Okay, this is pretty basic, but I just don't want to get it wrong. I'm wiring my car a little differently than stock (it's an 84 w/88 engine, see below). I have the battery in the passenger storage bin area and plenty of 2 gauge wire to use here. I'm under the impression that the positive from the battery goes directly to the starter, but than how does the rest of the system get power? I mean the lights, gauges, radio, etc.

My other thought is that there is a line coming off of the battery that goes to the system wiring (I think I saw this on my car before tearing it apart, but can't remember) and then the big wire to the starter. If this is the case, how does the starter know to take the power? I understand that when the ignition is turned to start, it cuts power to (most) everything else and only goes to one wire, but how does that wire hook up?

If you can't tell by my ramblings, I'm kinda lost on the subject. Please enlighten me here. TIA

 

Large wire (weld cable) from battery plus post to the large stud on the starter. Main system wire also to starter stud the small wire to the starter with a spade connector goes to the spade on the starter solinoide

 

The starter "knows" because there is a little wire that goes from the ignition switch down to the solenoid and "tells" the solenoid to pull in and close the circuit.

 

well since you have a optima i take it you have the side terminals too? the way i did it was use the side + for the starter and the top + routed to a 2nd gen fuse block and run the cars electrics and still used the stock fusable link as a extra back up.