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Old 09-06-2017, 10:59 PM   #1
72K5CSTDarkOlive
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Power remains on with ignition off

I was hoping to turn the motor over this past weekend but having an electrical issue and this one has me stumped. Spent the last week searching the board and web for any help but there doesn't seem to be any one right answer.

When I turn the ignition to either ACC or ON the power remains on even when I turn the ignition switch off and remove key. I have to disconnect the battery so it won't drain.

What I have done so far:
Disconnected alternator - power remains on
Took each fuse out one by one - power remains on
replaced ignition switch

To give you some context of what I'm working with.. here goes:

I'm using M&H complete electrical wiring harness front to back. It was converted to HEI and Internal regulated alternator. This kit is about 90% plug & play.

Grounds: 4 gauge wire from block to frame, other ground wires include frame to inner fender, frame to cab, 2 from engine valve cover to firewall, back of body to frame.

The front side marker lights, tailights, and radio stay powered on. The headlights turn on and off with the HL switch.
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Old 09-06-2017, 11:01 PM   #2
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

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Old 09-07-2017, 02:10 PM   #3
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

I suspect that you have a battery feed wire bypassing the key switch and powering the accessory part of the fuse panel. If you don't have power with the key switch off on those items before you turn the key on, then you shouldn't have it after you turn the key switch off unless the key switch is staying connected internally, but you said you've changed the key switch, so that should rule that out.

I would connect a test light or volt/ohm meter between the negative battery cable and the battery negative terminal with the key off and check for an amp draw on the 10 amp scale.

Your pictures show a stock fuse panel so I ask, do any of these fused circuits stay on when you pull their fuse. Wipers, turn signals, heater, stop/tail, radio.

The yellow wire could be the resistance bypass wire from the starter R terminal to the stock ignition coil, which you don't need with HEI. It is next to the purple solenoid S terminal wire in the harness in your pic so it might be that wire. If your harness is for the stock coil and not HEI then it would have that wire in it.

The small black wire with the fuse is for the battery gauge and there should be one where the red wire from the alternator terminates. There should be a junction in the main harness for the alternator, battery charge, alternator voltage sensing, and cab power wires all join.
your post 2 pic 1 --Why do you have a four gauge cable to the fender junction? This should be a 16 gauge fusible link for fusing the battery power only, circuits.
Your post 2 pic 3 What are the purple and red wires plugging into in the fuse panel and where do they go? Also what is the electric choke plugged into?
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Old 09-07-2017, 05:34 PM   #4
72K5CSTDarkOlive
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Thank you very much for taking the time to help out. I really appreciate it. Answer below.

Quote:
Originally Posted by VetteVet View Post
I suspect that you have a battery feed wire bypassing the key switch and powering the accessory part of the fuse panel. If you don't have power with the key switch off on those items before you turn the key on, then you shouldn't have it after you turn the key switch off unless the key switch is staying connected internally, but you said you've changed the key switch, so that should rule that out.

I would connect a test light or volt/ohm meter between the negative battery cable and the battery negative terminal with the key off and check for an amp draw on the 10 amp scale.

I will have to go to the store and get one since I don't own one.

Your pictures show a stock fuse panel so I ask, do any of these fused circuits stay on when you pull their fuse. Wipers, turn signals, heater, stop/tail, radio.

Turn signal, stop, tail light turn off
The radio remains on
wiper doesn't turn on whether ignition is ON/Off l. (i don't have the arm connected but don't think this would make a difference?)
Heater doesn't turn on whether ignition is ON/OFF

The yellow wire could be the resistance bypass wire from the starter R terminal to the stock ignition coil, which you don't need with HEI. It is next to the purple solenoid S terminal wire in the harness in your pic so it might be that wire. If your harness is for the stock coil and not HEI then it would have that wire in it.

I've disconnected the yellow wire from starter and have same results.

The small black wire with the fuse is for the battery gauge and there should be one where the red wire from the alternator terminates. There should be a junction in the main harness for the alternator, battery charge, alternator voltage sensing, and cab power wires all join.

Sorry, I am very new to this so I'm not sure if I understand correctly. Where would this junction in the main harness be located if I had one?

your post 2 pic 1 --Why do you have a four gauge cable to the fender junction? This should be a 16 gauge fusible link for fusing the battery power only, circuits.
No reason other then a recommendation from someone. I have 16 gauge wire and will swap this out. Could this be part of the reason?

Your post 2 pic 3 What are the purple and red wires plugging into in the fuse panel and where do they go? Also what is the electric choke plugged into?
purple and red wire are for seat warmers that need to plug into a 12V source so i am using the HEI connector coming off the HEI wire in the fuse panel. Electric choke is connected to IGN unfused. I believe there are two of these?
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Old 09-07-2017, 07:11 PM   #5
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

I would connect a test light or volt/ohm meter between the negative battery cable and the battery negative terminal with the key off and check for an amp draw on the 10 amp scale.


It's only drawing 4.75 amps.
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Old 09-07-2017, 07:37 PM   #6
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Update..

Radio, AC/Heater, Wiper Motor, Headlights, seat warmers - powers on when Ignition switch is set to ON or ACC and powers off when Ignition switch is switched to off.

The front side markers and tail lights are the only thing that stays on. The rear side markers, reverse lights, and parking brake lights don't come on at all. The rear harness and Intermediate kit from M&H is all plug and go so I'm not sure what's going on there.. All you need to do is ground the two black wires behind the rear side marker.
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Old 09-07-2017, 09:50 PM   #7
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Quote:
Originally Posted by 72K5CSTDarkOlive View Post
I would connect a test light or volt/ohm meter between the negative battery cable and the battery negative terminal with the key off and check for an amp draw on the 10 amp scale.


It's only drawing 4.75 amps.
You should be drawing less than .004 amps or 4 milliamps

This means that something is on and drawing current. So you have power on even before you turn on the key. which is probably the lights that must be getting current from the battery all the time.

I don't know if you meant that your tach and HEI wires are both plugged into the other IGN-Unfused terminal or not but only the HEI wire goes to ignition power, the tach wire from the tach goes to the ignition coil in the distributor
unless you mean it's the tach light wire and the tach power wire.
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Old 09-07-2017, 10:49 PM   #8
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Quote:
Originally Posted by VetteVet View Post
You should be drawing less than .004 amps or 4 milliamps

This means that something is on and drawing current. So you have power on even before you turn on the key. which is probably the lights that must be getting current from the battery all the time.

I don't know if you meant that your tach and HEI wires are both plugged into the other IGN-Unfused terminal or not but only the HEI wire goes to ignition power, the tach wire from the tach goes to the ignition coil in the distributor
unless you mean it's the tach light wire and the tach power wire.

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you. I took some pics to clarify how I have it routed.

The tach harness has two wires (brown & pink)

The plug that goes into the back of the dash cluster, I have the pink wire (12V) going to the Ign Unfused and the brown wire (Coil) connected to the "tach" on distributor.

The other Pink wire going into marked "battery" on distributor is coming from the engine wire harness which leads back to the fuse panel. I'm not sure where exactly tho
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Old 09-08-2017, 12:05 AM   #9
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

When Ignition is On and I pull the headlamp switch out.. The headlights and rear side markers come on and the front side markers turn off.
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Old 09-08-2017, 12:53 AM   #10
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Quote:
Originally Posted by 72K5CSTDarkOlive View Post
When Ignition is On and I pull the headlamp switch out.. The headlights and rear side markers come on and the front side markers turn off.
You shouldn't need the key on for the headlights or all four side markers. It sound like your markers and front turn signals are wired wrong.
Here is a diagram for them. I think there is a different one for the front marker/turn lamps.



Name:  67 to 72 marker lights.jpg
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Size:  37.7 KB


Here it is in PDF.

turn signal marker.pdf
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Old 09-08-2017, 01:09 AM   #11
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

I had your tach wiring figured out by the time you posted. Most guys do it this way but there are other ways to do it.

Here is a diagram of a way to wire up an updated electrical system using a distribution block (junction block) with fuse wires for all the electrical loads.
It also has relays for the headlights and the cooling fans.
You could use relays for the seat heaters as well, in fact you should since you're using the IGN UNfused terminals for the HEI distributor. You want as much voltage as possible to go to the distributor as close to 12 volts as you can get.

Ignore the auxilary battery but note the 8 gauge wire feed from the alternator to handle the increased current you may draw.

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Old 09-08-2017, 11:50 AM   #12
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Quote:
Originally Posted by VetteVet View Post
You shouldn't need the key on for the headlights or all four side markers. It sound like your markers and front turn signals are wired wrong.
Here is a diagram for them. I think there is a different one for the front marker/turn lamps.



Attachment 1688365


Here it is in PDF.

Attachment 1688367
Thank you for sharing this. I will take a look through all of this today and see what I come up with.
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Old 09-08-2017, 06:51 PM   #13
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Found the culprit.

The darn brake light switch was staying activated. I disconnected it and there is no more amp draws from the battery. The brake light switch wasn't plunging in so I'm not sure why it was being activated. I'll try cleaning it to see if that helps and if not I'll just order a new one.

All switches seem to be in working order now. ow it's time to turn this motor over.
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Old 09-08-2017, 11:15 PM   #14
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Re: Power remains on with ignition off

Whew!!!!
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