The identify the loose wire in engine bay game!

[jimf]

Hi folks, I've been doing a bit of engine bay husbandry and tidying up some wires and cleaning.

The car is an '87 325i Cab

I came accross this loose wire, it was hanging down at the front of the block, it has a blue/black wire





This is where I can trace it too



And that brown wire goes to this on the block






Any ideas please?

[FinalD]

That'll be the sensor for your HT lead!

I'll grab some pics of what I did to mine...




You'll need to replace that whole lead (HT and sensor).

At least, that's what it looks like to me from the pics, but it may be something else if you could get some clearer shots of the end / of the run of it?

If it goes to the oil sensor then it should be run into a plug under the SI port by the thermostat housing.

[jimf]

No, the item in my picture is a small cylindrical plug that should go somewhere. Your pic shows the broken wire from the sensor.

I actually just removed my sensor from that HT lead as it wasn't plugged in at the other end. Turns out someone had put the newer model leads in to my older car so nowhere for it to go.

[FinalD]

Yeah, I realised it probably wasn't when I took a couple more looks at your photos, initially it did look like it.

The sensor it connects to appears to be the oil pressure switch/sensor, does your oil light come on, either on the cluster or on the check control unit?

All of my cables on the exhaust side of the engine run over the front of the engine and to the connectors under where the diagnostic / service port is.

My engine is a facelift though and I'm guessing your one is a prefaclift? So there may be other sensors/connectors used on that engine (for example the crank position sensor is different).

[jimf]

I thought my last picture was the oil pressure sensor.
Nothing untoward on the dash or check control for oil.

[FinalD]

Best thing I can suggest is to look for places to plug it in really, does appear to be the oil sensor. Where does the blue wire run?

[Morat]

Short it and check which fuse blows!!













(please don't do this really)

[jimf]

The blue wire runs under the air inlet manifold with the brown one in the same conduit. I can't track it beyond that

[BMW_E30vert]

i had the same problem on a pre facelift cab couldn't for the life of me find were that plug was suppose to go

[jimf]

Ok, thanks for your input guys, guess I'll just tidy it up, tie it back and hide it.

[FinalD]

To be honest, if the car runs/drives fine....b'reet.

[jimf]

It runs great, but in the back of my mind I wondered if I found where it went it would run even better!!

[Gert_8]

Hi Jim,

Looking at the pics, its difficult to see the end, but your car may have been fitted with HLWW system (you have the stops on the light rings). Could it be a wire for the motor connections?

[jimf]

Ok, well I did remove what was left of the headlight wash system as it was just a couple of spindles poking out of the grill. Ill check that out. Thanks