Wiring the buggy...
 

This is what I came up for the battery/charging system. What do you all think?

there will also be a 150 amp circuit breaker between the battery and master disconnect.

I would probably change the hot wire to the alternator to the other side of the "master disconnect"... otherwise it will be misnamed... :D

sorry for the hijack but i have a whole case of gm weatherpack connectorsthat i probly never use that u are more than welcome to if u want them. makes for some clean wiring.

Oops! Good catch Brad.
Sending you a pm...

Rob, your pm box is full! :eek:

You want your alternator cable on the battery side like the picture. When you kill power to the buggy you want to kill the ignition and fuel. If the Single wire alternator is on the ignition and fuel side of the switch it will still power run the fuel pump and the ignition.

hey i put alternator wire on other side! lol no but i ran alt. wire to starter power to charge battery to cut down on wires.

That is the reason I put the alternator on the battery side, thinking it would still run if it was on the opposite side.

Wait... what?

Maybe I'm thinking about this disconnect differently than most... if I kill the power to the entire rig, then go to pull out the alternator to find it still hot... I would (most likely curse repeatly, and) think that the "Master Disconnect" was misnamed or faulty... This isn't the start/ignition switch, it's a safety/convenience item to kill ALL power...

Just my 2 pesos worth, I guess...

Correct. It is to kill all power but if you move the salt wire to the other side like you mentioned, the switch will not kill the engine if it is running because the alternator will be powering everything. Make sense?

Are you running a GM Alt? If so, is it a 1 wire or 3 wire?

If it is a 3 wire like mine, so long as the volt sense wire is routed to a switched source, you can "turn off" the alternator.

or get a single pole double throw style disconect..

Its a 3 wire. The switch is a 4 pole type, 2 for battery cable and 2 for alternator field. :D

I guess I never considered this "Master Disconnect" the thing to pull to turn off the engine... dash ignition/fuel switches for that?

I just can't wrap my head around the name... sorry, not trying to be a jerk... If this is a kill switch, call it a kill switch... (I would certainly look at it differently at that point) Until the entire rig is de-energized, i have a hard time with "Master Disconnect"

...fun topic though... thanks for starting it up...

The master disconnect is mainly to kill power during an emergency, like a roll over, and to kill all power when the rig is not in use. You still have a switch for ignition that controls the fuel pump and such for everyday use while on the trail. :thumbup:

Got the gauge and switch panel made. It's getting there! :thumbup:

:D Purdy!

:thumbup:

All wires are ran! Hopefully I will get to hit the starter button and see what happens in a day or two. :thumbup:

It's alive!!! :D I pushed the green button and the buggy fired right up. Not bad for sitting as long as it has. I have two small wiring issues that I need to straighten up, which I consider pretty damn good for completey custom wiring the entire thing. One is something goofy going on with the horn relay and the second is a bad led indicator light on one of my switches.

:thumbup:

Got the led and relay issues straightened out. The little Chinese kid that soldered the leads in the led used enough solder for a 2" copper coupling causing the hot side to ground out on the housing. The relay was fault. Forgot to ground it. :rolleyes:

Congrats! :D

Makes ya feel good when a plan comes together :beers: congrats now get it on the trails :evilgrin: