Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I identified the two circuits TxGoat meant by body feed wire and starter motor circuit wire on a late 20s Packard wiring diagram but your model may have slightly different wiring and connection points. In your car, what TxGoat calls body feed is actually un-named but is a lighter gauge wire which usually powers everything EXCEPT the starter motor and often goes thru an ammeter first and can have a fuse or circuit breaker after that protecting anything connected to the wire.

In later models that same separate feed wire is still present and un-named and provides the same direct battery power source to everything but there is an even lighter gauge wire coming off a fuse from that ware actually called the body feed wire. That wire powers only light duty items inside the body such as courtesy lights etc. Starters always connect direct to the battery via a heavy battery cable, in this case thru a foot operated switch but with later cars, thru a solenoid.

This drawing shows a separate terminal where the feed wire connects to the battery cable before the starter switch but I would have no idea what to have you look for. Possibly they actually did connect it to one side of the starter switch much like the later cars did which had the battery connect direct to a starter solenoid terminal and the body feed wire connect to the same terminal.

The body feed wire suggestion would NOT apply to any car with a mechanically activated starter. Most older cars with a starter solenoid take power for everything BUT the starter motor from the battery terminal on the starter solenoid. The body feed wire (by whatever name) would not likely ever see over 40 to 60 amps maximum with all lights and accessories on. On my '37 120, the body feed is connected to the battery terminal on the starter solenoid. The horn relay battery wire is also connected to the same terminal. On my car, the accessory electric fan is also connected to the same terminal. Disconnecting the body feed on my car would disable all stock equipment on the car except the horns. My car has an internally grounded starter solenoid, so the starter button and solenoid would not function with the feed wire disconnected. I see no reason why the horns could not also be put on a feed wire switch. This set up would need a switch that could handle 100 + amps, and wiring would need to kept as short as is practical and wire and terminals of appropriate size would be required. The advantage of this arrangement would be in keeping the heavy starter motor current off the disconnect switch, and it would allow more flexibility in where the disconnect switch could be located, since the switch wiring could be much smaller than otherwise and the length of the added wiring would not be as critical.

A car with a mechanically operated starter motor could have a heavy duty starter solenoid inserted in the battery cable to the starter. (NOT the ground) The solenoid could be connected to a button type switch located where-ever convenient. To start the car it would be necessary to press the button to activate the added solenoid and then press the starter pedal while holding the button. The solenoid would NOT be used with an on-off type switch, since it is NOT designed for continuous duty. A starter button would disconnect the solenoid as soon as soon as the operator released the button.

The late 20s Packard wiring shown in the post above has a foot or mechanical starter switch in the cable to the motor. Whether the starter motor only has an inertia movement type Bendix and the switch just completes the circuit to start the motor or if the foot starter switch also moves the pinion into mesh with the ring gear is unknown but unlike later cars, there is no starter solenoid on that particular model. That is why I brought up the possibility of a separate terminal someplace where the wire feeding power to the car itself can be connected to the battery cable.