How many hot wires to fuse block, 69

Reason for ask: recently decided to replace all wiring in engine compartment, switched to LED sequentials, and inserted Rocketman’s head light upgrade… Fairly straightforward plug-n-play. However I have absolutely nothing coming thru the fuse panel - at least anything I need power to. Checked all new pins to ensure in right position and I have solid power thru one red pin on engine side of wire loom. Back to the ask: should there be only one hot wire coming to fuse block? I thought I’d ask before pulling out new engine compartment loom and putting the old engine compartment wire loom back in (which I found out was actually a non XR-7 loom which probably explains some of my previous gauge issues).

Thanks in advance!

With key in OFF position, only the two BAT clips at the bottom center will be hot. The two outer clips on the bottom should be hot if there is a fuse that works is installed.
With the key in ACC or RUN position (1969), the two BAT clips and the the top two center clips will be hot. The clip designed to accept the fuse from the diagonal slot will also be hot. With proper fuses, the two outer clips on top will be hot, as well as the optional fuse extender post and 3 prong plug.

The smallest fuse will not be hot until the headlight switch is pulled out. If so, the inner fuse clip will be hot, but variable voltage depending upon the headlight switch rheostat.

Welcome to the forum!

The wiring diagram doesn’t show those details in one area. Different fuse block sections are shown in the circuit diagrams they are part of, so answering that as a fuse block component won’t be easy.

Fuses 6 & 7 are always hot. Those will be fed from one feed on circuit 37 from the starter relay battery stud.
Fuses 1 & 2 &3 are hot only in ACC or RUN. There will be a feed circuit 297A for that through the ignition switch. terminal A.
Fuse 5 will be fed on circuit 19 through the headlamp switch dimming resistor on terminal I.

Go check out West Coast Classic Cougar for a wiring diagram download to see what I mean.

I see Midlife also answered while I was writing this. You are in good hands.

Being in Caledonia you are close to John’s Classic Cougar. He is very helpful.

Is your XR-7 HT or Convertible? Whichever it is I know you are looking forward to spring.

Thanks for the reply guys! I’ll digest this and go over this weekend. Per your answers, I suspect it’s somewhere in the connection at firewall as everything did work prior to changeout of harness. This has been frustrating as I’ve parted out several '69’s and restored both of mine and first I’ve run into anything like this (but must’ve not known engine compartment wire harnesses were different between std and XR way back then :astonished: ).

Yes, know John very well - been doing business with him since '82. The problem child is XR-7 Convertible. Just came off this fall winning '64-73 Muscle Car Vert class at Gilmore and wanted to freshen up wiring in engine area and get a little more modern with lights to start enjoying beyond going to a show or two - to include night driving…and now dead in water…

New to this forum, but very active with predecessor site (I believe) and I stopped involvement probably around 2005 due to “everything”…this site let me create account with same user-id and password as the other as a coincidence…

Eureka! Almost hate to admit this, but… to answer my question, there are actually two hot wires for XR-7. I temporarily hooked up my old harness just at starter solenoid and tested to see where power came into fuse block. As mentioned, put in brand new harness. Three wires came out at end of new harness at solenoid end and hooked them up to appropriate terminals. What I didn’t notice was a single wire that came out of the harness lower on, that got hung up underneath battery tray when I pulled in new harness and “hidden”, which just happened to be the main power source…

All is well! Now looking forward to seeing how bright the new headlight system is and new LED taillights, not to mention updated 8 Track coming this week…

Thanks again!

Dang! Lost a potential customer!

Sometimes the hardest problems are the easiest to solve!