To start and run a vintage car, you need only four wires—three for the starter and one for the coil. To recap: Thick, red wire from battery positive to threaded post on the starter motor. It can be a jumper cable, but if you need to move the car, a secured battery cable is much better.

What does the small wire on a starter do?

That is the wire that turns on the starter solenoid, this wire comes from your ignition switch. So if that wire has no power when you turn the key, something in your ignition switch circuit is defective.

What are the wires called that connect to the starter?

The negative (ground) cable connects the negative - battery terminal to the engine cylinder block, or transmission, close to the starter. The positive cable connects the positive + battery terminal to the starter solenoid.

What happens if you hook a starter up backwards?

When reversing the wires, most starters change the fields to cause the motor to spin in the same direction. It is difficult to connect the positive wire from the battery to the negative of the starter, so you have to make a short circuit.

How do you align a starter?

1:527:36How to Properly Shim a Starter - YouTubeYouTube

What does the R mean on a starter solenoid?

The R terminal is hooked up to a yellow wire which leads to the coil, which supplies additional battery voltage to the coil ONLY WHEN THE STARTER IS TURNING. This is important, because it tells us what the label R means. The R terminal is a RELAY terminal, which is switched on and off by another circuit.

What happens if you connect wrong wires?

But heres the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work but the polarity will be backward. When this happens, a lamp, for example, will have its bulb socket sleeve energized rather than the little tab inside the socket.

Can a starter be misaligned?

If the replacement starter spins freely, a possible cause could be misalignment of the new starter, with the pinion not meshing with the flywheel ring gear. Check and realign as needed. Another problem could be that either the pinion or the ring gear might have broken teeth.

How do I know if I need to shim my starter?

1:197:36How To Shim A Starter - EricTheCarGuy - YouTubeYouTube