Ignition wiring issues

[71DreamMachine]

Hey I'm needing some serious help on my wiring issues. My 71 c10 was jot wired due to a lost key but then was wired back to the best of my knowledge. Now, a couple of months later, a new battery, alternator, voltage regulator and some burnt wires. My truck is dead. It is getting 13 volts once jumped, and the alternator reads the same. The left headlight went out again which was fixed when installed the new voltage regulator. I can't find any diagram of the 7 prong ignition nor do I know exactly which wire connects to its prong. Please help as my girlfriends daily driver sits patiently.
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[VetteVet]

You need to go back and proofread your post and then slow down and give some better details about what has been done. I don't know about everyone else but I can't make head or tails out of what you are saying.

[71DreamMachine]

Sorry about that.
I have a 350 a new battery, alternator, and voltage regulator. The ignition wiring from a 7 prong ignition, was pulled apart and hotwired to move the truck from a parking lot. I put the wires back to where I thought they went and the truck was running fine. One day the battery was dead and I replaced it. I already had a brand new alternator so I slapped that on. The truck started running for a few days and then kept losing the charge. I would jump it with my 04 Silverado SS and it would lose charge over night. Then driving it home it started smoking which I later discovered that a wired from the after market radio caught fires be melted the coating off. I can get it started but it starts to die after about 3 min of idling. I need to know which wires connect to which connector on the back of the ignition switch. Maybe I'm a bad researcher but I can't find anything and the schematics look like Swahili to me. I'm in the Marine Corps and don't have a lot of time nor money to get it fixed. Thanks VetteVet.
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[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by 71DreamMachine

Sorry about that.
I have a 350 a new battery, alternator, and voltage regulator. The ignition wiring from a 7 prong ignition, was pulled apart and hotwired to move the truck from a parking lot. I put the wires back to where I thought they went and the truck was running fine. One day the battery was dead and I replaced it. I already had a brand new alternator so I slapped that on. The truck started running for a few days and then kept losing the charge. I would jump it with my 04 Silverado SS and it would lose charge over night. Then driving it home it started smoking which I later discovered that a wired from the after market radio caught fires be melted the coating off. I can get it started but it starts to die after about 3 min of idling. I need to know which wires connect to which connector on the back of the ignition switch. Maybe I'm a bad researcher but I can't find anything and the schematics look like Swahili to me. I'm in the Marine Corps and don't have a lot of time nor money to get it fixed. Thanks VetteVet.
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Much better, Thank you for your service.

so far I think I have determined that 1. Your switch is wired OK and 2. your alternator is not charging. Do you have the original external regulator or has it been converted to the newer internally regulated style? I see you bought a new regulator so I am guessing that is the external regulated alternator.

I would recommend that you get the battery charged up right away and do it on a trickle charger.

if you have access to a voltmeter the next time you have the engine running you should take a voltage reading at the large wire on the back of the alternator and to a good ground. It should read 13.5 to 14 volts dc at idle. If you read battery voltage at 12.5 then the alternator is not charging.

A dead battery combined with a non charging alternator will not run an engine for long after a jump due to too low voltage for the ignition.

The first thing to check if you get battery voltage on the alternator, is to check that the regulator is grounded to the radiator core support and there should be a ground wire going back to the alternator as well.

I'm going to leave it here until you can post back with the checks.

[71DreamMachine]

I did those things already and everything reads what it should on the voltameter. I'm pretty sure the wires aren't connected right in the switch cause I have 5 wires and 7 prongs. Purple, pink, white, red, and brownish one. The red wire has been added on to with the ken wood CD player and that is the wire that burnt. Should I replace the fuses? I still need the diagram to wire the ignition properly. I honestly was guessing when I put them back in. Also, volt gauges (both stock and aftermarket) read "0" while running and when connected (jumped) to my other truck.
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[VetteVet]

Here are some pictures that may help you .

This is the back of the key switch to compare with yours. Some models may vary. Do you have the gauge dash or the idiot light dash?



This is the ignition switch wiring shown at the top of the diagram.



This is the same diagram with the ignition switch shown at the top.



This is how the ignition switch wires run into the fuse panel and the firewall block inside the cab.



If you are getting the readings I specified then you should be charging the battery and keeping the system running. Where does the large red wire on the back of the alternator run to. Is it reading 12 volts with the key off and the engine not running. Do you get 12 volts on the brown wire at the regulator with the key on?

Have you done a battery drain check?

If your fuses are good then you don't need to replace them. Which ones are they and are the end connections clean and snug?

Your voltmeters, how are they wired in? You are not confusing the battery gauge with a voltmeter are you?

[71DreamMachine]

Thanks I will try those things and get back to you. I have a gauge in the panel and aftermarket one. I will try to upload some pics to make things a little more clear.
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[71DreamMachine]

For days it was charging while running. Once it sat it drained the battery. Just recently it started smoking in the cab and then it puttered off idle and drained completely and wouldn't start even after the battery got enough charge. Once it sits for a day I try to charge the battery and start it. It will get started and idle and this last time smoked up the whole inside can. There's a wire underneath that was added on to the red wire (I think the aftermarket stereo) and it burned all the coating off of it. Also, before I changed the voltage regulator the headlight ( left) went out and would only work on highbream. The headlight came on once I replaced the regulator. However, when I burned that wire and smoked out the cab it went out again. Now what are your thoughts? This is frustrating me.
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[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by 71DreamMachine

For days it was charging while running. Once it sat it drained the battery. Just recently it started smoking in the cab and then it puttered off idle and drained completely and wouldn't start even after the battery got enough charge. Once it sits for a day I try to charge the battery and start it. It will get started and idle and this last time smoked up the whole inside can. There's a wire underneath that was added on to the red wire (I think the aftermarket stereo) and it burned all the coating off of it. Also, before I changed the voltage regulator the headlight ( left) went out and would only work on highbream. The headlight came on once I replaced the regulator. However, when I burned that wire and smoked out the cab it went out again. Now what are your thoughts? This is frustrating me.
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Well the sensible thing is to disconnect the added red wire to the stereo. It's either shorted to ground or if it's an amplifier power wire, it's probably pulling too many amps for the wire and the ignition switch to handle. As I said earlier, you probably have a key off drain that's developed into a full blown short to ground. The red wire that the stereo was connected into is the hot wire from the battery which would make the stereo wire a key off hot wire as well, and the drain would be a key off, or on drain.

The headlight problem I suspect is a poor ground on the left headlight.
Look at the 5 wires on the left headlight connector ( It's not a GMC is it) and trace the black wire to the ground on the radiator support. Clean this up and check the low beam to see if it's working. Check the connector as well for corrosion and clean it if need be.

[71DreamMachine]

Okay so I checked everything and got the truck running. Was able to drive it about 2 miles. The cab wires didn't get hot or smoke, which is good. I did the battery drain test and there is drain somewhere. From what I understand I need to pull fuses and and check to see when the voltage drain stops. If it continues after the fuses are pulled what should I do?
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[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by 71DreamMachine

Okay so I checked everything and got the truck running. Was able to drive it about 2 miles. The cab wires didn't get hot or smoke, which is good. I did the battery drain test and there is drain somewhere. From what I understand I need to pull fuses and and check to see when the voltage drain stops. If it continues after the fuses are pulled what should I do?
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There are some common drains that are not fused through the fuse panel.
The alternator large wire, The regulator, the horn relay, interior lights and exterior lights.
Pull the alternator plug and the large wire and see if the drain goes away. Pull the regulator plug, check the horn relay if the horn if the horns are disconnected. The ground wire in the column for the horn may be touching the ground and keeping the relay energized. If the horns are connected they should blow but if some one disconnected them then the relay could still draw current.
The lights should be obvious.

[truckdude239]

More then likeyy you have a bad alt, unhook the big wire on the back and see if the batteyr drain goes away if it does i'd do the swap to a new style alternator

[71DreamMachine]

Okay. Maybe I'm not doing things right as far as checking for the drain. Am I checking for alternating current or direct current. With the negative cable disconnected and checking between the post and terminal wire AC reads 0.000. DC reads 12.76. And is consistently throughout all the parts I unplugged looking for the drain. However, with the key off, and terminals hooked up, it slowly drains approx .01 every 2 seconds. I will try to unplug the alternator and see if it goes away. Is the correct? Also, is it simple to upstage to a new style alternator? Same wiring hookups?
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[boynton]

Originally Posted by 71DreamMachine

Okay. Maybe I'm not doing things right as far as checking for the drain. Am I checking for alternating current or direct current. With the negative cable disconnected and checking between the post and terminal wire AC reads 0.000. DC reads 12.76. And is consistently throughout all the parts I unplugged looking for the drain. However, with the key off, and terminals hooked up, it slowly drains approx .01 every 2 seconds. I will try to unplug the alternator and see if it goes away. Is the correct? Also, is it simple to upstage to a new style alternator? Same wiring hookups?
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It will not be the same connections. If you switch to an internally regulated alternator then you will just have the hot (red wire) back to your battery. Depending on the alternator, it may also have a ground (black wire). This would be a simple solution if you had an alternator issue, however I agree with Vettevet that you have a grounded wire. You need to keep you battery disconnected when you are not around this truck. If you are not careful it can catch on fire. I would re-examine your ignition switch to ensure every thing is correct there since that is when your issue began. use the picture provided by Vettevet and make your ignition switch mirror his. I am assuming you have one of the hots in the wrong place on the switch which is causing it to drain/kill your battery. There is an alternator wire the runs from your ignition (brown wire) that goes to the voltage regulator. I would start there.

[71DreamMachine]

Thanks boynton, that's what my gut is telling me. However I do not have a green wire for the ground. I have a white, red, pink, purple, brown w/brown white wire.
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[boynton]

Take a good picture of what you have and post it on this thread
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[boynton]

If that is what you decide send me a pm I have the ignition switch from my old wiring harness I can sell you for cheap.
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