I screwed up somewhere!

[jscaptura1]

In trying to hook up the radio after installing Esty's new carpet (it looks awsome!), I have these wires that I can't figure out where they go.  1970 1600, 6 fuses.

One Is black and in the first picture I am pointing to where it is plugged into the ignition switch.  I mistakenly thought it was a ground wire and attached it to the ground near the heater box.  I got an unpleasant surprise when I turned the key on!  Obviously it is a hot wire and I have no clue where it goes.  I have lost the headlights, wipers, fan, fuel and temp guages as well.  Car still starts and runs fine.  There is another small gray wire that goes to the fuse box, #6,  I had that hooked into the red wire from the radio that said it need to be hooked into the fusebox.  Attached to the black wire coming out of the ignition switch I pointed to earlier is a ground strap, I am assuming one end goes to the heater box ground but no clue where the other end goes.  I have been searching but haven't come up with anything yet.   If anyone knows the mistakes I have made or where the wires go I would greatly appreciate it.  Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Joe

[jgerock]

Some of my notes from my 69 2002.

[Stevenc22]

you probably blew all your fuses. Go fix your fuses before you trouble shoot any more

[jscaptura1]

Sometimes you look past the most obvious!  I had checked the fuses and they all looked ok...so I just changed them and have everything back.  Thank you for getting my brain out of neutral.  I still am confused though.  For the life of me I can't figure out what the 1 black wire from the ignition is or the ground strap. Could it be possible that the ground strap goes from the heater box ground to another ground on the body somewhere?  

I dislike electrical work... probably because I am terrible at it!

[jscaptura1]

jg,  It appears I have all of the wires from your diagram, plus that one extra black one coming out of my switch.  

[Leucadian]

As far as I know, the ground strap on your ignition isn't stock.  All ground wires on our cars are brown...

[esty]

all you need to power a radio is power & ground...get you a $2 light tester to find the hot wire...connect that to power on the radio and connect a ground wire from a good grounding point to radio ground wire...if you want to see if one of the wires you are talking about is a ground wire, buy a $2 dollar continuity tester and test from a know ground point under the dash and the wires...be sure you have the battery disconnect, if you probe a power wire with a continuity tester, you will fry the tester

Edited June 19, 2023 by esty

[jscaptura1]

I was wondering if that ground strap was stock or not.  Esty, I have the radio powered and working, it's just that one wire off the ignition switch that's puzzling me.  BTW, the carpet looks great!

[Stevenc22]

That ground strap isnt stock. Someone who doesn't understand electricity thought they should ground the gauge cluster or something else using a ground strap. Get rid of it.

 

If that black wire is switched power (on with the ignition, off with the key out), then use it for the radio. Extend it behind the center console and just use a regular brown or green wire for the ground connection to the heat box bolt.

[jscaptura1]

If I have another power source, can I just unplug that wire from the ignition switch?  PO, some 50+ years ago, added an aftermarket rear wi dow defroster, it has been unhooked since I've had the car (1985), wondering if that's where the extra wiring came from.  Thanks!

[Stevenc22]

Is that black wire connected to anything else right now or just hanging loose right now? if it is NOT connected to anything else right now, you can just remove it completely.

[jscaptura1]

Just hanging loose.  I removed it so I didn't have a hot wire flopping around under the dash.  Thanks so much for the help, I really appreciate it!

[Mike Self]

5 hours ago, esty said:

all you need to power a radio is power & ground.

True if you have an old(er) radio--no solid state display, built in clock and with mechanical pushbuttons.  You just need a switched power source that's live when the ignition switch is in the "ignition on" position, so the radio goes off when you turn the ignition off.  

 

If you have a newer radio with electronic tuning, clock, and electronic pushbuttons for station selection, you need a second hot lead that's hot all the time, so your radio doesn't lose its memory for stations, clock time etc.  

 

Fortunately both are available at the ignition switch, or if you have a modell 71 or newer car with a pushbutton emergency flasher switch, you can use the always hot wire at that switch to power your radio's memory and clock.

 

mike

[jscaptura1]

Thanks Mike, so what I actually did was hook both power wires through the firewall, one to the fusebox #6, the other to the starter motor.  Ground is to the heater box.   Works fine.  I just wasn't aware there were extra power terminals on the ignition switch.   Have a great day!