[Wedodson18]

All,

I recently bought a 67 CJ5 that had the messy electrical wiring from years of previous owners changing, adding, subtracting, ect things on and off. I gutted the whole electrical system and I'm now wiring the starting system.
1) From the battery, I have a wire going directly to the ingition switch to the battery terminal and a power cable going to the main lug on the starter solenoid. Also, I'm feeding power to the alternator.
2) From the "S" terminal on the starter solenoid, I have a wire going to the starter terminal on the ignition switch.
3)Now, my problem. I tried going from the ignition terminal, through a ballast resistor and to the positive on the ignition coil. When I do this, nothing happens. So, I took it off the ingition terminal on the switch and landed it on one of the ACC terminals and it starts up fine. I don't think that's how I should leave it.

I'm confused about the "R" terminal on my starter solenoid and if that should be used since I have the ballast resistor in place. Do I go from the "R" terminial, splice it to the line in on the resistor and then put the wire on my ACC back to ignition?

Hope this makes sense.
Thanks
Wyatt

[Carl48]

"R" terminal on the starter solenoid provides a source of switched A+ only when the solenoid is energized (during start). A wire should run from this terminal directly to ignition coil + (no ballast resistor here)...this bypasses the ballast resistor during starting. The ballast resistor should go between the "IGN" terminal on the ignition switch and ignition coil +...if, as you mention, this doesn't work for you, then the ignition switch is defective. btw...do not feed the ignition coil via the "ACC" terminal...with the key in the accessory position you will be providing power to the points and ignition coil when the engine is not running and risk burning them out. Good luck with your CJ-5.

[Wedodson18]

Thank you. The mistake was, I didn't have the switch mounted in the dash for my ground.

[Carl48]

Originally Posted by Wedodson18

Thank you. The mistake was, I didn't have the switch mounted in the dash for my ground.

Not exactly sure about what you meant regarding a ground for the switch...in my experience, there is no need for the ignition switch itself to be grounded.