Some wiring help

joestram · July 08, 2012, 09:20:17 PM

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if someone can assist with identifying these cables.

The first one is behind the tacho cluster - I have marked the three cut wires. I am assuming the 2 yellowish ones connect together. There is also a missing wire in the tacho connector - is this normal?

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae138/joestram/Tacho.jpg

This is the next wire - it looks like someone has cut it to connect the white cable that connect to another wire. I was just wondering what this yellow wire is for.

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae138/joestram/EngineBay.jpg

Thanks

Joe

Cool Jesus · July 08, 2012, 10:28:09 PM

Quote from: joestram on July 08, 2012, 09:20:17 PM

This is the next wire - it looks like someone has cut it to connect the white cable that connect to another wire. I was just wondering what this yellow wire is for.

You forgot to mention where this mystery wire is located?

Cool Jesus · July 08, 2012, 10:44:32 PM

the yellowish wire looks to be the brake warning light

joestram · July 08, 2012, 11:11:31 PM

Thanks for that mate.

The yellow wire is in the engine bay just in the top corner near where the bonnet bolts onto the body.

I am pretty sure the brake lights work.

Cool Jesus · July 09, 2012, 12:44:29 PM

Sorry, it's the brake warning light in the cluster. Not the tail lights, it should be connected to the handbrake switch and brake master cylinder. Although the colour is different to the diagrams supplied, that position is for the warning light. Simple way to check is to pull hand brake on and brake warning light should come on in the instrument cluster. I'll keep scratching my head over these other wires unless another member can identify them for you.

Alan Hopla · July 09, 2012, 08:53:15 PM

Looking at the wiring diagrams, the yellow wire in the engine could be the parkers.
These show as Yellow to one side front and back, and Yellow & Black the other.

I think that you will find that the warning light in the top right corner of the cluster is only for the brake system warning, not the handbrake. The handbrake light is between the two clusters by your left knee.
The diagrams in the Haynes manuals don't show this circuit, but have the handbrake light in the cluster as Cool Jesus says. Probably a weird ADR requirement led to some Australian only wiring.
In my 83 model this light comes on when the engine is first cranked and then goes out.

If you get no help on the other wire, I'll pull the cluster out on the weekend and see what I can see.

Alan

Cool Jesus · July 09, 2012, 10:50:12 PM

D'oh, that's right the park warning is seperated from the clusters. Even so, if you open up your brake master cylinder and short the contacts you can verify if the warning light comes on within the cluster...

Still checking the other wires for you. I've got my cluster out at the work shop, you'll have to wait until Friday before I can have a look though.

joestram · July 10, 2012, 05:53:03 AM

Thanks guys!

No rush, the car is just in my garage just sitting there waiting for me to work on it

Cant wait to have it roadworthy and back on the road!

Joe

festy · July 10, 2012, 01:01:07 PM

The yellow cluster wires are the brake fluid warning lamp. Does your M/C have one or two sets of contacts for the float switch(es)? I recently swapped reservoirs on one of my 116s and the original one had two float switches but the new one had only only one. The extra pair of wires could cause a short or warning light flashing if they came in contact with earth, maybe that's why it was disconnected?
Or maybe just the float switch was dodgy and the wire was cut to stop the light randomly flashing? I would think removing the bulb would be easier though...

The black wire is related to the cluster backlight I think, but can't really tell if it's power or ground from that pic.
It's disconnection may be the cause of the PCB track damage, or whatever caused the PCB damage could have burnt out the ground wire

The missing wire from the plug is the high beam warning lamp. That could be related to the white wire tapped into the yellow loom wire - possibly someone did a dodgy high beam upgrade which overloaded the parker circuit? The cluster backlights are on the parker circuit, and the burnt tracks look like they're part of the dash dimmer circuit maybe?
What does that white wire connect to?

Cool Jesus · July 16, 2012, 09:13:11 PM

Sorry Joe, haven't forgotten you, had other priorities over the weekend. I'll try again this coming weekend to see what my cluster has. As festy said, may be a bogey fix from a previous owner. Very frustrating as I'm finding the same issues with my build. It really gives credence to doing the job right in the first place???

Alan Hopla · July 17, 2012, 06:23:00 PM

Joe,

I pulled my cluster out to have a look, and the black wire you have highlighted looks like it is not stock.
It's a bit hard to see in your photo, but it looks like the black wire has been used to repair a burnt track on the circuit board.
It looks like the end that is still connected to the board is soldered to the track just under the bulb next to the tachometer. This track should run to pin 6(from the outside) white&black. It looks like this track is broken right next to the connector.
This circuit is part of the dash lights, it is after the lamp dimmer, and is the voltage that feeds the lights. The dash lights should be working on this cluster, the burnt track is the dimmed light power feed to the speedo cluster.

Before just refitting the black wire to repair the circuit you should check the wiring from pin 6 above to the speedo, and then the circuit on the speedo too. This kind of damage is caused by excess current flowing in the circuit. This could be from a short in the wire that feeds the speedo, or a short on the dash light circuit on the speedo module itself.

Alan.

joestram · July 21, 2012, 05:48:56 PM

Thanks for all the assistance guys.

Turns out that your right about the cluster.

There is a burnt circuit there and the lights don't light up the tacho.

There is also a black wire that was connected to one of the little back lights and I am not sure where that was supposed to go.

I have a spare tacho cluster so I will give that a shot and see if everything works there.

I think my alternator is screwed so I think that's why the battery is drained. I thought there was a short that but that might be just the alternator messing with my mind.

I need to find where the horn wire comes out of the firewall so I can connect it to the front of the car.

Thanks guys.