Power and Ground Distribution: Description and Operation

Electrical power for the car is provided by the Generator when the engine is running. The schematic diagram shows how each circuit gets its power. For more detail about the Generator, and connections to the Battery and Starter, see Starter and Charging System.
The car's Power Distribution system consists of Fusible Links, Fuses, Circuit Breakers, and the Ignition Switch. Fusible Links are short pieces of wire several sizes smaller than the circuit to which they supply power. They are covered with a special high-temperature insulation. When conducting too high a current, they will melt and stop current flow, They are designed to protect the car's electrical system from electrical shorts that are not protected by the Circuit Breakers and Fuses. See Fuse Block Details for complete wiring to the first component in each circuit.
The Ignition Switch has six positions, five of which have detents. The BULB TEST position is after the RUN position and just before the START position. BULB TEST does not have a detent.
As shown in the schematic, circuits which are supplied from the Ignition Switch are ON (hot) for different switch positions. The hot bar at the top of each schematic states when the fuse is hot according to the position of the Ignition Switch.