Need help from '78 owners
 

I am having one helluva hard time sorting out the engine wiring on my '79 (made in '78). It's one of the real early ones and I have been told that it is "different". If someone with an unmolested '79 could respond to this I would really appreciate some help getting the engine bay wires hooked up correctly.

My first questions are very basic. 1) Is a group 24 the correct battery for this car or is it a 24F (poles reversed). 2) Which is the positive battery cable the black/yellow or the solid Black.

Many thanks in advance.

Herb

Corrected my mistake.

The positive is black and has a bigger connector and goes to the front. The negative is black/yellow and also has a connector that grounds on the drivers side shock tower.

As for a battery, I'm partial the Optima Red Top.

Have to disagree -
factory pics show battery with the (+) lead goes to the front of the car....

Thumbs up on the Red Tops!
:)

Stu Aull
80GS

Yes. My 6/78 car has the (+) closest to the front as well.

Just looked at my 80 SA and the + terminal it towards to the front with - at the rear. You can run it the
other way and I have before because less chance of shorting the + on the hood when closed but the
cables don't want to do it very well. Just make sure to secure the battery so if it bounces hard it won't
touch the underside of the hood and make a big spark. Could be bad but I've never heard of it
happening.

Although there were differences in the production that first year, the engine wiring and plumbing are pretty much the same.

The air conditioning switch changed and there was small equipment differences (Cali cars didn't come with a cold start assist tank and had an ERG valve, S models did not have intermittent wipers or electric hatch releases ect...) but the same harness(s) was used. Some connectors were used or not depending on what car it went in. I will confirm what the others have already said. Positive goes to the front. And if memory serves, group 24 was the battery type.

no, the original battery was a NS 70S size, or a G60-5. actually the OEM battery seems to be made by GS, YUASA, YBX3014