zowow 0 Posted May 30, 2007 (edited) My first attempt at french wiring has almost made me kill the car... dont spose anyone would have any idiot proof guides on how to connect the main ignition wiring :S kinda reluctant trying since i saw smoke :S sure i was a twat and earthed out something on the coil or something like that leads are intact but need reinsulating Edited May 30, 2007 by zowow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted May 30, 2007 (edited) if anyone has a photo of the wires that go onto the phase one coil, it would be a help, and where the engine earth points are lol i earthed the starter, which i guess was the problem Edited May 30, 2007 by zowow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
inferno 1 Posted May 30, 2007 i know it doesnt answer your question, but today a custermers 1.9gti wiring caught fire, our pool car, a 106 caught fire, and my mates range rover wiring caught fire... must be something in the air!!! and before some1 suggests it, no i didnt touch any of the cars wiring!!!! if i had, there would of been no fires! the starter earths to the gearbox, the only wires on it are the main live, and smaller exciter wire. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted May 31, 2007 I would of said not a good day for the french but i spose the range rover is the odd one out lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ashlee205gti 1 Posted May 31, 2007 Theres a distribution block on the slam panel (small, black box) make sure that everything plugged on to that is live only. I got one of the plugs mixed up (i think it was the live and earth for the rad fan) and that soon melted my earth wires. It was at that point i wished i had took photos before i took it apart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamirGTI 327 Posted June 1, 2007 (edited) Hi ! Same thing hapend to me when i was changing ignition coil - module togheader with ignition wiring .. Be careful with two tick green wires (num. 112 - 112A) - there are two wire inside one , tin wire without insulation and ticker wire with insulaton , and the problem was when i cut these two wires and connect them to the other end of that green ignition wires i notice that car don't want to start and one wire start to heat up and insulation starts to melt It apears that wire isulation have some sort of aluminium strip from inside and this strip was touchning center wire at the place where i was connect and solder two wires togheader , and made short cut in between tick and tin wire - i was thinking that i can twist this two wires togheadwer (anyway i didn't do that it was this aluminium strip inside that made short cut in between the wires) because they are earth wires but you must be very careful not to do that I can make a picture of that ignition wiring if you like .. when it stops raining outside .. hope you understand Damir Edited June 1, 2007 by DamirGTI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 242 3 Cars Posted June 4, 2007 I had this happen on a car I was called in to help fix recently. Turned out the gearbox earth stud & earth wires were loose. Once tightened its been fine since. The earth points are on the inner sides of each headlamp & there is a stud on the gearbox & they are the only one's in the engine bay area of the car afaik. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted June 6, 2007 hmm i have some earths that i havent bothered connecting... could this be an issue with the strut top earths melting/? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Super Josh 4 Posted June 6, 2007 Well as Graham said, if the strut top earths are melting then the only reason for this is that the current drawn by the starter motor must be been travelling down these wires. So you must have a problem with the chassis to gearbox earth lead. Either it's not connected or it is corroded, usually at the gearbox end where it attaches to the stud. I always clean it up with wet and dry and then put some copper grease on it when I've reassembled it to stop it corroding again. If you've not connected all of the earths up, then that will be a problem. Which ones havn't you connected? Josh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonnie205 1 Posted June 6, 2007 Yes you will need to check the engine earth strap. I had this problme a few months back with a mk2 escort. The brake lines kept setting on fire. they were braided and it turned out the engine was earthing through them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted June 6, 2007 (edited) that would proberbly make sense as i was eager to get the engine going, I put the gearbox earth on the battery tray cause my neighbour was convince it would be ok (sigh) theres a couple of other earths that have ring connectors on that i've not connected also you learn something everyday, never thought this would be the problem where on the g/box do the earths go? in fact what earths should i have and where would they go. Also, could this cause the fuel pump to run on when its only supposed to prime...? Edited June 6, 2007 by zowow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dream Weaver 2 Posted June 6, 2007 What are the earths for on the strut tops? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 242 3 Cars Posted June 6, 2007 What are the earths for on the strut tops?TBH I've no idea, nothing appears to stop working if they aren't connected but if the main engine earth strap isn't tight & you try to start the car they get rather hot very quickly. They come out to the strut top from the fusebox but no idea what they connnect to earth. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted June 6, 2007 hmm, may just disconnect them then, seen as they have almost burned away! any1 know where the earths connect to and whether this would cause the fuel pump to keep pumpin that juice? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 242 3 Cars Posted June 6, 2007 The earths connect to the gearbox earth stud, 13mm stud & nut just across from the distributor on the gearbox case. I wouldn't disconnect them, if you don't have the main earth connected properly that could explain why things aren't working. The fuel pump will run constantly if its not all connected because it isn't a clever enough system to sense the engine isn't actually running. I've had the same on a friends car when the starter solenoid wire had come off & the fuel pump kept running then. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonnie205 1 Posted June 6, 2007 the earths on the strut tops are to earth the strut so the brake pad waer indicators work Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted June 6, 2007 the earths on the strut tops are to earth the strut so the brake pad waer indicators work explains a lot does that, so with the earth actually mounted to the gearbox i should be ok in getting her started. just need to work out where the other earths are mounted. that should of cracked it. Thanks guys, you lot are a good bunch!!! been used to being on the FSOC (ford sierra owners club) and they always used to sort me out by answering my annoying questions! I never thought you could get this prob by connectign the g/box earth to the struttop/battery tray, im amazed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 242 3 Cars Posted June 6, 2007 so with the earth actually mounted to the gearbox i should be ok in getting her started.Thats remains to be seen. just need to work out where the other earths are mounted.All the engine bays earths are either on the engine earth stud, from the passenger side inner wing to battery negative terminal or at the side of each headlamp for the majority of the lighting. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted June 6, 2007 hmm, well its worth a go at least to check, at work now so will try it when i get home! that would explain maybe why the leads were still smoking with nothing connected in the engine bay at all .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted June 7, 2007 Hmm, connected the big blue one to the gearbox and the starter started to smoke from the positive lead on that?!? this car is confusing... if anyone can spot what the prob is, please lemme know! (How the starter is connected - top one is correct but the massive lead goes there right?) One earth to the inner wing, and the other to the gearbox? right? Another angle, on the coil the blue is switched + and the others appear correct as well so without an earth on the gearbox nothing happens when i crank and the little strut top wires melt, but if i connect the massive earth to the gearbox the starter sparks n smokes :s any ideas? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 242 3 Cars Posted June 7, 2007 (How the starter is connected - top one is correct but the massive lead goes there right?)I can't easily make out where you have connected the battery wire to the starter from that picture but it looks like its connected to the end of the starter case. It should go to the stud on the solenoid above the one you can see that runs to the main starter body. One earth to the inner wing, and the other to the gearbox? right? Yes but there should be at least one more earth from the car loom to the gearbox stud iirc. The yellow plug you can see in that picture should be connected to the ignition amp lead afaik. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zowow 0 Posted June 7, 2007 there are two wires connected to it but its a bit hard to see in the pic! i've reconnected the yellow plug but i'm right in saying then that all the starter motor connections are on the top cylinder of the starter and nothing is connected to the bottom? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 242 3 Cars Posted June 7, 2007 i'm right in saying then that all the starter motor connections are on the top cylinder of the starter and nothing is connected to the bottom?Yes. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
