I am hoping someone here can tell me exactly where the wires for the headlight harness and alternator connect ( the area near the battery). The previous owner owner has spliced so many wires that I can not figure out where they are really supposed to go. I tried to upload a picture, but I haven’t been able to. I know this is worthless without a picture of the harnesses, but I am still hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I know where the 3 prong connector goes, and the 2 right angle boots, but it is the 3 ring connectors that I am not sure where they connect.
As for the alternator harness I know where the 2 connectors in the large boot go and the 3 prong plug, but I don’t know where the 2 ring connectors connect.
I have looked throught the electrical manuals but none of the wire colors match what I have currently installed. This is what is causing my confusion. (I have found 3 wires that connect to ground)
Yes a picture would be great but based on your description here is what I believe is correct. Two of the ring connectors go to the battery side of the solenoid. The one with the yellow end goes to the starter side of the solenoid (it’s the low fuel warning light).
The alternator harness rings - if the wires are black with red stripe - both go to ground - the small one to a post on the back of alternator marked GRD and the large one to the engine block ground bolt right below the alternator.
John,
Thank you for the response. The information about the alternator harness clears up the mystery of the 3 wires to ground. The PO spliced the black\w red stripe in 2 different places.
Well, I just replaced the headlight harness, Alternator and Alternator harness, it took me around 3.5 hours. But I really enjoyed it as for the first time my 14 year old son was right beside me. It was the first time he showed an interest in working on the car. He noticed that the new harness was different from the one that we were replacing. It was missing a couple of wires/connectors (I removed some of the wrapping to see if the were cut, but they were not there). I think the PO replaced the harness with a standard or a Stang.
But, when we were finished I tested the headlights and found that only the drivers side low beam worked. The passenger side was very dim and the high beam light had a very small light. When the high beams were turned on, both of the high beam lights don’t work. The drivers side low beam got brighter, I can’t remember if it is supposed to. The last time I had to use the lights was when the car was inspected last August and I was in the car at the time so I didn’'t see them but the car passed so I assume they were working. Can anyone tell me what I did wrong? As always and help is greatly appreciated.
I replaced the voltage regulator last night and no changes (Although it looked like the passenger low beam may be a little brighter) I still have no high beams. I am wondering if the new alternator is not working correctly. So now I am looking for ways to check it without having to take it to the store to check it.
Can anyone tell me where I can place a voltage meter to check and see what the output it?
Can anyone tell me what voltage I should at the headlight plug when the lights are on?
Same thing for the high beams?
I did notice a little rust on the firewall\engine ground wire and wonder if this makes any difference. I plan to order one in the near future but may have move it up if you think it matters.
How many locations have a ground wire in the engine compartment? I have the battery/engine block, firewall/engine block and voltage regulator/radiator support.
I read on a Stang forum that the passenger headlights had a ground wire, but I can’t seem to find any information about the Cougars having one.
I had 12v at the battery when I tested it, but after the car ran for about 30 minutes I turned it off and tried to start it 20 minutes later I had to jumpstart it to get it back into the garage. Any ideas?
I am hoping to rule out a bad headlight harness, as I don’t want to have to buy another one and not have it resolve the problem.
I know I will have more questions and I thank you in advance for any assistance in resolving my issues.
I posted this on the other forum as well, so sorry if you have seen it over there.
OK, I got a relacement harness from WCCC and installed it. I now “have headlights” BUT I went inside to call Lin and thank him for all of his help I came back out to go for a ride and found that my car was on FIRE! It seems that one of the wires on the stater solenoid and the wiring that comes from the ignition coil to the distributor both melted. The wire on the solenoid was one of the ones with the 90 degree boots (one closest to the starter). I don’t think I had the wrong wires connected to the Solenoid, but now I am not so sure. I can no longer make out the color of the wires so I can’t offer any more information. After, I got the fire out I found out the ignition coil had EXPLODED! Has anyone ever had this happen to them? I will be talking to Richard (WCCC) tomorrow so I hope he can give me some answers and maybe some of you can point me in the right direction now.
Hello,
I just finished installing my repaired under dash harness and a new headlight harness and it worked for a few minutes and then the ignition coil exploded again. I am completly over my head on this one and I hope someone has an idea as to what is causing my problems. I have replaced the voltage regulator, starter, alternator, starter solenoid and the ignition switch. the battery is a little over a year old.
A little background:
I found out the headlight harnes that worked was from a Mustang or a standard Cougar. I didn’t have any problems until I replaced the headlight harness which was because of the hack job the PO had done to it. The car was working fine until the new harness was installed.
For an ignition coil to blow, I would suspect that means it’s either seeing WAY too much power on the primary (enough to melt the wire) or that there is a problem with the secondary, either a short or an open circuit. Which side of the coil is getting destroyed, the primary or secondary? And how is it failing, in a short or in an open circuit?
TMH,
I am not sure which side is the problem. The first one exploded literally, the only part left was the part inside the mounting bracket. The wire from the coil to the distributor fried as well. The second one, the top “popped” and oil was spraying out of of the top.
I expect it is getting too much current as the resistance wire (I think that is what it is called) connected to the tach is extremely hot and it will burn your fingers. I don’t have an exact reading as when this happened, I had to go inside and leave it alone for the rest of the weekend.