I am getting large arching, like welding, when touching the positive terminal to the battery.

There are three wires total on the connector to the battery. Does anyone
have a factory six wiring diagram?

Any ideas?

Thank You

G

Here's what I have.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

iirc, 3 wires. . 1 feeds the power tie point above the fuse tray, which then branches out to go to all power consumers, via fuses and switches.
2nd wire goes to the relay panel by the oil tank for the rear window defroster relay. . last wire goes to the starter solenoid and ties to the alternator. .

At this point, don't reconnect the positive bat. cable until you locate and ID the circuit creating the short to ground.

With the positive cable disconnected, connect an ohmmeter to the positive cable. A good circuit path shouldn't show any continuity leading up to the load. Since there's a short in one of the three main harnesses, the meter will indicate continuity to ground.

From here, it's a matter of isolating the circuit harness/wire that contains the short to ground. After isolating the offending harness, continue disconnecting connectors to the various loads and/or pull each fuse in turn and recheck. In addition, wiggle the harness at various locations in case it's a bare wire touching ground (instead of a faulty load). By any chance, has there been any recent collision damage?

Sherwood

Thanks Sherwood!

No accidents since 1974.

I get the ohm meter out.

Was trying to attend coffee and cars this month.


Gene

Thank You All!

I separated the positive wires at the terminal. The dead short is in the wire
going to the Starter HOWEVER My stock six does not have two wires running to the starter. The schematic shows a wire from the starter to the alternator which on
my car isn't there.

Ideas?

Thanks Again.


Gene

Thank You All!

I separated the positive wires at the terminal. The dead short is in the wire
going to the Starter HOWEVER My stock six does not have two wires running to the starter. The schematic shows a wire from the starter to the alternator which on my car isn't there.
The hot lead has continuity to ground even with the wire removed from the starter.

Ideas?

Thanks Again.


Gene

Sounds like you have a short in the wire that leads directly from the battery to the starter.
It probably got really hot and the insulation melted somewhere.
This can happen if the ignition switch sticks and leaves the starter engaged while the engine runs
Should be easy to find, the whole cable is only about 5 feet long.

I don't have any advice about the wiring.

Only this about connecting the battery. The positive terminal should be connected. The negative terminal should be the one you connect and disconnect.

When connecting wires to the battery, ALWAYS connect the positive first, then the negative.

When disconnecting wires from the battery, ALWAYS disconnect the negative first, then the positive.

Connecting the battery:
Reasoning is if you connect the negative first, then the positive, you run the risk of shorting the positive terminal to the chassis with your wrench as you tighten the positive terminal. The negative terminal is connected to chassis and you may weld your wrench to the chassis or battery. If you connect the positive first with negative unconnected, if you touch your wrench between positive terminal and chassis, there is no path back to the battery.

100%

However this wont save you when you are tightening the velocity stack holddown nuts on Weber 40 IDFs on the battery side of the engine.
And the wrench rotates perfectly to touch the POS battery terminal.

My son did this while I watched from the driver's side.
The wrench touched the terminal, spark, and my son let go and looked up at me to do something....
I just said : THERES NO SWTICH , KNOCK IT LOOSE
By the time I ran around the car and knocked it loose, the wrench was glowing red hot.
And all of that current was going through a carb full of fuel....

You should have a thick red cable between the starter and alternator. Has your car been modified in this respect?

I do have the thick cable. The schematic above show two wires at the starter, I only
have one. My car is a 1971 factory six.

Does anyone have a copy of the 914 6 wiring diagram I could get a copy off.
The one above is hard for me to read.

G

As far as I know it's bone stock. Others agree.

I have the thick cable. The schematic indicates another wire running from the starter to the alternator that is not there. I wonder if there is a difference
between 71 and 70.

Another mystery to be solved.

Thank YOU

I know that in the -4 cars, there is a large wire that runs from the alternator to the starter, going on the same terminal as the fat cable to the battery. That is the charging path; the alternator puts out voltage on that large wire, which then goes through the fat cable to the battery (+) post. I would be somewhat surprised if the -6 did not work the same way.

The large wire on the -4 cars is red, and has a ring terminal on the end. The ring is large enough to fit over the stud on the alternator that the thick starter cable also fits over.

--DD

Click on this and down load it:

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Clearly something is amiss. I only have the cable from batt. to starter.

I'll spend more time under and over the car. Will report back.

Again THANKS

Gene

Dave,

Thanks. I do have two wires to the starter. In the wiring loom they share the
same insulation which fooled me.

With the battery side of the wire to the starter disconnected the wires at the starter
have continuity to ground. It would appear that the alternator has a short?
Some progress. I wouldn't think the wire from the alternator should go to ground.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Gene

You separated them from the battery end, now disconnect them from the starter end and check them all again.

"Have continuity to ground" can mean different things.
What is the resistance?

The starter has been disconnected. The cable from the alternator is in the loom joined at the connector to the starter.

What resistance? between what points? I can't get to the alternator without taking intake, carbs and shroud off, which I figure is the next step.

Suggestions?

Thanks