Okay so I have a new problem with the headlight/taillight circuit. There seems to be a wire that is not connected to anything. Are there 2 or 3 wires that connect to the starter?

I have a picture of one of them the yellow one with the white connector on the end. I don't know why the wire is broken, but there the yellow wire does come out of the positive terminal on the starter motor. So I don't really know what is going on. Any help?

Here's that picture.
Okay so I have a new problem with the headlight/taillight circuit. There seems to be a wire that is not connected to anything. Are there 2 or 3 wires that connect to the starter?

I have a picture of one of them the yellow one with the white connector on the end. I don't know why the wire is broken, but there the yellow wire does come out of the positive terminal on the starter motor. So I don't really know what is going on. Any help?

Here's that picture.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y3/nitroxracer/trucks/SDC17193.jpg
(sorry I don't know how to post pictures here)

I just had a fusible link issue and I didn't have any headlights I'm not sure about taillights but I just had those replaced and I can see if I can take a picture tomorrow, looks like I might not make the cruise on saturday whenever I turen my headlights on now I seem to have a power drain and my gauges all act like they lost power. but I'm checking that wed. good luck

The picture seems to show that the missing wire is maybe up inside that heat shield tube, where the wires are. If it is, you will need to get to it to replace the fusible link that is dangling there. That is usually a large (#10) wire coming across behind the engine, in a black plastic loom, before coming through that heat shield tube. You may be able to pull a bit of the wire out far enough to splice it , if you can find it.
Or, maybe if you can get to the loom (plastic tubing) behind the engine. and open it, you can push that wire through the tube from the top/rear.

If I wanted to replace this wire, would I need braided wire or solid wire or does it matter? I was thinking I could just attach the new one to the old one and just pull it through. I only want to replace it because I do not know what the condition of the whole wire is. Would that be a good idea?

Use Stranded Wire, NOT House solid wire, and use 10 gauge.:dontknow:

Thank you. I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Hey, I was just looking at it to replace that wire. I cannot figure out how to take that connector off. The white on in the picture. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Just do away with it, and connect the New wire to where it connects. ( One less connection to go bad )

Okay, and on the other end of that wire (on the firewall) how do those wires come undone? I took the windshield wiper motor out so that I can access them. I just need to know how to replace this end and I should be in great condition for this small portion of project.

In addition to not being able to pull the other end out of the wire (in the box on the fire wall). The starter is also acting up now. I pulled the bolt off with the washer an the two wires ( the + from the battery and the other two circuits).

When I replaced them, I cannot get the engine to turn over. The starter is turning, but engine doesn't start. could there be something wrong with the engine? Could it be the starter needs to be replaced? I'm pretty sure that I did not over heat the starter.

I also removed the windshield wiper motor to get to the box that the headlight/taillight circuit wire goes to. Could removing this have something to do with the engine not starting?

I'm just trying to lay out what I have done and what may need to be done. I drove the car into the garage yesterday and now it will not start.

Sounds like you put the battery cable on the bottom solenoid terminal stud instead the top one.
You should remove the ground wire from the battery when working in there, if you haven't.

I just looked at the wiring schematic for you Elco, and it shows two #12 wires feeding the electrical system in the '78 as opposed to the one # 10 wire used in older cars. The white thing hanging there is a current limiter, sort of like a fuse. Both red wires should have one according to the diagram. ( I usually just replace to wire) You may want to check the things that don't work, like your head light wiring, which may have overloaded the current limiter.

There is a purple wire there which is for "start". That is to be on the small terminal. and the red wires go on the TOP big stud with the battery cable.



....

You probably have two small terminals on the solenoid. One is marked "S" and the other one "R". The "S" one is for solenoid and the "R" is for iginition relay. You won't use the ""R" terminal if you have an HEI distributor in it. If you connected to the "R" terminal the starter will not engage or should I say it won't do anything.

Well, when I turn my key it makes noise like it's trying to start. Could it just not be doing enough to turn the engine over?

As for the current limiter, should I keep it? or should I just eliminate it and run the wire from the starter to the firewall?

I'm also looking for some help on the other end of this wire, it seems like there is some special connector going on with it. How do I get it out of there?

Current limiters are available at parts stores, but you need to know which one to get. The diagram shows a 16 gauge limiter, which would have to be connected with a couple butt connectors to the line. Not an easy job down where it's at. Some limiters fail over time anyway. You could replace it with a new wire ..

Make sure you battery is charged OK. Do you have a pic of the connector in your question ??

Is there a terminal post mounted on your firewall in the upper left area, with a guard on it ?? Reason I ask is that there are four wires coming together somewhere on the fire wall, all of them are red, and two of them go to the alternator.

Like 464Elky said, there may be two small posts on you starter solenoid, especially if the starter has been replaced at some point. Rebuilt starters usually use a "fits-all" solenoid with both terminals on it, like "R" and "S", and you need the S (start)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y3/nitroxracer/trucks/SDC17196.jpg is the connector that I'm having trouble with.

I think I'm just going to run a new wire from the alternator to that connector on the fire wall.

Today my father and I were looking over it and the engine was turning over, but the engine was not starting. We thought it might be out of gas (the gauge hasn't been working correctly so we thought it might have none) but then we tried to use starting fluid in the carb. and it didn't start with that either. The carb. wasn't spewing gas, but the choke was functioning. The engine is acting like it is flooded or something of the sort, but I don't think it is. Could it be something with the distributor?
I said earlier (at some point) that I had driven the car into the garage on Thursday and went to start it a few hours later (after disconnecting the starter) and now it will not start. It doesn't make any sense to me. (not that I have much experience with any of this.)

bump

You say it turns over but doesn't start ------- Use a test light and see if your getting power to the + side of the coil with Ign. on. If I knew anything, that would be the first step. :dontknow:

Hello,

I am not much of a car wiz, but I think i had a similar issue a while ago.. did you do anything differently with the iginition coil? Did you check the battery? Did you pump the gas pedal? If the vehicle is manual, what gear do you have the car in (put in neutral)?

When I had this issue, I replaced almost everything: ignition coil, spark plugs, battery, gas, etc. and eventually got it going.

Got it figured out.

OK !!!! Don't stop there !!! What was the Issue? It just may help someone down the Road. I mean, like return the help that was offered to you, even if it was wrong. That's what's great about this site. People helping People, don't ya think??:dontknow:

Yeah, but the reason the engine wouldn't start is because I cut the wrong wire at the fire wall. (the wire on the other end had faded to orange from red) I touched it together again and it fired right up. Lot's of headache over something dumb I did.

On that topic though, is there an easy way to get a bulk head adapter? or an engine compartment wiring harness? I just need to replace the wire I cut and the one that was already broken. I was thinking I could just replace the harness and not worry about it for a while.

There not cheap, but you could check with "IT'S A SNAP", or "PAINLESS" or some one like that. Also check Jegs, and Summit. Or just put in a new wire solidering it and useing heat shrink.
And don't feel bad about the "DUMB" thing, WE ALL do it.:poke:

Thanks.

Okay, so I went to the auto parts store to get a new current limiter today (I really hate having a sunset curfew) and they told me that they did not carry anything like it.

The current limiter is the small white piece correct?
I cannot find a way to get the one that was on the car apart. It also does not look like it does anything, it's not big enough to have any resistance. at least that's what it looks like.

The current limiter is known in the auto world as a " fusable link" The auto store maybe has a fusable link, but didn't know what a current limiter was. Try asking for the fusable link. (good luck)

You could solder the link in the wire up at the top end , near the firewall instead of down by the starter. Some are done that way. Like Coyote says, slide some shrink tubing over the wire and do a good solder job on the connections.

Oh okay. I was a bit confused. Thanks and I'll let y'all know if I have anymore problems.