<VV> Fwd: Resistor Wire Question/answer

[Sethracer at aol.com]

Bill - I will attempt an explanation. The coil need 12 volts while cranking 
 - trying to start - but only about 9 volts to run, once it is running. But 
Chevy  decided to save money and only run one wire to the "Hot" side of the 
coil.  What voltage feeds the other end of that wire is what sends either 
12 volts  or 9 volts from the system. The starter solenoid, when activated by 
the ignition  switch does three things. First, and most importantly, it 
rams the gear on the  end of the starter into the ring gear - That's the click 
you hear - independent  of the cranking - when the battery has just enough 
juice to engage the starter,  but not enough to crank the motor over. The 
second thing the solenoid does is  connect the thick lead from the battery to 
the crank terminal on the starter  motor, that is what turns the starter and 
cranks the now engaged flywheel. The  third thing the solenoid does is to 
connect that same HD battery cable 12V power  to the hot side of the ignition 
coil. That wire to the coil's hot side comes  from the terminal on the 
starter feed terminal, on the left side of the engine  compartment. It is easy to 
spot, even inside the connector, because it also has  a second wire crimped 
to it. This second wire is the resistance wire that will  supply the 9 
volts, when the engine stops cranking. Since the solenoid is now  deactivated, 
the wire is now feeding the coil only this voltage, the 9V coming  through 
the resistance wire. The resistance wire, a braided fabric coated wire,  
travels about half the way toward the coils location, makes a U-turn (inside the  
harness) and comes out of the harness to plug into the engine harness 
connector,  where it feeds into main body harness. 
So when the engine is running the, 12 Volts from the ignition switch  
travels to the back of the car, through the resistance wire, to the crimped wire  
on the starter connector, and up the copper wire there to the coil hot 
side.  While it is cranking, the solenoid feeds a full 12 Volts to that same 
terminal,  to give the coil a bit more juice. 

Is that  better Bill? - The resistance wire is mostly hidden from view, 
wrapped up  inside the engine harness. 

Questions? - Seth