Wiring Loom Prob

[Ivelostmypants 2 1 Cars]

A while back now my wiring loom had melted against the exhaust and stopped the car from running. So I insulated the wires and it ran again, but started to idle irregular and gave me all sorts of strange electrical anomilies. I changed the ECU which helped, so i guessed that had broken in the process. However I still get a few probs, but the car did start straight away and tick over. I changed the loom for a spare one I had but the connector for the low tension lead was different and there was even 1 extra connector near the inlet manifold. So I put my old one back into place, but the car ticks over but now doesn't want to start. Any idea what I may have done here? Also would it be worth making 1 good loom out of both? ie my old connectors, with new wires to the ecu, joined just by the inlet manifold. Or for these crucial wires would it cause me any risks or extra problems?

[GLPoomobile 958]

I think what you have done, is taken a problem and fixed it badly, then not correctly investigated a later problem. That's not supposed to be patronising. I just mean that you've swapped things around since the first problem, which may or may not have been the source of your problems, and that potentially has confused matters.

 

If everything else is OK bar your starter, then that should be easy enough to sort out. But if you get other problems, you really need to start investigating more carefully, with a multimeter, rather than just swapping bits out.

 

You can find all the info you need on your starting problem if you do a search, as it's such a common issue. It's likely that your starter solenoid wire was damaged when the loom was burned, or just the disturbance of the loom being removed and then put back in has caused a bad connection in the brittle old wires or in the corroded plug terminals.

 

For someone who isn't confident with wiring (depends if that's applicable to youor not), your best bet is to get a known working 2nd hand loom at the very least, but preferably get one that has had repairs done by a competant person (Miles at Pugracing, or Anthony for example), which would obviously cost more. On the other hand, reaplcing the whole loom or parts of the loom with new wire, terminals and plugs isn't difficult and doesn't have to be massively expensive, it's just time consuming and fiddly.

Edited March 12, 2012 by GLPoomobile

[Ivelostmypants 2 1 Cars]

So far I've replaced quite a few things as i'm defo not any good with wiring so have been chasing the problem for a while.

the starter motor was replaced with a decent one so i'm guessing it shouldn't be that?

other parts replaced are: ECU, ignition coil, Low tension lead (as was splitting), dizzy cap and all ignition leads, plugs, earth strap, ignition amplifier, ignition switch, fuel relay and new battery.

 

Basically the electrical probs I got were things like fuses blowing regular, the stereo and elec windows working with the ignition on, but wouldn't work when running, fuel pump wouldn't work until the ECU was replaced and even washers decided not to work front and back. So I was guessing the exhaust on the loom may have damaged the ECU. The car ran fine for a bit and then started irregular idling again, and i'm hoping it's just the loom rather than the ECU going again as this happened before.

 

The spare good loom I have basically has the connection to fit the low tension lead directly (straight to dizzy), and bypasses the ignition amplifier for some reason. Rather than now pay for another loom could this be changed?

[steve@cornwall 100]

Sounds like a worn ignition switch to me....... not making proper contact when springing back from "start" position....

[Ivelostmypants 2 1 Cars]

Sounds like a worn ignition switch to me....... not making proper contact when springing back from "start" position....

lol i hope not, that'll be my 3rd then if I get another as I didn't trust the first one i changed it for, so am on my 2nd.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Did you buy a new one or S/H one? Most S/H ones are all just as bad now

[Ivelostmypants 2 1 Cars]

Did you buy a new one or S/H one? Most S/H ones are all just as bad now

Bought one from a peugeot breakers, and the one I have now came off a scrap so yeah 2nd hand, might have a look around again then. Although those probs with the windows and stereo etc did clear up, prob now is just the lack of starting, would that also be caused by the switch?