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stupid stupid solenoid question

1549 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  wewsnu
Guys, I've run into an electrical issue.

No key or button/kill setup yet, I just want this motor to crank over...

Two brand new solenoids, so, that's ruled out. I'm just clueless as to how to wire this up right.

One large side bolt goes to Positive battery Terminal. Ok, easy enough
Other large side bolt goes to starter wire (which cranks when given voltage, ruling that out as a problem).

But these other two small screws.... one's labled S, the other I.
I figure one is switch, one is ignition.

What do I need to hook to these other two small screws to get my motor to start?

Here's a diagram of the solenoid I'm working with



Thanks for any help you can give!

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first take a screw driver and jump the hot to the small s terminal if it cranks then its in your key switch or neutral safety swicth. ED
first take a screw driver and jump the hot to the small s terminal if it cranks then its in your key switch or neutral safety swicth. ED
Thanks! I'm going to try this here in a few. Take a screwdriver and connect a +12v source to the S terminal, and if it cranks, then that's my key switch? Any idea what to do with the other screw?
Also make for sure everything , block , frame, body, solonoid, everything is grounded good.....
Any idea what to do with the other screw?

Ignore it. :D
Thanks yall. GF threw a honeydo list at me so I'll be at this first thing tomorrow. I'm hoping that it fires right up and I did the coil wiring right.

THANK YOU ALL
the red one is for start. the small blck one is for a full 12 volts to go to the coil when starting the engine. it has no function after the engine starts.
the red one is for start. the small blck one is for a full 12 volts to go to the coil when starting the engine. it has no function after the engine starts.
Does that mean the black one needs some voltage for a period of time for me to get it to start?

I did was was told earlier, and thank you, it cranked a few times!! (low battery I'm hoping)

It's on a cheap trickle charger now so I'll try again later, but i figured as long as the ignition had power as the motor was cranking then it would start, this talk of voltage required on the "black" screw during start has me concerned though..


Thanks!:)
Back in the stone age when all we had was points and none of this electronic ignition stuff the primary feed to the coil was either reduced thru a ballast resistor or some type of resistance wire. While cranking you wanted to give the coil a boost to get a good hot spark for starting. Hence the extra terminal on the solenoid. It would feed full power to the coil only when you where cranking. Then when you let off the key or push button the main power supply took over to keep the engine running.

These days it is pretty much redundant.

dkp
THANK YOU everyone!
Fresh charge on battery and she fired right up when I did as ya'll instructed.
I'm going to get a 30 amp switch, some wire, and inline fuse, and run a switch to the inside of the car. The car btw is a 77 continental, with only a 400. She definetely lacks the power my 1970 continental with a 460 has, but if anything were to ever happen to her, I imagine a swap would be a super quick process involving nothing more than motor mounts and some radiator hoses.

Again, thanks everyone. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FOTwEsvk1s
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