> Wiring fiasco? Oh and Hi y'all!, Wiring/73 1.7/HELP!

[itchybro]

Greetings Pelican "car" types! (I'm a refugee from the BMW bike forums)

So, I finally took delivery of my "pig in a poke" ebay car (73 1.7) Motor seems strong, has a bit of the "crunch" going into second. I have sherpas for this issue.

Someone has "re-muddled" the wiring. There are 2 after market fuse clusters under the dash… (the second is wedged behind this one)



And a smaller one in the "frunk"



I could live with it in it's current state but, there are two things I ALWAYS enjoy having:

A horn
Tail lights at night.

Headlights/fog lights/turn signals/flashers/reverse lights all good.

NOW….. Here's my first question as I seek the group's guidance to guide me along the path of restoration:

How many wiring harnesses (harn-I?) are there...and… Do I need to replace them ALL? (I know the FI has it's own and the motor is running VERY well.)

I'm new to this and trying to learn. Please have patience

[The Glademister]

Wow, that's a bit of a mess. However, those fuse blocks are an improvement over original. I think I'd just start mapping out what fuse is on what circuit. Simply pull a fuse and see what function you loose. Chart that and move on. It doesn't look like the PO did much in color coding on the wiring so labeling that might be a good idea. Also look at grommets where the harnesses pass through bulkheads etc. It can be tempting to not replace those when rewiring but sharp edges can cause shorts later. Once you get all that charted, you'll have a fighting chance to diagnose missing circuits. I suspect there's still some original harnesses in the mix.

[itchybro]

Grazi Glademeister. It's going to take me awhile to "peel the onion" of the previous owner.

Those are GREAT tips. I WILL indeed take your advice.

I'm hoping if I have to replace some stuff I won't have to do the ENTIRE harness. Also I'm a touch worried by something one of the 914world folks said:

I'd check the sizes (amperage sizes) of the fuses as I don't think all the circuits were 20 amps. Most '73 would be 8 and 16 amps so with your 20 amp fuses you possibly could melt some circuits.

It's going be an ongoing project for sure.

[ClausGraf]

Peeling the Onion might make you cry..........but don't be discouraged!

Keep at it! We are here to help you and save another 914!

Claus

[porschetub]

Originally Posted by The Glademister

Wow, that's a bit of a mess. However, those fuse blocks are an improvement over original. I think I'd just start mapping out what fuse is on what circuit. Simply pull a fuse and see what function you loose. Chart that and move on. It doesn't look like the PO did much in color coding on the wiring so labeling that might be a good idea. Also look at grommets where the harnesses pass through bulkheads etc. It can be tempting to not replace those when rewiring but sharp edges can cause shorts later. Once you get all that charted, you'll have a fighting chance to diagnose missing circuits. I suspect there's still some original harnesses in the mix.

Wise words for sure,I can't understand whats been done here???there are "fuses for Africa"and then it appears the lighting fuseboard has been moved somewhere else in the car isolated by a piece of wood,thats how it looks anyway.
My stock fuseboard has 12 positions for fuses and your car at least 18,has the car lots of electrical add-ons perhaps? I don't know.
Start the way glademister mentioned to sort the curcuits out,then look @ hanging those fuse blocks and relays up to a common point to support the old 40+yr old wires,those blocks and relays should clip together,any electrical tape and poor joints should be soldered and fitted with heatshink.
Before you even use the car PLEASE fit the correct fuses,you will have a meltdown soon if this isn't done,if the correct fuses blow go back thru the wiring and see why,its really hard to fix meltdowns but easy to fix the cause.
Good luck.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Originally Posted by itchybro

How many wiring harnesses (harn-I?) are there...and… Do I need to replace them ALL?

One main wiring harness, plus several sub-harnesses. The two of the latter that come to mind are the fuel injection harness (connects to the main one through the relay board, four-pin terminal at the left-rear), and the engine harness (connects to the 12-pin connector at the right-rear of the relay board). The engine harness deals with the fuel pump in some years, powers the ignition, carries the tach signal and the oil pressure light signal, and powers the starter and the reverse lights.

Most of the car's wiring is in the main harness, though. R&Ring it can be a real "fun" job. You have to de-pin all of the connectors and slide the wires through very tight spaces, not to mention trying not to destroy the rubber "snorkel" that goes between the firewall and the engine shelf, and so on. There's a great thread on 914world by Sir Andy detailing how he did that on his 70 914.

You're going to have to figure out what has been spliced in and where. Sit down with the wiring diagrams for your year 914 and see if you can trace what comes from where, and how it is hooked up to all of the additions made to your car... Take notes, and draw diagrams. Future you will thank you for those.

--DD

[itchybro]

Thanks Dave et all.

Radio silence due to waiting on various bits. Have acquired the laminated diagram. for a 73.

Tomorrow I should take possession of a "...complete wiring harness from a rust free 76 california car. wires are not corroded and in good shape." Hopefully most of the 73 wiring diagram will work.

I'll also try to document the fiasco as it moves along….

[itchybro]

Package arrived. Will be moving tools/car yadda to a "dungeon" soon soon soon.

[bowlsby]

The 73 and 76 chassis harnesses are significantly different. http://bowlsby.net/914/WiringHarnesses/914WiringHarnessIDGuide.pdf

You may be able to get them to interchange with a few considerations:

Fuel pump is under fuel tank in the 76
If you get the CA-model 76 harness you will also get the CAT/EGR wiring for free!
Fasten seat belt light is different.
Headlight switch is different (11-pole vs 10-pole)
L/R turn signal lamps in the tach in the 73, just one light in the 76
...and other less important differences

[itchybro]

Thanks a bunch Bowlsby!

One of my main concerns is that most of the redone fuses seem to be at least 20 Amps. I've been informed on 914 world that the originals ranged between 8 and 16. Where might one go to find the original ranges?

i'd prefer not to meltdown anything if possible.

[itchybro]

DERP... Done:

Edit: (Wrong link)

http://4nets.com/baldwinpowersports/914fuses.htm

[porschetub]

Originally Posted by itchybro

DERP... Done:

Edit: (Wrong link)

http://4nets.com/baldwinpowersports/914fuses.htm

The fuses are common to any modern car and can be purchased easily,your setup is an upgrade as pointed out, probably not worth the extra hassle of going to a later loom which as Jeff Bolsby points out is differant (Jeff knows these well).
I would only replace the loom from a same year car if yours was too butchered,burnt or broken to redo,it is a huge job afterall ,good luck.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

The fuse diagrams can also be found on this very site--

Pelican Parts: 914 Tech Info - Electrical Specs and Fuses

Note that there is at least one change through the model years.

--DD

[itchybro]

The peeling of the Onion has begun… (albeit SLOWLY)

Mitigating factors are:

I don't have a garage, only a not terribly dry carport. AND… The weather has been vacillating twixt Mississippi & Seattle (with high winds and lightning tho!)

So.. I've begun in the "Frunk"

As I've mentioned, PO's main priority seemed to be to have a bangin stereo. THUS… He built it a bit of a "jungle room" in the frunk.

Thus: (note the groovy shelf to hide that pesky 100 watt power amp - for a cabin the siee of a Gemini capsule?!?!!?)



Shelf gone:



Peel away the rug… Hmm…



Wow…



Turned out… (In my best-est Forrest Gump) the slats were GLUED in as well as "wood screwed so, the hammer and paint scraper did the trick.)



Viola'!! FRUNK!! (This look normal? Looks like somebody welded in a cookie sheet.)





SO, after a recent short drive back to the house burning the "fog lamps" (5 o 7 minute drive), as I pulled into the carport I was about to switch off the lights…. The turned off themselves. Last night after the frunk exploration I went looking for a burned out fuse amongst all the 20, 25 & 30 amp fuses.

I made it thru the first two blocks (the one under the hood screwed into the chunk of drywall (?!?) and the one that's "tucked under"what appears to be the main one. I got thru the row of 10's on the main one and still had found nothing. (My fingers told me they'd had enough and it was time to eat and replace the batteries in my noggin mounted flashlight.

I'm hoping to find a burned fuse. If not, this doesn't bode well as everything in front of the steering wheel is dark. I hope I've not fried my 40+ year old wires...

[The Glademister]

That's some awesome work in the front trunk by the PO and I love the cookie sheet trunk pan fix. I should have thought of that when I started in on my '73

[itchybro]

Originally Posted by The Glademister

That's some awesome work in the front trunk by the PO and I love the cookie sheet trunk pan fix. I should have thought of that when I started in on my '73

Ahoy Glade: note the number and VARIETY of fasteners in the magnetic dish!!

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Look for a hacked-up engine shelf in the right-front corner of the engine bay. That and the front trunk cutout mean that air conditioning was once installed in the car.

--DD

[itchybro]

Originally Posted by Dave at Pelican Parts

Look for a hacked-up engine shelf in the right-front corner of the engine bay. That and the front trunk cutout mean that air conditioning was once installed in the car.

--DD

Thanks Dave! I shall. All the heater stuff has been removed also so I wouldn't be surprised too much.

In other other news, I just tested ALL 24 fuses in this mess and they all tested "good". Unless I can find an inline critter somewhere, I'm in a world of hurt. I didn't see anything that looked remotely like such running from the switched from the "console".

Luckily, car starts, runs good and I have brake lights, turn signals and back up lights. Front: ALL dark.(Dash lights, headlights, foglights)

Soon the wire tracing will begin. (There's an AWFUL lot of red wire under there... Don't know just how useful my laminated diagram is going to be....)

[porschetub]

No blown fuses or burnt wires ?seems odd,I would say the fog lights didn't have a relay or were just to larger output for the system but without seeing the car I have no idea,have you just a loose wire?
Do you have a multimeter and a probe tester,really important tools for fault finding.

[itchybro]

Taking a night off from crawling around in the car. Hope to get back at it in some fashion tomorrow (though sadly it's supposed to start raining again in the afternoon). Yes to multimeter,no burnt wires that I've seen and I never smelled anything burning the night they went out.

Will keep the group updated on the progress.