Wiring loom inside car dash etc

[polsta]

Right- so im now trying to make sense of the interior wiring loom, to be honest it looks totaly baffling, ive sort of de tangled it and trying to piece what goes where , ive removed the old speaker wires and got the ariel cable worked out

where should the original stereo loom be ? there was an iso connector wih some cowboy wiring that was easy to remove, but should the stereo come from its own place on the loom or be a total seperate loom/install ?

i did remove a loom from a 318is that came from the white plug on the left side which i have, whichy i presume is the accessory socket ?

should my car have that socket ? i couldnt seem to see it on the left , if its been removed at some point unless its hidden, altough why would someone remove it ? can i buy and fit another ?

has anyone got any sort of advice and info on basicly how to get all the wiring look worked out and ready

i need to go to get some speaker wire tomorrow to get in ready, is there any specific i should get ? and i need some new white sill clips

also amist all this the obc needs putting in

and is there any specific way all the wiring shoult tidy and be clipped etc before dash going in ?

oh this is a job i need a proper expert there, daunting !! could just do with some pointers really

[bab-91]

Welcome to my wiring nightmare.

Tidying the wiring away will be easy when you get the floor and side clips. It doesn't matter if its not like it was, as long as its neat and out of the way.

I opted for some heavy duty oxygen free copper wiring for the speakers. Its easily got from amazon.

[polsta]

it is a nightmare !!! i spent ages today just looking at it untangling bits and just trying to place it and work it out and work out what i need and stuff

also a question- i have 2 wires on the boot hinge area- 1 is for the boot light, whats the other for ? its like a little black flat socket thing ?

[jimbom30cab]

Bed time reading

http://shark.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e30/e30_87.pdf

Enjoy

[bab-91]

Its not fun!

I removed mine the other day, I could probably tell you better if I seen a pic but could be an accessory socket for a rear window brake light. That got incredibly lost! lol

Central locking for the boot or filler cap?

[jimbom30cab]

Did you want me to pop over then you can take loads of photos of mine which might help you put it all back together again?

[polsta]

Did you want me to pop over then you can take loads of photos of mine which might help you put it all back together again?

yes mate look forward to it and picking your brain about lots of things , also if you can maybe- see if you can be free on tues/weds/thurs/fri on any or some of them days, maybe after work on your way home for an hour or 2 ,im going to need all the help i can muster up really with some things , i know all the external and interior after carpers are down, but its help with things like removing and re fitting the wiper motor , alhough i may try tackle that tomorrow, and some things like that

excellent thanks for that pdf link, gonna have a read now...

[polsta]

Its not fun!

I removed mine the other day, I could probably tell you better if I seen a pic but could be an accessory socket for a rear window brake light. That got incredibly lost! lol

Central locking for the boot or filler cap?

as above - 1 is the boot light, its got the 2 end spade clips to slot on, and il also make a bridge to put another one on the other side, wierd they only fit one but leave space for 2 lights

but its a little black connector aswell, like a socket connector with 3 or 4 holes in it, its factory bmw not something someones added, its not for the locking coz thats all on the rear panel from underneath

[Brianmoooore]

With any wires/plugs you want identifying, we need to know the main colour and tracer colour of each wire.
There are two looms that go across the dashboard area from the LH side. One of these looms should be fitted to the dash before it's installed, (and left in place when it's removed) and then plugged into the main body loom on the LH side afterwards.
Try not to thread any speaker or other accessories wiring between the dash loom and the dash when you fit it, as this makes the dash difficult to remove in the future,

[polsta]

ok thanks brian, as it was removal of a knackered dash, and a re fit of a new one- obviously that loom is still attached to the car and no loom on new dash, how do i identify that loom ? would it be right that- i need to identify that loom, unplug it, then fit it to the new dash and in the chainsaw type clip things (that are all present on the new dash) , then just plug it in when dash is fitted ?

ive removed all speaker wire, it was tangled all over the place and not original, also removed an iso stereo block that was in it with some cheap thin wire that was shocking, none of it was connected in the loom either thank god

ive got the original (i think???) electric ariel cable, a thick signal wire and the other 2 wires connected to it - on the wire is a grommet, theres also one on the new beru ariel ive got, where does this grommet go ?? which route does the wire take from the ariel exactly ? does it just go through the big square hole at the top left corner of rear bench area ? could not work out what the grommet was intended for

[polsta]

also- which way round do these wires go on the trunk ? ive got 1 wire with 2 spade connectors, and 1 single thicker wire with the white plastic connector , but there are 2 ends on the switch, and 2 on the light ?

[Brianmoooore]

also- which way round do these wires go on the trunk ? ive got 1 wire with 2 spade connectors, and 1 single thicker wire with the white plastic connector , but there are 2 ends on the switch, and 2 on the light ?

The red/green goes to one end of the boot light and the brown/black goes to the other. The thicker black wire and the blue connector shouldn't be there at all - BMW didn't put them there.

[polsta]

im a tad confused- the switch (which is connected there) needs to be wired in doesnt it ? whats the wire for that ? there are no other wires just those wires , i have no idea what the bue spade conenctor is for, maybe for a bridge to wire in another light on the other side ?

and how about the above question bout dash loom ? sorry for all the questions, appriciate your help

[Brianmoooore]

ok thanks brian, as it was removal of a knackered dash, and a re fit of a new one- obviously that loom is still attached to the car and no loom on new dash, how do i identify that loom ? would it be right that- i need to identify that loom, unplug it, then fit it to the new dash and in the chainsaw type clip things (that are all present on the new dash) , then just plug it in when dash is fitted ?

Yes, fit it to the new dash before you fit it. It's the loom that plugs into a rectangular multi pin socket right next to the accessories socket. Try not to tangle the other loom and speaker wires with it when you fit them.

ive removed all speaker wire, it was tangled all over the place and not original, also removed an iso stereo block that was in it with some cheap thin wire that was shocking, none of it was connected in the loom either thank god

ive got the original (i think???) electric ariel cable, a thick signal wire and the other 2 wires connected to it - on the wire is a grommet, theres also one on the new beru ariel ive got, where does this grommet go ?? which route does the wire take from the ariel exactly ? does it just go through the big square hole at the top left corner of rear bench area ? could not work out what the grommet was intended for

There should be a square(ish) rubber grommet in the rear bulkhead, about 2" across. There should be a cut out half way down the inner side of this grommet, and the three aerial wires go through there. The two wires should be plain red and plain white. The red is 12 volts permanent live for the aerial motor, goes to the accessories socket at the front, and the white is the control wire to lower or raise the aerial. Normally goes to the radio at the front, and goes live when the radio is switched on.

[Brianmoooore]

im a tad confused- the switch (which is connected there) needs to be wired in doesnt it ? whats the wire for that ? there are no other wires just those wires , i have no idea what the bue spade conenctor is for, maybe for a bridge to wire in another light on the other side ?

Switch is on one end of the brown/black and the light is on the other. Black wire is probably for an alarm, and the blue connector was fitted where the original factory spade connector was chopped off, t o join on the black wire.
Fitting a second boot light on the other side is a useful mod. One I've done to every E30 saloon and cab. that I've ever owned and driven.

[polsta]

ok thanks brian, as it was removal of a knackered dash, and a re fit of a new one- obviously that loom is still attached to the car and no loom on new dash, how do i identify that loom ? would it be right that- i need to identify that loom, unplug it, then fit it to the new dash and in the chainsaw type clip things (that are all present on the new dash) , then just plug it in when dash is fitted ?

Yes, fit it to the new dash before you fit it. It's the loom that plugs into a rectangular multi pin socket right next to the accessories socket. Try not to tangle the other loom and speaker wires with it when you fit them.

ive removed all speaker wire, it was tangled all over the place and not original, also removed an iso stereo block that was in it with some cheap thin wire that was shocking, none of it was connected in the loom either thank god

ive got the original (i think???) electric ariel cable, a thick signal wire and the other 2 wires connected to it - on the wire is a grommet, theres also one on the new beru ariel ive got, where does this grommet go ?? which route does the wire take from the ariel exactly ? does it just go through the big square hole at the top left corner of rear bench area ? could not work out what the grommet was intended for

There should be a square(ish) rubber grommet in the rear bulkhead, about 2" across. There should be a cut out half way down the inner side of this grommet, and the three aerial wires go through there. The two wires should be plain red and plain white. The red is 12 volts permanent live for the aerial motor, goes to the accessories socket at the front, and the white is the control wire to lower or raise the aerial. Normally goes to the radio at the front, and goes live when the radio is switched on.

ok thanks brian, i dont think ive got that big grommet, the big square hole is about 2 inch across, so looks like someones done away with the grommet at some point

there is no white wire ? theres a red and a green i think, on the ariel, and i think on the lead aswell its green

BUT- i think im missing the accessories socket, where exactly should it be located ? i looked around that left area and cant see it , as above i did ask about it , is it pos its been removed or is it on the loom and i cant see it or what

[polsta]

im a tad confused- the switch (which is connected there) needs to be wired in doesnt it ? whats the wire for that ? there are no other wires just those wires , i have no idea what the bue spade conenctor is for, maybe for a bridge to wire in another light on the other side ?

Switch is on one end of the brown/black and the light is on the other. Black wire is probably for an alarm, and the blue connector was fitted where the original factory spade connector was chopped off, t o join on the black wire.
Fitting a second boot light on the other side is a useful mod. One I've done to every E30 saloon and cab. that I've ever owned and driven.

oh i see, so its the wire with the white connector, is not needed at all ? should both of the switch`s connectors be used ? or just 1 ?

so how do i wire it in with a 2nd light exactly ?

[Brianmoooore]

Rubber grommet has the main body loom running through it.
Your aerial is after market, so could have any colour wires on it, and is unlikely to have the correct two pin plug as well. Don't forget to fit the water drain tube from the bottom of the aerial to the spare port on the drain where the sunroof rear left drain goes to.
Accessories socket is right behind the back left corner of the glovebox, right next to the dash loom socket. These can't be missing???

[Brianmoooore]

oh i see, so its the wire with the white connector, is not needed at all ? should both of the switch`s connectors be used ? or just 1 ?

so how do i wire it in with a 2nd light exactly ?

Red/green wire goes to one terminal of the boot light and the brown/black goes to the other end.
The black wire should have been connected to the second switch terminal, if the alarm fitter had known what he was doing.
To fit a second boot light, you need to extend both the red/green and the brown/black wires across the boot to the second light.

[polsta]

right i think im getting it, slowly so where is the 1st switch terminal connected ?

so in my pic there, is that the brown/black wire , ive got the switch on ? so if i remove that blue spade connector, whats likley to be revealed is that thick black wire going to have 2 wires inside it ?

can you explain in idiot terms as im still not fully understood in this

so i have red/green to one end of the light ?

and a brown/black going to one end of the light and 1 of the switch ? is that correct ? and what about the other switch terminal ?

[polsta]

Excellent thank you , appreciate that it's cleared it up

There was an old aftermarket alarm, and I had that taken out and a new one fitted in, I'm not sure if that wire is from the old or new one, i thinking remember him messing around in the boot tho but it was about 2 years ago

So I presume he's put the blue thing in, to connect the switch to the alarm so it goes off if the boot was broken in to ?

is it possible to still have it like that and keep the light/switch working as normal ?

How do I do that ?

Il take some pics of the loom and accessories socket area etc, I removed the speaker wire and some bodged in stereo loom that was piggy backed in to cig lighter for power, from a 1990 318is I removed what I think us a stereo loom bit from the accessories socket, it's a white socket plug about 4 pins/socket , and some wiring and an inline fuse etc


Also for the electric Ariel -I have the original thick triple wire, but no connectors on the thinner wires , as Brian mentioned above that the power cable plugs in to the accessories socket but suspects the original plug has been removed- it has , what plug is it I need for that ?? Is it a common type or BMW specific ?

Thanks for the help guys, keep it coming as I can go through this thread on my phone when I'm with the car

[Brianmoooore]

Where did that last pic. come from Will? Every E30 I've ever seen has had the accessories socket mounted upside down from what is shown in all the wiring diagrams.
All the published diagrams are for LH drive cars, so I thought that it was just a LH drive/RH drive thing, but your pic. is clearly a RH drive car, and Z is bottom right, as per diagram, instead of top left where I always find it.

[polsta]

Guys so what socket plug thing do I need to put in end if the Ariel power to get it to fit in the socket ?

[Brianmoooore]

Are you sure it's missing? At the back end, your aftermarket aerial won't have the correct plug on it, so there's little point in fitting the correct socket on the car's wiring. Crimped or soldered individual connectors are the norm here.

[polsta]

I thought you said the Ariel plugs in the the accessories socket ? Thus asking what connector it is I need to put on the wire to plug it in ? What make was the original Ariel ?bmw ? I can try source an original one , I was told this beru one was original e30

[Brianmoooore]

The red wire of the aerial loom plugs into the accessories socket at the front. Can you post a couple of pics of the back corner of the glovebox area so we can get some idea of what's there?
One of the original suppliers of the aerial might well have been Beru, but I very much doubt if they supply them with the E30 specific plug twenty years later.

[polsta]

right...

had a good look at the wiring today and removed all the cable ties and stuff

ive seperated the dash loom now, so thats done , it had some alarm bits i had to seperate but its all good now im starting to get the hang of it all, jimbo stopped by and explained a few bits


heres the acessories socket area

[polsta]

what stuff needs to go in the socket ?

i need some sort of connectort to go on the ariel wire ? (no connector on it)

does the map mirror plug in there ? ive got factory map mirror and presume its still connected

and ive got a stereo loom with long (4 pins i think) white connector on it, i removes form accessories socket of a 318is ,is that a plug and play thing ? what connections for stereo does that give and where in there does it plug in ?

the boot light, thanks guys and thanks jimbo, its now sorted and ive put in wires for a 2nd light too , fuse 21 was blown and it wasnt earthed because i was trying it without the switch screwd in to the boot, the black wire if for an alarm and now connected to the switch


one last boot thing, as in the other thrread in this section, i cant seem to find the fuel flap solenoid connector ?? where does it come from from inside the car to boot ? on the drivers side ? thats all i need to find now i dont know if its tucked up behind the inner arch area or what

[Jim320i]

Polsta, look at the homepage... There is a update with regards to the accessory socket and a link to the wiki with all the info you need.

The maplight mirror plugs in somewhere on the passengerside foot well near to the speaker somewhere, there should be a spare plug

[jimbom30cab]

Hi Carl

Right, i've found a pic of my fuel flap wire which goes over the inner arch panel (drivers side) and looks like it then goes through the fire wall, its quite a thin black cable with 2 wires and a small black plug, looks like the coloured wire is mostly blue.


looking here: http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/Loom

i don't see a map light mirror socket

but here is my socket, with the radio plug only taken out, everything else is there and as i have a map light mirror, you may recognise some of these wires



The radio look is plug and play, i had no problems with mine

The connections are easily found with your multi meter but iirc, there is a pernament live, switched live, earth and aerial

[Brianmoooore]

Permanent live, switched live, earth and panel lights. Aerial is completely separate.
Map light socket is where Jim320i says. Purple/green and brown wire, IIRC.

[jimbom30cab]

Thanks Brian