Ignition wiring question

Deadguy · Post by **Deadguy** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:42 pm

I recently put in a new, 3 post keyed ignition. I have an in cab heater, and that I have running to the accessory post. The ignition line off the spider harness for my dash gauges, I will also run to the accessory line. Should everything else go to the "on" post? So I'm not sending power to the coil when the engine isn't running? The third "off" post, I assume I hook up the constant power from the battery to. Does anyone know where this comes from? As in, what line I should use?

Post by **wesk** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:29 am

Before ten folks throw out 10 guesses lets see a photo of the back of your switch.

Keep in mind we are dealing with a military vehicle wiring and in most cases the wires are all BLACK but they do have numbers on them. So if you look at the wiring diagram for your jeep and narrow your focus to the on/off switch (master switch) you only need to attach the wires that currently connect to the military switch to your switch. The military switch and your switch should both be simple on/off switches. If you bought a switch with more functions (positions) then that then let us know. Of course this assumes you are staying stock 24 volt and your starter has to be kicked to start.

Deadguy · Post by **Deadguy** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 2:49 am

It's 3 position, and I emailed the guy who sold me the jeep, to try and find out which is which. We are only talking about three wires here, and a fourth from the heater. I know which is the heater wire, and I have a new line out from the instruments in my correct 5 wire spider harness thanks to John from Midwest Military. I just need to figure out with is the line in from the starter (which would be easy, if the harness didn't have points where several wires join together), which is the distributor wire, and which wire was serving as the instrument wire, since it wasn't part of the spider harness!

Post by **wesk** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:41 pm

As I have already said unless you post a photo and / or a drawing of what you actually have for wires then any help from here is a shot in the dark. My best advice for you is to settle down in a quiet place with a large blowup and printed copy of the stock wiring diagram and then get serious and really study your jeep's wiring and follow each wire and label it. Once you have made an honest accounting of all your wires against the stock diagram and added any additional wires you had to the stock diagram you will have a very good working copy of what your jeep's wiring really is.

Being intimately familiar with your own jeeps wiring will save you a lot of time and money then next few years. Wiring is much like engine noises. It is virtually impossible to trouble shoot over the phone or internet by word description.