mystery connector in engine bay

[Sy_325]

hey folks,

While diagnosing a non-functioning electric hood...

I came across a mystery connector coming from the underside of the fuse box, pictured below...







I'm thinking this MAY possibly be convertible specific, maybe even electric hood specific, but please don't quote me.

car is a 92 cabby 325i with electric hood

any ideas as to what this is... and more importantly, where it goes??

Thanks
Sy

[Satan]

If the electric hood works then it won't be for that, how long is the cable and is there a female part close buy for it to plug into, Brianmoooore will know so hopefully he will be along soon.

[Brianmoooore]

I suspect you have an OBC in your car, replacing the standard analogue clock.
If so, it comes off of the loom for that. The brown wire is earth, and the green/brown goes to another two pin plug behind the glovebox area. The other wire to this plug is 12 volts ignition switched live.
The brown main colour of the green/brown shows that it can safely be earthed, so the plug in the pic. is for a 'switch' of some kind, controlling some device behind the glovebox.
I have never seen either plug in use on any car, nor do the two plugs appear on any wiring diagram I've seen, except for the one I traced out myself, so although I can tell you what it is, I can't say why it is.

[biffer]

One feature of the OBC mentioned in the handbook is for a 'timer' to control some sort of additional heater.

Maybe these wires are something to do with that?

[Bonymaenjack]

I have in mine as well . 2.0 SE , tucked in just by the servo, spooky

[Brianmoooore]

One feature of the OBC mentioned in the handbook is for a 'timer' to control some sort of additional heater.

Maybe these wires are something to do with that?

Doesn't connect to any of the other OBC wiring, even though it's part of the loom. It's just a 'switch' of some kind under the bonnet, directly controlling 'whatever' behind the glovebox, with no other connections or control to it.

[Sy_325]

If the electric hood works then it won't be for that, how long is the cable and is there a female part close buy for it to plug into, Brianmoooore will know so hopefully he will be along soon.

the hood hasn't worked in some time now, i'll explain below.

the cable isn't very long, maybe 20cm? I can't for the life of me see or feel anywhere it's supposed to go within the areas it reaches to.

I suspect you have an OBC in your car, replacing the standard analogue clock.

yes car has an OBC... so this could be for something related to that?



Thanks for the information guys, and for taking the time to answer this...

I had previously thought it may have been the switch I was looking for... but now I'm not so sure.

Truth be told, since having a bit of work done to the car, and the car being off the road for some time... I haven't seen the roof working in years... I tried it recently to discover that there is no life from the system whatsoever. Previously, it went up and down electrically without fault.

I think the motors had been removed to do some work in the boot, refitted, and since hasn't worked.

I'm trying to troubleshoot this problem to narrow down the possibilities/costs for repair.

When I use the buttons at the front to raise/lower the roof, no noise can be heard at all from the rear, no attempt whatsoever to lift, move, or moving mechanical parts... which leads me to firstly believe - that there is a micro switch that isn't activated/deactivated to tell the motor to go ahead and attempt to lower the roof.

So, to start, I've tracked down the front micro switch which tells the mechanism that the hood is disengaged from the windscreen, and in a position to start the manoeuvre.

I've located in on the windscreen



It then disappears down the front of the dash along with the collective loom from the OBC wires



and that's the last I've been able to track it... is it worth pulling the dash away to see where it goes?



is it possible this wire would make it's way back to the electric roof motor in the boot?

[Satan]

Gert may be the person to speak to regarding the roof.

[Cloggy Saint]

Don't pull the dash out to trace the wire, just remove the glove box and if necessary the HVAC panel.

[Brianmoooore]

Gert

As above. Gert is our resident expert on electric cab. roofs.

[Sy_325]

ok guy, I'll hit him with a pm.

Thanks again for all your help.

[paultv]

I've got one too - brown and brown/green wires - connects to the bonnet open sensor micro switch attached to the left hand side bonnet catch, mounted in a clip - relates to the old Clifford Alarm. This is what mine does anyhoo.

Paul

[Brianmoooore]

I've got one too - brown and brown/green wires - connects to the bonnet open sensor micro switch attached to the left hand side bonnet catch, mounted in a clip - relates to the old Clifford Alarm. This is what mine does anyhoo.

Paul

Seems like some enterprising and knowledgeable alarm installer has hijacked the length of loom through the bulkhead for his own purposes.
The BMW alarm bonnet open microswitch just uses a single wire (brown/black, IIRC), and earths directly to the bonnet catch.
Wonder if the installer also knew about the connector for the rear hatch switch on a touring, that is near the bottom of rear passenger door.