Just set the meter to DC volts. Clip the black lead to the battery - cable. Use the red lead to measure voltage. You will quickly be able to tell where there is voltage with the key on. Measure at the tachometer going in and out - you will have to remove the ash tray surround to access the two wires. The Ford designers realized that you may want the car to run in spite of a bad tachometer. So you can plug the two wires together to bypass the tach.
I have the Pertronix unit on my car and it runs perfectly. The starter solenoid has 4 outputs, one of which lights up with the volt meter when the key is in the ignition on position.
There is no pink wire.
Do you want me to photograph or short video this the next time I drive the car?
Here is the update on my violet resistor Wire issue. I’m running a MSD distributor, 6AL and tach adapter. My resistor wire was overheating and melting under the dash.
In my application the resistor wire was connected to the MSD tach adapter as a trigger wire for the tach. When I put my ohm meter on the tach side of the resistor wire and it was disconnected at the adapter it showed continuity when the second probe was grounded to the metal dashboard.
I bypassed the resistor wire and ran a new wire with an in-line fuse from the tach to the tach adapter.
Thanks to Rocketman, Mark P and Rick P for helping me work this out
Violet resistor wires are used for 69 and up to choke voltage to the dash cluster constant voltage regulator, and in all years used as a bypass path for the alternator indicator lamp system should the bulb burn out (not used when an ammeter is part of the standard gauge circuit). The violet resistor wire is not part of the ignition circuitry at all.
Violet resistor wires are used for 69 and up to choke voltage to the dash cluster constant voltage regulator, and in all years used as a bypass path for the alternator indicator lamp system should the bulb burn out (not used when an ammeter is part of the standard gauge circuit). The violet resistor wire is not part of the ignition circuitry at all.
Wow you are right. I’ve been referring to this wire as the violet wire but according to the diagram the wire I am working with 16A coming from the tach is actually pink in the key. 16A is also a resistor wire.
Thx. This is interesting to me. So - the bulb is part of the circuit that allows the alternator to do its job? If the bulb burns out the alternator ceases charging the battery? And the violet wire is the cure? Genius!
Hey all, I want to thank everybody who responded regarding my issue:
Most - or all correctly suggested a bad tach.
I finally got a chance to put my jumper in. The car runs with the jumper, and I’m a happy camper !!
I got a flat 2 pin connector from Advance Auto, plugged it in and jumpered the other open end to test. Once confirmed it ran I cut the wires and soldered and heat shrinked the ends together, making a loop. It plugs perfectly to the connector in the car.
That’s great Rick. Time to send the tach out for a rebuild. Years ago on the old Yahoo groups email list Eric Overton wrote about resoldering the solder joints in the back of the tach. Something about the connections going cold and not making the connection maybe? I’ve got several tachometers in my pile of parts. Let me know if you want one.
