Skip to main content

Aloha all from Las Vegas! Been a bit busy finishing up the move but I'm back. I ran into a problem with the 5-0 pushbutton which I remember was covered here before but I could not locate the topic. When starting the car, it will not catch until the ignition switch is released, then it runs fine. A funny thing I found when my car got here from Hawaii. The tach was not working and I discovered that the tach wire was detached from the coil. It was working in Hawaii prior to shipping. Hmm was someone screwing around with my ignition wiring? I didn't have the starting problem prior to shipping either. Any suggestions before I start digging into this problem from scratch will be greatly appreciated!

Aloha,

Dennis
Last edited {1}
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I found the problem today, this
is another one for the books. The starter solenoid has two big lugs for the
battery and power cable to the starter and also two small terminals. One
terminal is the energizing wire from the ignition switch, the other had a
blue/black wire which I didn't know the origin or destination. I had always
thought that the terminal was supposed to be unused but the wire seemed a
factory item so it never concerned me.

I disconnected that wire and the car started right up the way that its
supposed to. Tracing the wire, I found that it went to the "-" pole of the
ignition coil! The wire appears to be a factory wire with terminals and
boot cover which are time period correct. It was wrapped into the wire
harness as are all factory wires. I had always assumed that the blue/black
wire at the coil side was the tach feed and was surprised to find that it
went to the starter solenoid. The tach feed wire on my car is a dark
brown. Oh well, I guess that the wiring is all different on early cars.

So basically, the blue/black wire from the solenoid was feeding the "-" coil
terminal with 12 volts! Go figure! I had never been into that part of the
car so unless the previous owner did something, that's the way it came from
the factory. The wire, terminals, boot and wrapping into the harness all
looked orignal 35 years old!
quote:
I disconnected that wire and the car started right up the way that its
supposed to.


I'm confused.
(yea, I know)

So the wiring is now how it HAD been prior to the move?

Then you found it (tach wire) lose (in troubleshooting) and connected it, giving you the trouble?

?????

Just not clear on what was wrong, what had changed, and what returned it to 'normal'.

Larry
I have never done any ignition wiring work on this car since buying it. I discovered the tach wire disconnected after the move to Vegas. I don't remember taking it off or the tach ever not working. This tach wire is not the normal black/blue wire as is on most Panteras but is a dark brown. This wire never caused any problems and the tach worked fine when I reconnected it.

The wire that caused the problem was blue and black in color and was connected from the solenoid terminal to the negative post on the ignition coil. The wire appears to be a factory wire. All of the terminals and boots look like 35 year old Ford and it was wrapped in the wiring harness. As far as I remember, it was always there and not touched by me.

The problem that I was having was the car turning over but not starting until the key was released from the start position. Once this wire was disconnected, the car started as normal. I don't know why this wire was there supplying 12v when the key was on to the negative post of the ignition coil.

I wonder if someone had attempted to hot wire the car during shipping. Anyone know of a car being wired like this?
Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×