1986 Blazer. Will attach picture. This is the thing with red wires going to it, on the firewall, close to the brake booster. Kind of resembles a big fuse. My '89 GMC van has one also. Some kind of junction?

Here's my problem... just recently got this truck. Previous owner had some problems with the starter and replaced/spliced in some wiring down to the starter. I was trying to straighten the mess out tonight, mostly to get it away from the exhaust manifold. Pulled on one wire, which seemed pretty loose. Wire pulls right out of the bundle... and it's CUT. Just sitting there... CUT. It's the charge wire from the alternator! Everything else he did looks pretty straight... but I'm trying to figure out what the charge wire from the alternator should connect to. Unfortunately... I'm cheating and trying to read a wiring diagram from my Chevy van manual. Long story short- wondering if this part in the attached picture is where the charge wire should connect to.

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1484115-junction.JPG (77.2 KB, 49 views)

The black diamond with the red wirs is just the primary junction block. The single wire on the left is probably from the battery, the ones on the right go out to various things like the fuse panel and things like the ignition.

I think my charge wire hooks right to the battery.

look at your alt. there should be two flat blades. long ways, with the edges toward each other. at least that is what you should have.

if both of those go to something hot, it will charge. so, worse case you can rig it that way. on the back there is a spot for another wire. large gauge. this goes to your batt as well. all to the + side.

Thanks guys. The two-flat-blade connector / wires to it look fine, it's the heavier gauge charge wire that was left cut in the bundle. Drove me nuts trying to figure out where that wire originally connected, but I guess all that really matters is that is makes it to the battery.

Man..... Chevy sure didn't give one much room to work regarding the bundle that goes down to the starter! Looks like the reason my wires are all a pulled out / rat's nest are because the insulation got charred and the guy pulled them out to wrap them in electrical tape. GETTING TO those wires, stuffing them back down in there, and somehow protecting them from engine heat (and especially exhaust heat) is going to be a trip..... any tips welcomed....

that heavy wire (coming off the back of the alt) is what gives your electric system its charge. often that wire does not go directly back to the battery, but to another point in the system that will find its way back to the hot terminal.

there are several products out there to help protect wires from heat. on your real high end (like $100) wires you get a heat shield wrapping. i got a set of those on my every day truck because i added headers.

i use that tinfoil tape on my wiring also. the kind you use to seal up hard insulation on houses. my theory is the metal tape helps to defect some of the heat. i follow that up with that plastic wire wrap. that leaves a layer of air around the wires.

so long as your wires don't touch your headers or the block they should be alright. the one thing to keep in mind is the hotter wires get, the less amps you can safely pull. thus, i aways use a higher guage wire than i need when the wire will be near a heat scource.

If you thnk you have problems, I just got a 84 Military Cucv (K5 Balzer) its got two alternaters, 12 and 24 volt systems, and blackout marker wiring, and wiring for who knows what kind of communication and stuff, then it went to a fire dept who put lights on top and changed the headlights to the alternate flashing thing, along with all the other emergency lighting. They just cut & taped thier old wirs. When I get rid of all the extra wiring my Blazer will be 500 lbs lighter!

Yeah buddy, a Chilton's manual is in your future. Most have decent wiring diagrams. Otherwise I'd head to a dealer, the service dept, the big book of wiring diagrams, and do some photo-copying.

the GM service manual may still be available. I have one for that year. It is what the dealers would have had. Covers all light trucks of that year.