connected. All other terminals are outputs to various destinations and should only be energized when the key switch is turned to a corresponding position.
 
Thanks for the reply, but I think I need more help.. I forgot to mention that I haven't put the battery in yet.. I'm worried that I'll burn something up if I don't have it right first...

When I went through he wiring harness I studied the wiring diagram for days and I followed it to the t.. I feel like the battery and the ground are connected somehow but I don't know..

There's another question I have is that when I hook up the alternater with just the battery feed line and leave the ground cable off, I get continuity between the positive and negitive terminals.. That does seem right either.
As you can tell I'm struggling here, so any help from you experienced wiring guys would be really appreciated.. Thank you
 
I know the 80's were short on circuit protection, as in basically non-existent. Did you opt to provide some fusing/breakers as part of this wiring redux? I think not doing so would be a major missed opportunity. As for answering your specific questions, I'm afraid its above my pay grade. If I knew my circuits were protected, I'd probably risk hooking a battery to see what happens. If not, I'd be just as nervous about it as you are. Only advice I can offer is quadruple check your work, even at the sake of redundant redundancy.
 
I'm beginning to think I should have but I didn't add any fuse protection. I was trying to keep it stock. Thank you for your help..
Gosh I thought this was the most simple curcuit there is.. But it's getting the best of me.. If there's anyone else out there who could offer insight I'd really appreciate it.. Thanks everyone
 
It should be pretty simple. Bat pos cable to large solenoid terminal. Bat neg terminal to engine block. Main cabin feed to one side of ammeter. Other side of ammeter out to alternator.
One thing you can try is to hook up only the pos cable to your battery. Then take your old handy-dandy incandescent probe light and connect it between the neg terminal and loose hanging neg cable. Make sure everything and anything switched that could possibly draw voltage is switched off. If the probe lights up...you've got a short to ground. If it stays dark, you won't be making sparks and letting smoke out of the wires when you touch the neg cable to the neg post.
 
Ok, I finally got time to work on it again and I did what you suggested and sure enough when I hooked up the positive cable on the battery and then hooked a test light between the negitive post and cable the light lit up..
So now what do I do??

I've gone over and over this and I can't figure out what's doing it..

When I pull all connectors off of the ignition switch except the battery wire (#11) and start wire (#14) it still is looped, so my assumption is that I've done something wrong in wiring that up..
But I don't know what.

Thoughts?? Anyone??
 
Another thing, sense the battery line runs to the light switch on its way to the battery terminal on the starter, is there anything in the light switch that would cause this?
 
maughan said:
ok, I finally got time to work on it again and I did what you suggested and sure enough when I hooked up the positive cable on the battery and then hooked a test light between the negitive post and cable the light lit up..
So now what do I do??

I've gone over and over this and I can't figure out what's doing it..

When I pull all connectors off of the ignition switch except the battery wire (#11) and start wire (#14) it still is looped, so my assumption is that I've done something wrong in wiring that up..
But I don't know what.

Thoughts?? Anyone??
Click to expand...

Two possibilities come to my mind. First, the ignition switch has malfunctioned in such a way that the internal contacts between the constant b+ and switched start terminals have bridged creating the loop. In that case, a replacement switch would fix the issue. That should be easy enough to test by checking the switch contacts for continuity with no wires connected. There shouldn't be any continuity with the naked switch in off position. Or probe the switch contacts with only the b+ connected and not a damn thing else. None of the other terminals should show juice in off position. If they do, the switch is at fault. If the switch checks out fine, then your feed loop is happening upstream from the ignition switch and most likely at the starter solenoid.

maughan said:
another thing, sense the battery line runs to the light switch on its way to the battery terminal on the starter, is there anything in the light switch that would cause this?
Click to expand...

You have this bazzackwards, don't you? The feed to the hl sw originates from the large solenoid post. Just as the feed to the ign sw originates from there. Both destinations require a constant hot feed. Headlights can be switched on independently of the ignition switch. Ign can be switched through its various positions independent of the hl switch.
 
I've checked the switch already.. I pulled it out and it tests as it should. I e got a new starter in it, but I was wondering how common is it that the solenoid would create that loop?

According to my manual the battery lines runs as follows.. From battery to battery terminal on starter from battery terminal on starter to the light switch to the battery terminal on the switch..

I'll try and post the schematic.
 

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Yeah, that makes sense. Its just a daisy chain of power. That's not where your issue is. Since the switch passed muster, there is all the more likelihood that the source of your problem is at the solenoid, if not the solenoid itself. Probe the start wire with it disconnected from the ign switch. If it is hot without being in contact with the ign, that's a problem. It should be cold until the ign switch energizes it. Find out why it is hot when not in contact with the ign switch.
 
Ok let be just make sure I understand.. You said to probe the start wire at the switch right? With it removed from the switch? So what do I probe it to?? Continuity to ground??
 
Ok let be just make sure I understand.. You said to probe the start wire at the switch right? With it removed from the switch? So what do I probe it to?? Continuity to groud
 
Here's another question: if it is in the solenoid wouldn't it show the problem at the terminals of the starter when all the wires are removed?? Like wouldn't there be continuity between all the terminals, or at least the two terminals creating the loop?

I've removed all the wires and it shows no continuity between any of the posts..

In fact I can put on all the wires and it doesn't appear to be showing the problem, but as soon as I hook up the battery wire that dasiy chains from the ignition switch to the light switch through the fire wall connector and then down to the battery terminal on the starter and from there to the altenator the loop appears..
I could be confused at this point, so I'll need to get a fresh start to check my work, but as far as I can tell this is what's going on.

What the heck am I missing??
 
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