Do I need a ground wire for an ignition switch? The stock grounded through the body, and I have an aftermarket switch, but the piece the switch bolts in to the dash is plastic, and I dont think it would ground.
Shouldn't need a ground. Every terminal in the switch should be isolated from grounds, and and the remainder of the switch has purely mechanical function, and not electrical.
Only if you still have the stock idit temp light in the dash. Thats how the light gets lit up when you turn the key in the start position. Its for seeeing if the bulb still functions.
Yes, you do need it. The rheostat that dims and brightens the dash lights needs it to function. IF your car has dash lights....you don't say how old it is.
Ign does not need a ground. Remember you can make all circuits work with it hanging out under the dash. Oil idiot lite uses a sender to make it work and grounds thru the bulb socket are a ground wire off the bulb socket . Same on gen idiot but no sender. If you want it grounded you can wont hurt anything. just don't use one of the spade terminals on the back as a ground.
All the switches that needed any grounding always got it through the body of the switch. I don't believe you will have a problem. All the ign switch does is direct the in coming power to the appropriate device were the ground occurs completing the circuit.
I don't know if you have found these yet, but here's a link to the '63/64 Cl***ic wiring diagrams. http://www.auto-wiring-diagram.com/...r-6-and-v8-cl***ic-and-amb***ador-part-1.html These particular ones are much easier to read than the one in the service manual! I printed both parts and taped them together to have one contiguous diagram. I just rewired my rambler and this helped immensely! ~Graham
True, Tommy, but we don't know if it's a 'gl*** car (or dashboard), those guys sneak in every once in a while!!!!!!
Yeah it could be but he was talking about an ign switch and not a light switch so as 325W said, I've started lots of hotrods with the switch just hanging by the wires while under repair. An ign sw does not need to be grounded even on a gl*** car.
Hey, I just noticed....I was talking about a light switch and the OP was asking about an ignition switch.....as Emily Litella used to say...."Nevermind"! Guess I'm a bit "off" today!
The ground in OEM ignition switches around the '70's was to ground the coil feed wire when said switch was in the lock position. This was to hinder hot wiring attempts and consequent theft.
The ground on a GM ignition switch is for Twilight Sentinel. TS shuts off by time, and it knows when to initiate shut down timing when it receives a ground signal, from the ignition switch. GM ignitions switch one terminal to ground for this feature. TS will NOT work properly without this ground. Ask me how I know... Cosmo
"Twilight Sentinel was first offered as an option on 1960 Buicks. It was later offered in Cadillac automobiles in 1964. This feature received expanded availability on selected Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet models in later years. A related feature offered on many General Motors models during the 1950s and 1960s was the Autronic Eye headlight dimming system (which did just that). Cadillac later referred to its automatic dimming system as "Guidematic Headlamp Control" which encomp***ed Twilight Sentinel and Dimming Sentinel controls." I should of looked it up before hand
I put TS in a non-GM with a GM column, but didn't see the ground wire in the diagram. Headlights stayed on, like, forever...until I grounded the ignition switch. Careful study of the wiring diagram revealed my oversight. Which would seem to indicate that putting TS in a car with any other ignition switch would be fraught with disaster. Not that any of us WANT to hide switches...but I did not have a lot of switches on the dash you see... Cosmo
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