Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all, need to try and replace a cable that comes from rear side of engine bay and connects two a 3 prong connector that appears to go into the engine. Situated just under the alternator. Engine is a 2.1. DJ. Not entirely sure what it does.

Here's a pic
.https://photos.app.goo.gl/W57BBoVoqi9G8FR27

Thanks

Looks like a cold climate sump heater

Is it the TDC sensor cable, which is only used to plug into the VW factory/workshop tool when doing timing work/diagnosis on the engine. You don't need it, no one has the old VW diagnostic workshop equipment set up anymore.

Most wbx, by now, have had the cable cut off where it comes out of the gearbox end of the block (it's a simple inductance coil pickup (like a modern knock sensor) that senses a dowel in the back of the flywheel as it passes by giving accurate TDC position and I guess a reading of engine speed when used with the calibrated tool); the sensor is left in place to maintain seal of the flywheel housing.

The plug originally had a rubber boot on it with a plastic cap to keep the contacts clean and it was be fixed on the back of the alternator with a small p clip so it could be easily accessed, to workshop tool connected to the alternator, the sensor and other bits as required.

I initially thought the same as you Aidan,

I even posted a pictute of mine, but it looks like it is mounted into the block, so I deleted my post.

Here is my TDC connector on my van.

the heater element is in the metal pipe so you could well be right, my bad

either way, it doesn't matter - if the vehicle didn't originally come from Scandinavian then it's likely a 2nd hand engine that came out of a imported van, somewhere I still have the pipe with a heater in it and a couple of lengths of the 3 core 240v cable from an engine that came to me from Futbus way back in time

Ok thank you everyone