![[Datsun 1200 encyclopedia]](/wiki/upload/wiki.png)
Revision as of 05:58, 29 December 2006
Datsun 1200 wiring is relatively uncomplicated.
WARNING: Wire colors can vary by year, model and country. Please double-check the wiring in your Datsun 1200 before connecting parts according to this article. You don't want to burn something up! Use a voltmeter or test light to confirm the circuit behavior.
Contents |
Wire color codes
| B | Black |
| W | White |
| R | Red |
| Y | Yellow |
| G | Green |
| L | Blue |
BW - Black wire with White stripe
Battery & Main Wiring
Battery has two wires, of course:
- Positive (+). Stock cable is RED. This connects directly to the starter's large connector. A smaller wire runs bout six inches from the terminal to the Fusible Link. See below.
- Negative (-, aka earth/ground). Stock cable is BLACK with Yellow stripe. It connects directly to the engine block at the oil pump. The engine end of this cable also has a smaller black wire. This is the main body ground and connects to the body at the Horn bolt</ul>
Main Wiring
There are two important main wires:
- body ground wire. This goes from the engine end of the Negative battery cable to the body. It's bolted down at the horn bolt. Without this weird problems can happen.
- Red wire at battery '+' terminal. This connects to the Fusible Link ("Main Fuse") about six inches from the battery
WARNING: Do not replace fusible link with a solid wire, or you risk burning up the entire wiring system ... If the fuse blows, figure out why before replacing it. Was there a short in the system, or did it simply overheat due to corroded contacts?
Use a "FUL 0.5mm2" or better fuse-link. This goes between the battery and the main wiring harness (which also feeds the Alternator output "A" terminal)
Improvements
- Relocating battery to back of car. Advantages:
- Make room in engine compartment
- Balance weight of car
- 1200s are nose-heavy, so moving the 28-40 lb battery to the back helps. You need heavy-gauge cable, larger than stock due to the long lenght. Buy a kit with a sealed box, so fumes don't enter car
- Installing a modern new-fangled ground wire "System". There are two opinions:
AFRacer:
The grounding wire kits that people are putting on newer cars DO help out, and in many cases add power! I was a nonbeliever at first until I saw them used and they did add power and when I tore apart my 180SX I understood why it would add power. There are LOTS of electrical parts on newer cars, especially with EFI and distributorless ignitions ...
read moreddgonzal:
You've seen the ads where you install many grounds wires all over the car, sometimes using 'gold' connectors. They don't add horsepower. Not even new cars use this. There are advantages: They do make troubleshooting extremly complex wiring (like in a Mercedes with 47 computers) easier. My advice is don't waste your money on this.[edit:] After reading AFRacer's report above, I wonder if the B110 simply needs a better ground wire. The unibody is a large conductor so there is no problem there, but the stock ground wire is 1) kinda small and 2) in a place where corrosion can cause problems. Try using a thicker wire, grounding the battery and engine to the unibody in a better way (use a thick wire and good connections).
</blockquote>
Alternator Upgrade
Alternator Comparison & swap info
Internal Regulator Alternator
If you install a newer Datsun alternator with internal-regulator:
- disconnect the voltage regulator
- On the B110 regulator harness that goes down to the engine, connect WB wire of connector to WR wire of connector:
- WR <--> WB
-
wiring jumper
- Logically, you are connecting the "L" (Light) of new alternator to "L" (Light) of the wiring harness. Be sure to use the original Datsun 1200 wiring harnesses. Only one jumper wire is needed.
wiring diagram
More Swaps
Ford Falcon EA Alternator
Bosch of Australia internal-regulated Alternator
Chrysler alternator upgrade on Yahoo! Clubs Datsun 210
Alternator tension rod makes adjustments easy