More charging system goodness.
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From: Okc, OK
More charging system goodness.
I have a 1984 F-150 4.9l Straight Six. I been reading articles here for the last couple of days and it really helped as far as diagrams go. I have just a couple of questions about some of them.
I think I have figured out why, even after rewiring the charging system, I still have an issue. I thought to myself "I don't really need an Indicator light." but apparently the charging system doesn't work without it, as far as i can tell. I need to know A) Is that assumption correct? and B) what color is the the wire that goes from the "I" terminal on the voltage regulator supposed to be?
I think I have figured out why, even after rewiring the charging system, I still have an issue. I thought to myself "I don't really need an Indicator light." but apparently the charging system doesn't work without it, as far as i can tell. I need to know A) Is that assumption correct? and B) what color is the the wire that goes from the "I" terminal on the voltage regulator supposed to be?
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Okay so I have an idiot light cluster. I just plugged the light green/red wire into the I terminal and it still won't charge. I thought I had just done wrong by leaving that off. Apparently I have screwed this thing up bad. Do you think that moving that wire to the S terminal might get it to charge? It a new voltage regulator. The alternators and battery both tested good at auto zone. I'm running out of ideas. I just want it to work. I don't care right now if I have all the features.
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From: Okc, OK
While I have a few minutes tonight, here are the step by step instructions I promissed to close out this thread. Please note this is based on an 81-86 gauge/tach cluster. Pins 17 and 18 should be reversed if adding an 80 gauge/tach cluster. It's been tried and the reports have been positive to date. Disconnect the battery before starting any of this.
Move the Black/Light Green wire from Idiot Light Connector (ILC) pin 7 to Gauge Cluster Connector (GCC) pin 1.
Move the Black ground wire from ILC pin 9 to GCC pin 2.
Move the Yellow/White fuel sensor wire from ILC pin 11 to GCC pin 4.
Move the Light Blue/Red dash lights wire from ILC pin 10 to GCC pin 5.
Move the Red/White temp sensor wire from ILC pin 8 to GCC pin 6.
Splice a (factory color) Red/Orange wire from the Red and Black/Orange fusible link on the starter solenoid to GCC pin 8. Add one end of a 30 inch length of 10 ga wire to the the splice at the solenoid. This wire is the shunt to protect the ammeter circuit.
Splice a (factory color) Yellow/Light Green wire from the black/orange wire at the B terminal on the alternator to GCC pin 9. Add the opposite end of the 30 inch 10 ga shunt wire to the splice at the B terminal.
Move the White/Red oil pressure sensor wire from ILC pin 14 to GCC pin 10.
Splice a (factory color) Dark Green/Yellow from ignition coil negative to GCC pin 11. This is the tach input.
Splice a (factory color) Black/Light Green wire to the Black/Light Green wire at GCC pin 1 to GCC pin 12. This is the tach power wire.
Move the double Red/Yellow brake warning positive wire from ILC pin 1 to GCC pin 13.
Move the Purple/White brake warning negative wire from ILC pin 2 to GCC pin 14.
Move the White/Light Blue right directional wire from ILC pin 3 to GCC pin 15.
Move the Light Green/Black high beam indicator wire from ILC pin 4 to GCC pin 16.
Move the Dark Green/Light Green seat belt indicator wire from ILC 5 to GCC pin 17.
Move the Light Green/White left directional wire from ILC pin 6 to GCC pin 18.
Disconnect the Light Green/Red and Red/Light Green wires from ILC pins 12 and 13. Connect these wires with a 500 ohm resistor between them. You can use the resistor from the back of the ILC, but make sure its well insulated. More compact resistors are available at Radio Shack.
Change the oil pressure sending unit from an idiot light type to a gauge type.
Optional based on discussion in the thread: Move the Light Green/Red from the I terminal on the voltage regulator to the S terminal. Remove the Black/White wire from the the regulator and seal the end. There has been some concern voiced that not doing the above could lead to a dead short in certain situations.
Move the Black/Light Green wire from Idiot Light Connector (ILC) pin 7 to Gauge Cluster Connector (GCC) pin 1.
Move the Black ground wire from ILC pin 9 to GCC pin 2.
Move the Yellow/White fuel sensor wire from ILC pin 11 to GCC pin 4.
Move the Light Blue/Red dash lights wire from ILC pin 10 to GCC pin 5.
Move the Red/White temp sensor wire from ILC pin 8 to GCC pin 6.
Splice a (factory color) Red/Orange wire from the Red and Black/Orange fusible link on the starter solenoid to GCC pin 8. Add one end of a 30 inch length of 10 ga wire to the the splice at the solenoid. This wire is the shunt to protect the ammeter circuit.
Splice a (factory color) Yellow/Light Green wire from the black/orange wire at the B terminal on the alternator to GCC pin 9. Add the opposite end of the 30 inch 10 ga shunt wire to the splice at the B terminal.
Move the White/Red oil pressure sensor wire from ILC pin 14 to GCC pin 10.
Splice a (factory color) Dark Green/Yellow from ignition coil negative to GCC pin 11. This is the tach input.
Splice a (factory color) Black/Light Green wire to the Black/Light Green wire at GCC pin 1 to GCC pin 12. This is the tach power wire.
Move the double Red/Yellow brake warning positive wire from ILC pin 1 to GCC pin 13.
Move the Purple/White brake warning negative wire from ILC pin 2 to GCC pin 14.
Move the White/Light Blue right directional wire from ILC pin 3 to GCC pin 15.
Move the Light Green/Black high beam indicator wire from ILC pin 4 to GCC pin 16.
Move the Dark Green/Light Green seat belt indicator wire from ILC 5 to GCC pin 17.
Move the Light Green/White left directional wire from ILC pin 6 to GCC pin 18.
Disconnect the Light Green/Red and Red/Light Green wires from ILC pins 12 and 13. Connect these wires with a 500 ohm resistor between them. You can use the resistor from the back of the ILC, but make sure its well insulated. More compact resistors are available at Radio Shack.
Change the oil pressure sending unit from an idiot light type to a gauge type.
Optional based on discussion in the thread: Move the Light Green/Red from the I terminal on the voltage regulator to the S terminal. Remove the Black/White wire from the the regulator and seal the end. There has been some concern voiced that not doing the above could lead to a dead short in certain situations.
S stands for stator is what I thought.
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Hey, Timmy,
Please explain....
What is making you say to yourself that you don't need an indicator light?
Look at the back of the non-gauge (idiot light) cluster... over by the ALT lamp, you'll see it has this shunt-like device that connects the LG/R and R/LG wires together at the dash. It's labelled as a resistor in the picture:
The charging system needs that shunt (or something similar) to charge the battery, I'm just throwing this out there thinking it might help ya.
I forget how the ALT lamp comes into play but there are others here who know this stuff pretty well.
What have you changed from the stock configuration? IOW what is it you are dealing with? You apparently re-wired the charging system, what does that mean?
Please explain....
Look at the back of the non-gauge (idiot light) cluster... over by the ALT lamp, you'll see it has this shunt-like device that connects the LG/R and R/LG wires together at the dash. It's labelled as a resistor in the picture:
The charging system needs that shunt (or something similar) to charge the battery, I'm just throwing this out there thinking it might help ya.
I forget how the ALT lamp comes into play but there are others here who know this stuff pretty well.
What have you changed from the stock configuration? IOW what is it you are dealing with? You apparently re-wired the charging system, what does that mean?
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From: Okc, OK
I didn't know that the indicator light would cause the battery not to charge so I just left the I terminal empty. I fixed that and still no charging so I moved it over to the S terminal. Its charging now. I checked it with my meter and its charging 14.4v now. I turned off the truck and went inside. When I came back out and tried to start it, it clicked and didn't start. I checked the battery with my meter and it says 12.98v. I think my starter locked up. When I had the starter tested Saturday, it had a 290a draw. I knew I was gonna need one. I was just hoping to get another weeks out of it.
As far as rewiring it, the previous owner had tried to solve this problem and made a mess of the wiring. He also reused some of the old wiring that had been rubbed, chafed and rotted so I ended up doing the best I could and I got it charging.
Now I need to address the starter. I think because of how old the relay looks, I'm gonna replace both the starter and the relay.
As far as rewiring it, the previous owner had tried to solve this problem and made a mess of the wiring. He also reused some of the old wiring that had been rubbed, chafed and rotted so I ended up doing the best I could and I got it charging.
Now I need to address the starter. I think because of how old the relay looks, I'm gonna replace both the starter and the relay.
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From: Denver Metro Area, CO
Done. 
Chinese-made starter solenoids have a really bad reputation here, some people go through several brand-new ones before ending up with one that works.
You should be able to purchase an OEM one from your local Ford dealer.
BTW start a new thread with your starter problems (if needed) OK?
Chinese-made starter solenoids have a really bad reputation here, some people go through several brand-new ones before ending up with one that works.
You should be able to purchase an OEM one from your local Ford dealer.
BTW start a new thread with your starter problems (if needed) OK?
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Not a problem. Thanks to all you guys for making these resources available
I have a friend who is a Senior Master tech @ Reynold's Ford of OKC and he couldn't even get the wiring diagrams. Said they didn't keep anything older than '90. Thanks again.
I have a friend who is a Senior Master tech @ Reynold's Ford of OKC and he couldn't even get the wiring diagrams. Said they didn't keep anything older than '90. Thanks again.
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OKC?
Hey, do me a favor, would ya? click on User CP in the top-left and finish filling out your profile so we can see where you're at.
Seems OK is a popular place for some reason......
Hey, do me a favor, would ya? click on User CP in the top-left and finish filling out your profile so we can see where you're at.
Seems OK is a popular place for some reason......
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