Noob needs help =) Wiring to battery and alternator questions.

[rtrdpenguin]

Well I haven't really introduced myself or anything... I was planning on doing that when I finished my car. It's an 89 turbo and long story short, I swapped the old blown 7mge for a 7mgte with MHG, head studs, ddp, new radiator, and various other goodies and am redoing the interior in black. Paint for the car is in the future too, but I want to get it running first.

Problem is, this is my first car and the first time I've done anything like this and as a result, I am stuck. I've gotten along using the TSRM and searching for info on this site (many thanks to everyone here, I've actually managed to find everything I need up to this point!) but now I seem to have hit a wall.

The problem I'm dealing with at the moment is wiring. Everything else is ready to go and if the wiring were correct, the car should start. However, when I turn the key to the "on" position nothing lights up, nothing electrical works, and the car of course does not start. I've got a few connectors that I still can't figure out, and I was hoping someone would be able to help me identify them.

This one boxed in red is giving me a headache. I can't find anything that matches it anywhere on the car, let alone within reach of the connector.

This is part of the hackjob the previous owner did with the wiring... I assume this goes to the positive terminal on the battery because it goes to the fusebox and on the TEWD it looks like it splits off to the alternator and some other things, but I'm not too sure.

And the alternator. I think the reason I'm not getting any power anywhere in the car is associated with me miswiring the alternator and battery.

When I got the engine (JDM import) the entire engine harness was cut. On the alternator there was a 3-prong round plug in the back and the ring terminal on the "b post" on the top, and what seemed to be a ground. I have removed the cut off plugs and inserted the plugs from the new harness but I am no longer sure the random black wire was a ground.

I replaced the one I thought was a ground with a new thicker ground wire (The big red one) but am now thinking it might possibly be connected to the positive terminal of the battery or is unneeded because I cannot find an alternator ground on any diagrams and nothing is getting power when I turn the key.


I guess my main question is how do you wire up the battery and alternator to the car? I'm sorry for all the text I've typed but I'm not exactly great at describing things =\

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

 

[jetjock]

You have that big red wire on the alternator going to ground? That's gonna be interesting. The alternator is grounded by it's mounting.

The plug looks to be for the one of the AC relays under the fuse box.

Just wire everything according to the book. Guaranteed to work.

 

[rtrdpenguin]

Yeah, it didn't seem to do anything when I used the red wire as a ground. I can't seem to figure out what it would go to though, all I know is that there was a wire there cut off when I got it. The blue wire that goes to a big white one though, that does go to the positive then? It looks like it from diagrams but I don't have much electrical experience and am not sure enough to put it on my battery without some sort of confirmation =) Thanks!

 

[donnys90T]

If you look here:

http://tinyurl.com/35omco

you'll see the white wire is the main feed for everything after going through the FL 2.0L fusible link. It appears to be missing. Maybe why he jury rigged it with a smaller wire. If I were you I'd go for it. Then again I'm not you and would do something else entirely .

Just be sure the B terminal on the alternator isn't connected directly to ground before you try it. Get power into the car first and worry about any charging system issues later.

 

[jetjock]

^ What he said

 

[rtrdpenguin]

Ah, thanks much! I was just kind of worried about putting anything on the positive terminal of the battery without being sure it went there in the first place. I shall go try it once it's light outside tomorrow and probably replace that tiny wire with something more sturdy.

P.S. Is it bad that I tried turning the car on once already with the B terminal connected to the ground?

 

[rtrdpenguin]

EDIT:
All right, got it working! Apparently I hooked up a connector wrong in the fuse boxes under the driver's side of the dash and had the taillight plug in something else so everything was messed up. Thanks everyone, I think the charging system is working fine too!

Er... I fixed the power source I think, but something is very wrong.

When I hook the battery up according to the diagram (I'm pretty sure it's correct now) there's some clicking around near the turbo side of the engine bay, and three lights on my dash come on.

This is all with no key in the ignition! The lights are the handbrake light, the radiator birdcage light, and something off to the side I cannot remember. When I disconnect the handbrake wire the light stays on

I unplugged the big plug of the ignition and tested the connectors for power and #4, 8, and 1 tested positive.

According to this page of the TSRM, it seems my car is halfway starting itself when the ignition is on "lock"!
http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Library/TSRM/MK3/manual.aspx?Section=BE&P=15

I don't think I have anything connected wrong on the harness anymore but it is dark outside again so I'll have to go over it tomorrow after school. Has anyone else ever experienced their car automatically trying to start when the battery is connected?