Happy Thanksgiving to all. While attempting to run a wire to my 69 Cutty TH400 for the kickdown solenoid I have run into a new problem.


The RH leg of the engine harness which I removed had six wires and no Orange/Black wire nor even a spade terminal in the RH leg which would complete the circuit through the firewall to the fuse panel. I do not know if it has been altered but doesn't appear so. Not sure why it did not have the Orange and Black wire for the trans. So I replaced that leg with a seven wire unit which included the Orange and black wire for the trans and the spade terminal.

My new wiring per the chassis manual appears correct as follows: Purple wire from harness to solenoid, yellow wire from solenoid to HEI Distributor on the same terminal as the gray wire from the RH harness leg. Four wires, blue, dk blue, yellow and black to the wiper motor. Orange and black for the Trans solenoid ( not yet attached)

The idiot lights are on without the key even in the switch. The car starts and runs fine but will not stop either by key or by disconnecting both battery cables. BTW last night when I replace the RH leg, I attached it at the firewall but no wires were connected to the HEI or the starter or even the wiper motor and overnight the battery drained dead. So what has changed by merely changing the RH harness leg or have I created a new problem ?


Please mull this over while digesting your Turkey. Any help much appreciated

 

The yellow wire from the solenoid (I assume your meaning the starter solenoid?) isn’t needed with HEI. it’s only purpose is to supply battery voltage with the starter engaged, bypassing the resistance wire that supplies power with the key in run. Which brings up another question, have you removed the resistance wire, or bypassed the wire? HEI requires full battery voltage.

Unless your car came equipped with a TH400, your engine harness won’t have the orange/black kickdown wire. The underdash harness will already have the kickdown switch wiring in place. You will need to install a series 56 male terminal and install it in the proper cavity in the firewall connector.

 

The reason your idiot lights are on and the engine will not turn off is that something is wired wrong or your back feeding somewhere. Your getting power to the HEI coil+ terminal with the key off. Double check your wiring and figure out where the 12v is coming from.

 

Before I changed the rh engine harness leg the car ran fine with both the yellow wire from the starter solenoid and the gray wire from the harness connected to the HEI and shut off properly. By changing the RH harness leg to one that does have the Orange and black Transmission wire have I not accomplished the same thing as installing a series 56 male terminal into the old harness leg and then running a orange and black wire to the trans. Which wire is the "resistance wire" ?

 

So at the HEI coil terminal the yellow wire from the starter solenoid and the gray wire from the harness are the only wires connected same as they were using the old harness leg and the car ran normal.

The only visible change between the old and new harness leg is going from 6 to 7 wires with the 7th wire being the orange and black trans wire. I was and still am wired according to the chassis service manual wiring diagram.

 

I just went out and disconnected the wires at the HEI and all three connectors at the wiper motor. Now the only wire from the new harness leg that is connected to anything is the purple wire to the starter solenoid and the idiot lights are still on.

 

The "RH leg" is called the Engine Harness and should have seven wires in it. The "LH" leg is called the Forward Lamp Harness and has wires to the lights, alternator, and the two sending units.

The first problem is your idiot lights. The dash shouldn't even have power with the key off, so if the lights are on, you've clearly got a wiring issue somewhere in that harness. Start at the 10A GAUGES/TRANS fuse. It should not be powered with the key OFF. If there IS power with the key OFF, then find the problem in the pink wire from the fuse box to the ignition switch. Also, pull that fuse and see if the lights go off. If not, you have a short to power somewhere in the dash harness.

Also, check the brown wire from the regulator to the GEN light. Do you still have the original external regulator, or has the car been converted to an internal regulator alternator? If so, how was the wiring modified? This brown wire can backfeed the dash idiot lights if it is wired incorrectly.

Fix this issue first, then worry about the rest.

 

There is power to the 10A Gauge/Trans fuse with the key off. Idiot lights do go out when the fuse is pulled

The pink wire does have power at the ignition switch without the key on. And has power with the 10A Gauge/Trans fuse pulled,

I have a factory external regulator on the firewall

 

Well, there's your problem with the lights. That pink wire should not be powered with the key off. Either there's a short in the harness or the ignition switch is bad.

 

Ok Thanks Joe, I will start by replacing the ignition switch which for me will be much easier than finding a short. And thanks Eric and Matt.

 

So, once again, to avoid wasting time and money, why don't you FIRST simply disconnect the wires from the switch, If the lights stay on, the problem is NOT the switch.

 

The culprit was the ignition switch so that part of the problem is solved.

I do have power to the Orange and black wire to the trans kick down. During testing it seems that the power comes through late in the travel of the switch meaning the accelerator pedal is nearly floored. . Is this correct or is there an adjustment for the switch at the pedal ?

 

If kickdown came if your acclerator were halfway to the floor, you would be stepping down to get a bit more power and, in a rush, you would get a massive surge of revs before you wanted or needed it.

Getting kickdown near the floor means that you will be asking the engine for nearly maximum power and you will get the response you want at an appropriate time.

Test drive the car with the switch in the existing position before you decide to physically adjust the switch.

 

Your kickdown is operating normal.

 

Ok, Thanks Eric and VC455