Wiring nightmare

[ross_jsy]

First up, have a game of what is this? I am guessing it is a leftover coolant level sensor from the old radiator and can be binned?



Secondly what is this and where should it connect? It is on the loom from the indicator stalk which I have just replaced after snapping the old one installing the roll cage:



Now onto what I think might be a problem. The car has been messed about with quite a bit over the past few years and the wiring loom under the dash is in a right mess. I have put the dash back in after a search for rust and in a general attempt to tidy it up. Now I think I have somehow lost a connector at some point, I am guessing a yellow plug should be plugged in here?



If so, unless I am being stupid, the connector is no where to be found. Is the under dash loom one piece that can be replaced? It has been chopped about loads and is massively bastardised.

I also have this mess to sort out (look in the background). No idea how I am going to tackle it as it is so intertwined.



One final problem (for now anyway) is when the battery is connected the battery light is illuminated, even with the ignition off. Any ideas? Going to try and figure that one out tomorrow.

Cheers,

Ross

[DanThe]

Only the dash loom unplugs, you dont need anything in that yellow socket on the clocks.
That level sensor wiring feeds the overhead check control panel which is easy to remove all the wiring as I dont suppose you will be wanting to keep it

[ross_jsy]

Ah that's a relief. Thought I had lobbed off a needed plug by accident! Awesome, will whip it off tomorrow.

Any ideas on the battery light issue? Used a cable off an e36 that goes from the +ve in the engine bay to the starter and alternator. Assuming that is correct?

[Brianmoooore]

Coolant sensor wires will need to be shorted together if the sensor is removed, otherwise the LED in the overhead panel will light. If you have a rad. with built in reservoir on the end, most have a boss on the underside of the tank where a sensor can be fitted. Early warning of a coolant leak is an engine saver.
Yellow cluster socket is only used with an OBC.
Can't make out the colour of the wire on the stalk loom. To identify wires, I need the exact colours.
IF everything is wired correctly, the battery light on indicates an alternator with a faulty diode pack. What happens with the ignition on and with the engine running?

[ross_jsy]

Overhead panel has been removed so will have to short it out.

The wire is yellow and brown.

It goes out iirc, I'll be starting it later to see if I have cured the erratic idle so will double check.

Cheers

[ross_jsy]

Right just put fuel in it and fired it up. Fixed the erratic idle/back firing (connector for the ICV had slightly come out the back of the inlet manifold).

Checked the battery light. It's on when the battery is connected/ignition is off. However when you switch the ignition on (without starting the car) the light turns off, and stays off when the engine is running. Alternator is definitely charging, don't have an multimeter as it's with a friend but it charged the battery from flat and was able to restart itself after 5-10 minutes of running.

So, any ideas?

Edit: called a multimeter an alternator, feeling thick today!

[Brianmoooore]

Still suggests a faulty alternator diode pack, allowing power to 'leak' from the B+ terminal (permanently connected to the battery +) to the D+ terminal (connected by a blue wire to the battery light).
When the ignition is off, 12 volts connects via the leak to one side of the light, and the other side of the bulb is earthed via the various unpowered ignition circuits, so the bulb lights.
When the ignition is turned on, the bulb still has the 12 volts from the alternator leak, but now also has 12 volts on the other side from the ignition switch, so the light goes out.

[ross_jsy]

So if I disconnect the alternator and the light stays off that would appear to be the problem?

Is this fixable by me with a new diode?

Thanks!

[ross_jsy]

Well thank you Brian, figured it out thanks to you. Would have been surprised if it was the diode as the car has sat there and engine barely ran bar once a month or so for the last 3 years. Removed the D+ terminal and the light went out. So I removed the B+ wire from the alternator and sure enough, there was a tiny cut in the heat shrink allowing it to short out:



Reapplied some heat shrink, reassembled and sorted

Any idea what the yellow and brown wire is coming off the indicator loom?

Cheers

[milescook]

Wild guess on the mystery brown wire: check the old stalk if you had it did it have a push button on the end, for obc mode scrolling. Wonder if the wire is the connector for that?

[ross_jsy]

You may have cracked it! Car didn't have an OBC, I'll check tomorrow to see if it's an OBC stalk which I suspect it might be

[ross_jsy]

With the money I have poured into this turd it wouldn't be worth it

[ross_jsy]

Far too motorsportz for that agreed value crap