Cutoff switch, alternator relay?

[RIXXX93GT]

Okay so my car runs on when I hit my cut off switch, i hear I need soe sort of relay switch for the alternator? Can anyone shed some light on this part and how its wired into the system? I am using a flaming river big switch.

[Chris Fillyaw]

You should have connected the output of the alternator directly to the battery positive terminal.

[mpk1996]

you can do as chirs says or (which is the same thing in effect) connect the alt output to the side of the cutoff switch that the pos bat is on. that might be the easiest way for you, since you probably have it to the other side of the cutoff switch, so you can just switch posts.

[RIXXX93GT]

Let me get this straight. I should put the cable from the battery and the alternator cable on the same post. thats how I have it now.

Heres how it is wired. Pos from battery to side "a" along with alt output. Pos to starter solenoid on side "b". With car off I can flip the switch and all lights go out and car wont start, with car on it doesnt matter where the switch is it keeps on runnin. I checked that when I flip the switch it shuts off voltage to the other side unless its running and then it still gets the voltage. Even with the alt output completely off. So where is it getting its juice from?

[Sixty feet]

alternator output wires directly to battery(+) ONLY , another wire then goes from battery(+) directly to one side of the cutoff switch. Battery and alternator outputs(the only two sources of electrical power) are then both on the same side of the switch.Then , from the other side of the switch , run another (large) wire to your electrical distribution . When you turn the switch "off" ,then you will have isolated both sources from the entire electrical system.....(I hope I got that right:D )...Are you sure that you dont have any other wires tapped onto the alternator?

[DING]

Painless makes a solenoid to stop alt feedback. Summit sells them part#
PRF-50105. Do it right. If there is a spike in power and your shutoff switch welds closed you wont be able to shut the car down in an emergency.

[Chris Fillyaw]

Acutally, using the alternator kill switch is very hard on alternators. Instantly open circuiting the output of the alternator reaks havoc on every piece of silicon in the voltage regulator and rectifier. It is not a solution in my book.

[lightsout]

the relay is the way to go,but you are shutting power off on batt side and alt side,where is your regulator wire going to this is the one that needs to be killed are the alt keeps suplying power.does it still get key on power from the ignition?

[Sixty feet]

ok guys , you're right , using a solenoid would be better , ..but hard on parts? , I would probably just use the key in the column to kill the ignition :rolleyes: 99.999999 and 44/100ths of the time....the master switch is for emergencies right?....just being silly , sorry:D

[Sixty feet]

Acutally, using the alternator kill switch is very hard on alternators. Instantly open circuiting the output of the alternator reaks havoc on every piece of silicon in the voltage regulator and rectifier. It is not a solution in my book.
Anyway , what EMERGENCY master kill switch , which has to instantly kill the car(thats the rules) , will be easy on the alternator?:confused: another question (not sarcastic) , if he runs the alternator wire to ONLY the "a" side of the master swich , and to nothing else , how can he still be getting ignition power?...I honestly don't know if this is possible or not , anyone?

[Chris Fillyaw]

Unfortunately, when you go the tech, they always like to play with the switch. So it is good to gracefully shut things down.

By having the alternator directly connected to the battery, it will more gradually die off. Still extremely quick, but everything else is disconnected so it doesn't matter.

There are other tricks you can play by messing with the field signals, but just connecting the alternator right to the battery works great and I always do it on the cars I wire up.

[Chris Fillyaw]

I sent RIXXX93GT over a diagram that shows how to wire everything up. I have gave it out and a lot of people said it was very helpful.

Wire up accordingly and everything will work out fine without any problems and will always pass tech.

[RIXXX93GT]

Thanks for the diagram Chris but that is how mine is wired. I must be getting voltage back through the starter solenoid somehow from the alternator. Do other wires from the alternator go to the starter solenoid? I may be crazy but could it have something to do with the two large gage black wires on the back of the alternator? I upgraded the alt awhile back, maybe I was supposed to splice these wires? If you havent guessed electronics isnt my strong suit...LOL.:o Thanks for everyones help so far.

[runum50]

Chris, could I get a copy of your wiring diagram? After reading this forum, I am starting to wonder if mine is wired correctly. Thanks.

[FX331]

or post it up, I'd like to take a look to.
rbatha@tts.bwauto.com

thanks!

[Chris Fillyaw]

If somebody can host it for me. I used those free sites and they always delete it after awhile.

[Sixty feet]

If the only 2 sources of 12 volt power in your car are first going through the cut off switch , before they go anywhere else , THE CAR WILL NOT RUN if the switch is off.

[Dedpedal]

I dont know if this is right but I know it works. My MSD is wired to the dead side of the switch. When the cutoff is pushed, it kills the ignitioin annd the car dies just like cutting it off at the key switch, however, the only place that has 12 volts is the cable from the pos terminal to the switch itself. less chance of a wire shorting out in a crash.

[RIXXX93GT]

Okay let me ask this, the two larger gage wires I think they are black with orange stripe that are on the back of the alternator, are they routed to the starter relay and could that be where the 12 volts is coming from, back thru the relay and making the cut off switch useless? I upgraded the alt and ran a new 2 gage line to the alt it goes all the way back to the switch but I unhooked this and still get 12volts. It seems it would have to be coming through the relay and maybe I was supposed to cut thos wires on the back of the alt?

[Chris Fillyaw]

Those black and orange wires, what did you do with them. They are the output wires from the stock alternator.

When you did the alt. upgrade, what alternator did you go with and how did you wire it up?

[RIXXX93GT]

They are still intact and on the same post as the 2 gage wire I added. Something tells me I should have cut these?

[Chris Fillyaw]

Those black/orange wires connect to the starter solenoid and then run to the plug that plugged into the alternator. Where is that plug now?

For a 3g alternator upgrade, I remove all those black/orange wires along with the fusible link because that plug that goes to the stock alternator is no longer needed.

[RIXXX93GT]

The two black orange stripe wires are currently hooked to the same post as the large 2 gage charge wire I added. I assume the two black and orange stripe wires run over to the starter relay on the opposit fender. The 2 gage runs thru a 125 amp fuse and then back to the cut off switch in the hatch. I am guessing I should have not connected the two black and orange stripe wires back o the alternator as this is feeding 12-14 volts to the starter relay and passing thru the posative cable running from the switch rendering it useless when the car is runing. Sound right? If I disconnect these original black and orange wires from the alt and heat shrink them closed but leave them hooked on the other end to the relay will that make it all better?

[Sixty feet]

:rolleyes: If the only 2 sources of 12 volt power in your car are first going through the cut off switch , before they go anywhere else , THE CAR WILL NOT RUN if the switch is off.

[Sixty feet]

rixxxgt - I got an email notification that you had replied to my last post , I don't know why its not on here now(?) ..anyway , YES , I DO UNDERSTAND , AND IF YOU WILL TAKE WHAT I AM SAYING AS LITERAL , (DO NOT HOOK ANY WIRES , COMING FROM THE ALTERNATOR , TO ANYTHING EXCEPT SIDE "A" OF YOUR CUTOFF SWITCH AND YOUR BATTERY) , THEN THERES NO WAY ON EARTH THAT THE CAR WILL RUN. you must get all of your cars electrical needs from the other side of the switch

[RIXXX93GT]

Yea I deleted the message because I realized it came off as a smart remark. No disrespect intended. i am just getting frustrated.
I know why it isnt working.
I know I need to get rid of the other voltage feed going to the starter relay because it is feeding back thru the pos cable to the other side of my switch.
I just want to be sure when I remove the other alt wire it isnt going to cause any other problems( read something about voltage sensing doohicky). I will take it off tmorrow and test it out.

[RIXXX93GT]

Well that was the fix. Took the old charge wires off and presto the cutoff switch is operational. Thanks for all your help guys.;)

[Sixty feet]

cool:D