The wiki states:
The plugs on the A-pillar. The C404 connector is for the right door and the C405 connector is for the left door. The male portion of each connector (the pins) is on the cabin side of the vehicle, and the female portion of each connector (sockets) is on the door side of the vehicle.
Because the E30 was primarily designed for the domestic German and export US-markets, the wiring is designed around a driver seated on the left, and therefore the C405 plug carries more info than the C404. Where possible, C404 equivalents have been listed in the table.
This seems to be incorrect as far as I can see, the C405 plug is on the right, driver's door, having poked around trying to identify cable colours. Perhaps it changed at some point, my car is a late pre-facelift example
Has anyone got any hints for getting the connectors apart? I am very concerned about breaking them, particularly in this cold weather.
C40x connector
Moderator: martauto
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Contours
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You are right--I ordered the left (passenger side) of this door plug from BMW and the pins position didn't correspond at all with the original. However, if you remove the plug from the door and remove the two plastic tabs in the connector and slide up the cover over the pins, you can do a fair cleaning job on the pins themselves. It worked for me sorting both the central locking and passenger door mirror pins.
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Contours
- E30 Zone Newbie
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Just showing the removed centre plastic tab cover from the connector which then gives good access to cleaning the corroded pins.
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Brianmoooore
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The driver's door plug and socket remains the driver's door plug and socket, whichever side the steering wheel is positioned. The loom is effectively reversed side to side for RH drive vehicles from the original design. This is the reason that the red/black supply wire to the central locking follows such a convoluted route, all the way down one side of the car, across the back, then all the way back to the front again, on RH drive cars.
The most important things to do to stop corrosion in the driver's side is to remove the red/blacks altogether, so that there's no permanent 12 volts live present, promoting corrosion 24 hours a day, and to ensure the rubber boot on the plug is fully fitted to the plug BEFORE it is pushed into the socket.
There is still an ignition switched live pin in both door sockets, to the mirrors, but at least this only aids corrosion when the car is being driven.
The most important things to do to stop corrosion in the driver's side is to remove the red/blacks altogether, so that there's no permanent 12 volts live present, promoting corrosion 24 hours a day, and to ensure the rubber boot on the plug is fully fitted to the plug BEFORE it is pushed into the socket.
There is still an ignition switched live pin in both door sockets, to the mirrors, but at least this only aids corrosion when the car is being driven.