Club 80-90 Forums

Hi folks,

Apologies if this is an easy question to answer but reading electrical wiring diagrams is far from my strong point and I can't see what a particular wire attached to the engine is for. I'm trying to tidy up some dodgy wiring and the picture below shows a yellow/black wire coming from the engine block which is attached to a junction box, from which a red wire (thick, 4/5mm) comes and joins a large bunch of wires which disappears into the bulkhead. Is it part of the glow plug temp sensor or something else?



Here it is in more detail



Any advice would be great, it's a pretty bad fix and I don't think that the yellow/black wire is right so I want to make sure that I replace the wire with the tight thickness/colour.

Thanks everyone

Richard

Hi, It looks like the main feed for the bus bar (flat copper strip) that feeds the glow plugs, and yes it should be thick red wire going between the relay in the junction box. 4 mm is listed in the wiring diagram I'm looking at. It takes some heavy current (if your glow plugs are working!) so needs to be up to it.

Also Check the flat strip fuse that is in the junction box, chances are with that tiny wire it may need replacing.

Cheers for the info mate

Is the bus bar the 'U' shaped bit of metal that goes from the end of that cable to near the glow plugs? If so then I think you've nailed it

The two cables had been twisted and the taped previously and when I was tinkering last weekend the damn thing almost burst into flames! The junction box is a temporary measure - how would you recommend joining them, solder and heat-shrink?

The fuse is about the only solid (sort of) bit in the junction box - check it out!!



New relay and relay socket have been ordered, so I'll be fitting them and replacing the damaged wires ASAP!

R

Hacksawbob wrote:Also Check the flat strip fuse that is in the junction box, chances are with that tiny wire it may need replacing.

That "tiny wire" looks equal to or even larger than the original - unless you are referring to a different one?

It's the perspective in the photo I think - the yellow/black wire that runs from the bus bar is about the same as the red wires. The overheating was probably a result of the poor contact between the two wires. The melted glow plug fuse terminal maybe a connected issue? Or otherwise a poor contact at the terminal has produced the overheating that's melted the wires.

Possibly...

It's been a long time since electronics at school!

The terminal at the end of the fuse looks as though it has been soldered badly in situ - possibly to cure a dodgy crimped connection, whichever caused the heat it certainly needs closer inspection!

Yeah, it's a right mess! I'm hoping that a new relay, socket and replaced wires will solve the problem. This all stemmed from the glow plugs not working and has snowballed... As things have a tendency to do...

It's amazing what you find when you delve deeper! It's a wonder sometimes that these vans ever run.

I know! I'm glad I did though, engine bay fire could've been on the cards if not...

How would you advise joining the faulty wires back together? Or is it easy/better to remove/replace the whole length of wire from the relay socket to the various plugs?

If you can it would be better to replace the cable but if it disappearing into the loom you will be best to solder them together and shrink wrap the join.

Great, many thanks

New relay socket and relay arrived today so ill nab some wire from work and get stuck in over the weekend.

I'll keep you posted

Wish me luck!!

We'll stone me - I only went and bloody fixed it!

Glow plugs seem to be working and van fires up on first try, we'll see how it gets on when it's REALLY cold!

Thanks for your help guys

Next weekends challenge - the Truma heater...