3.0 Ford Essex starter motor issue.

[Morrisman]

You don't HAVE to have an ignition light on the dash. You could put it in the engine bay or use a relay or resistor. That is how to power up an auxilliary towing relay.

You are going to loom all that up I take it? I wouldn't be too keen on running through that conduit though, fluffy loom tape would make it look very smart and keep it from damage. Use cable ties to get everything together first.

I have some loom sheathing that’s is split down the side, fasten it on with little cable ties every couple of inches. Going to test it all works before that though. Should be okay in the conduit, but not as much room as I had planned......

 

[ajlelectronics]

I have some loom sheathing that’s is split down the side, fasten it on with little cable ties every couple of inches. Going to test it all works before that though. Should be okay in the conduit, but not as much room as I had planned......

For testing yes, I would. For final finishing though, it looks a bit, well unfinished! Fluffy loom tape, as used by car manufacturers. It protects it, neatens it and quietens the rattling if it moves about. Not ridiculously expensive and is much easier than the conventional loom tape!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WIRING-C...hash=item53fdea8b1f:m:m3Mo1VrkwfMuP5DQ4qEZT_w

 

[Wedg1e]

Here's an article on my website on stripping and rebuilding a solenoid:

http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/TVR 390SE p14.html

As other have said, the original connector on the solenoid in question was a female bullet with integral rubber boot, it'll have decomposed decades ago...!

 

[Morrisman]

Should I put that starter wire through a relay, or is it fairly low load?

As for wrapping the loom permanently, I never seem to ever get to the stage when I think ‘right, it’s finished’, as most all of my builds seem permanently ongoing....

 

[ajlelectronics]

Should I put that starter wire through a relay, or is it fairly low load?

No relay required. The solenoid is already a "relay".

As for wrapping the loom permanently, I never seem to ever get to the stage when I think ‘right, it’s finished’, as most all of my builds seem permanently ongoing....

You can remove it fairly easily with a sharp blade down the length. Being designed for the job, it doesn't leave sticky gunge all over the bundle either! After modding, you just reloom the bare parts.

 

[Wedg1e]

Should I put that starter wire through a relay, or is it fairly low load?

As for wrapping the loom permanently, I never seem to ever get to the stage when I think ‘right, it’s finished’, as most all of my builds seem permanently ongoing....

I'd use a relay; the coil current of a starter solenoid is usually higher than a 'normal' relay would be and it presents the starter switch with an inductive load, which is just the sort of thing to cause arcing at the contacts. I'd rather replace a £5 relay than an ignition switch.

When I worked on car alarms we used a PVC tape that looked like electricians' tape but without the adhesive; you just wrapped as normal and then secured the ends with a couple of turns of sparky tape. You can then peel that back and unwind the PVC for alterations. Sometimes we'd leave spare wires hidden in the loom for when the customers came back for extra options later; it was easy to unravel the tape and fish the wires out, then re-wrap the tape.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I'd use a relay; the coil current of a starter solenoid is usually higher than a 'normal' relay would be and it presents the starter switch with an inductive load, which is just the sort of thing to cause arcing at the contacts. I'd rather replace a £5 relay than an ignition switch.

In my decades of experience with Scimitars, I have seen many faulty ignition switches, the ignition terminal is the one that fails. As yet, I haven't seen one that failed on the start terminal, hence my advice to stay standard.

When I worked on car alarms we used a PVC tape that looked like electricians' tape but without the adhesive; you just wrapped as normal and then secured the ends with a couple of turns of sparky tape. You can then peel that back and unwind the PVC for alterations. Sometimes we'd leave spare wires hidden in the loom for when the customers came back for extra options later; it was easy to unravel the tape and fish the wires out, then re-wrap the tape.

Horrible stuff! Let go of it for a second and it all unravels. I give thanks for the day I discovered fluffy loom tape!

 

[Wedg1e]

Horrible stuff! Let go of it for a second and it all unravels. I give thanks for the day I discovered fluffy loom tape!

Indeed, but when the parent vehicle doesn't have the fluffy stuff it would stick out like a sore thumb, when you're trying to make the alarm wiring unobtrusive
Granted we all know real scumbags don't care about alarms, but a certain amount of professionalism was called for in the fitting.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Indeed, but when the parent vehicle doesn't have the fluffy stuff it would stick out like a sore thumb, when you're trying to make the alarm wiring unobtrusive
Granted we all know real scumbags don't care about alarms, but a certain amount of professionalism was called for in the fitting.

Yes, fully agree with that point of course. I think that fluffy tape was a German idea? It certainly makes a quality loom.

 

[8ob]

You can end up back feeding the ignition circuit off the ign/lamp terminal on the alternator if you are not careful, the ignition live needs to be on a completely separate circuit to the live that goes to the alternator via the ignition light or at the very least fit a diode or the engine wont turn off. Ask me how I know

Bob

 

[Cobbler]

You can end up back feeding the ignition circuit off the ign/lamp terminal on the alternator if you are not careful, the ignition live needs to be on a completely separate circuit to the live that goes to the alternator via the ignition light or at the very least fit a diode or the engine wont turn off. Ask me how I know

Bob

Been there, done that as well. The one we did didn’t need that wire at all, was for something else, not a rev counter either.

 

[jsf55]

I run the starter relay through the brake light switch, means you have to put your foot on the brake to start it, saves stupid mistakes of starting in gear if your not running the inhibit switch on the gearbox ?

 

[Morrisman]

You can end up back feeding the ignition circuit off the ign/lamp terminal on the alternator if you are not careful, the ignition live needs to be on a completely separate circuit to the live that goes to the alternator via the ignition light or at the very least fit a diode or the engine wont turn off. Ask me how I know

Bob

Due to having no spare ‘ign’ tabs on the starter switch, I’ve run it from a spare ‘accessory’ tab that is live whenever the key is turned on. That should cure that problem I think. But it means the alternator light is on if ever I switch to ‘accessories’, which I won’t, nothing else is connected to it.

 

[Morrisman]

I run the starter relay through the brake light switch, means you have to put your foot on the brake to start it, saves stupid mistakes of starting in gear if your not running the inhibit switch on the gearbox ?

That reminds me, I have not connected or examined the 3 wires that come from the transmission switch yet..... More wires to run....

 

[ajlelectronics]

You can end up back feeding the ignition circuit off the ign/lamp terminal on the alternator if you are not careful, the ignition live needs to be on a completely separate circuit to the live that goes to the alternator via the ignition light or at the very least fit a diode or the engine wont turn off. Ask me how I know

Bob

That is because you used the wrong terminal! It needs to come from WL and go to a switched ignition feed via a 2W filament bulb or resistance. Then there is no way that the alternator can keep the ignition system live.

 

[ajlelectronics]

That reminds me, I have not connected or examined the 3 wires that come from the transmission switch yet..... More wires to run....

Which gearbox is it? You might find Peter Freeman's colour circuit diagrams helpful, on the Scimweb site.

 

[Morrisman]

Which gearbox is it? You might find Peter Freeman's colour circuit diagrams helpful, on the Scimweb site.

Its the C3 box. Should be a reversing light and a neutral lockout switch. I’ll look on Scimitarweb for the diagram, so I know which is which.

Not having a reversing light, but the neutral lock out is very useful, ask me how I know....

 

[Morrisman]

So, I’ve found the neutral parking lock out switch doesn’t work, continually open circuit. So I’ve now wired it so the brake light switch relay output provides power to the relay for the starter motor. Only if the brake is on is there power supply to the starter relay.

So effectively the starter solenoid power goes through two relays....

I may be making this more complicated than it needs to be, but I don’t want to start tearing the switch out of the transmission just yet.

 

[jsf55]

It's the way I wire all my cars it makes them so much safer to start

 

[Morrisman]

So, the wiring had the big turn on today, and the charge light flowed red as intended, while I checked lights and all were working.

Then I noticed it had gone out. Engine hasn’t been started yet, there is still 12 volts to the bulb, and out the other end all the way to the alternator connection.

I think I may have fried something.

When I connect it to the other (vertical) terminal on the alternator the bulb came back on again.