ExitWound

I noticed over the last year that I could not start my car after it was raining, or humid, or a drastic temperature change. This led me to looking at conditions of grounds and such. I eventually located the problem on either the speed or reference sensor harness. One of them, if jiggled, will alleviate the no-start, and the car is happy to run all day. However, once it cools down, and/or rains, the car is a no-start. Seriously, if I jiggle both sensor harnesses, the car starts right up.

Today, I pulled back the rubber boots from the harness and saw this (on the wiring harness-side of the connector, not the sensor side):





There's 3 wire connections on the harness but only 2 actual wires within the harness. Yellow, black, and a 3rd what looks like insulating/noise reducing mesh of wire that surrounds both other wires (filling the inside of the grey large wire) and connects to one of the 3 pins. Both sensor harnesses have this. However, as you can see in the 2nd pic, the mesh is exposed much much more than the other harness, and also (you can't see it), the yellow wire has a small break in the insulation around its wire core too.

How would I go about fixing this? Do you think there's more to see inside the harness itself at the pins?

JohnKoaWood

I sold my last set of connectors, and am currently waiting for replenishment...

you have 2 options, replace the connectors, or replace the harness...

http://www.kayjayco.com/catPConnectors.htm

Item selected:
AMP/Bosch 3-pin Female Housing Only, @ $5.48 ea.

http://www.lindseyracing.com/LR/Parts/HARNESS.html

Quantity in Basket: None
Code: LR-944-HAR-REF
Price: $99.95
Shipping Weight: 1.00 pounds

Dougs951

Why not make new connectors?

Who says they have to be the oem style.

m73m95

^^ Because when you change **** like that, you become the POS previous owner.

When the next guy to own your car goes to change the sensors, and the plugs don't match, he will want to hunt you down and set your house on fire....

Fix it right.

Dougs951

More incentive not to sell.

But good call.

peanut

nice warning exitwound

I'm going to check my sensor connectors right now .... before I go round and set the pos's house on fire

North Coast Cab

Take a look at your injector connections, probably in the same condition.

Fishey

One of the reasons I made a new wiring harness for my car.

peanut

thats a good suggestion too. There are currently some injector connector replacements on ebay now quite cheap

ExitWound

My biggest concern in creating the new harnesses is that 3rd mesh wire. I've never seen anything like that. How does it work?

What is causing the problem I'm seeing though? Is it becuase the mesh wire is all frayed?

peanut

the bare wire is as you say a screen against electrical interference.

marky522

Yep, its to stop other electronic components, mainly components like injectors, coils etc that create a magnetic field from inducing voltage into the sensor wires to keep a clean signal. My suggestion would be to replace the harness. If you wanted to make your own, you can buy a 2 wire shielded lead, which would give you what you need. I would build my own that way, but I am very particular about my wiring.

Mark

ExitWound

Yeah I'm concerned about not being able to make a significant shield with the 3rd meshed wire. The symptoms are getting worse by the day it seems. I have to jiggle it before every start now.

peanut

just cut a strip of bacofoil and wind a 1" wide strip round the entire cable and make sure it has some connection with the screen wire . That will work just as well for a tempoary measure.

Whilst you got the bacofoil out slam a roast chicken in the oven