[1980SteelBeast]

Here's a short vid of what I've been up to.

Found out the wire going to the spade terminal on my starter is constantly hot while the car is off,which is draining my battery overnight. How do I bypass that?
Isn't the ignition wire suppose to stop all power to the starter when the key is in the off position?
Why is that wire drawing power? Even with the key off and removed from the ignition?:dontknow:

 

[HKDUP87]

Want to tradeoke:

 

[woody31]

Beast i think your switch is bad.

 

[1980SteelBeast]

Ignition switch?:dontknow:

 

[DONE DEAL DONNY]

Let’s make sure your info is correct. I think you said that with your test light on the hot terminal post it would light up touching main power lead going into cab indicating a grounded switch or wire.
You then traced it back out to the bendix wire on your starter. When you took the wire lose from the harness the light would go out showing that the ground was in the wire to the starter. The rest of the wiring showed no grounds.
So then when you touched the start wire going down to the starter with your test light on the hot side of the battery it would light up showing either the wire or starter was grounded.
All that makes sense except for the fact that the starter works fine. When you turn the key to start the car it sends 12 volts down to engage the starter and the motor cranks. I would think that if the wire was grounded or the starter was bad then one or the other would smoke and burn or short out your ignition switch, which doesn't happen. Plus that is a brand new starter that I touched to the battery to crank the motor.
So can anyone explain to me how it could be grounded enough to light the test light and pull the battery down but yet still work right when he turns the key?
I can't figure that one out?:dontknow:
Thanks
Donny

 

[woody31]

Yes ignition switch. Unplug it and see if still hot.
I would think if spade wire was hot it would be trying
To start all the time????

 

[DONE DEAL DONNY]

Brandon said it wrong, it's not hot, it's grouned down to the starter or through the starter.
Thanks:beer:
Donny

 

[Jack_K]

Let’s make sure your info is correct. I think you said that with your test light on the hot terminal post it would light up touching main power lead going into cab indicating a grounded switch or wire.
You then traced it back out to the bendix wire on your starter. When you took the wire lose from the harness the light would go out showing that the ground was in the wire to the starter. The rest of the wiring showed no grounds.
So then when you touched the start wire going down to the starter with your test light on the hot side of the battery it would light up showing either the wire or starter was grounded.
All that makes sense except for the fact that the starter works fine. When you turn the key to start the car it sends 12 volts down to engage the starter and the motor cranks. I would think that if the wire was grounded or the starter was bad then one or the other would smoke and burn or short out your ignition switch, which doesn't happen. Plus that is a brand new starter that I touched to the battery to crank the motor.
So can anyone explain to me how it could be grounded enough to light the test light and pull the battery down but yet still work right when he turns the key?
I can't figure that one out?:dontknow:
Thanks
Donny

the starter solenoid is a coil of wire, like in an electric motor. When 12 volts is applied it becomes an electromagnet that pulls the shaft with the round conductor in contact with the battery connection.

So what, you say. Well, any coil of wire needs a ground to complete the circuit. That means one end of the coil of wire in the solenoid is connected to ground. Since you're reading through a coil of wire, you will read a ground on the 12 volt end of the wire. That tells you the solenoid is good.

That's not your short. If that were a short, the solenoid would not work and the solenoid power wire would melt when 12 volts is applied.

Look elsewhere.

Jack

 

[black_on_black]

I know what your dealing with having wires every where n no idea y. My elky burnt up both fuseable links cuz the po ran the main wires for the starter over the intake n between the headers...... What a nightmare, n that's only one prob. I'm having. Good luck you'll need it:beer:

 

[Beepster]

Jack, ya pretty much hit that one right on the head. I agree with what you're saying, and Brandon, look elsewhere than the starter.

There is a "preverbial" brown/tan wire that causes more mischief than you can shake a stick at. It's in a lot of circuits, but don't know iffin' it's in the switch line. I would imagine so, somewhere along the line. Did I miss reading something, or, are all fuses good?? If nothing else, if fuses are blowing, use a ckt brkr to let the wire overhead and smoke some. Then ya know where to start. That's how I resolved my electrical problem.

 

[IDMiller]

Jack, ya pretty much hit that one right on the head. I agree with what you're saying, and Brandon, look elsewhere than the starter.

There is a "preverbial" brown/tan wire that causes more mischief than you can shake a stick at. It's in a lot of circuits, but don't know iffin' it's in the switch line. I would imagine so, somewhere along the line. Did I miss reading something, or, are all fuses good?? If nothing else, if fuses are blowing, use a ckt brkr to let the wire overhead and smoke some. Then ya know where to start. That's how I resolved my electrical problem.

You sir, are my hero! :nanawrench: