Dave R.

I located the plug under the forward edge of the left front seat, but I can't seem to get it off.

Is there a trick to this?

The cable attaches to one end of the plug, and the metal clip on the plug rotates away easily and frees the cable end, but the other end of the plug (toward the center of the car) fits into a slot of some kind and won't come free even when I rotate the free end away from the DME about 45 degrees (not enough cable slack to do more).

joey bagadonuts

Wow, that should've come right off. Are you sure the clip on the cable end was fully opened? The other end of the plug simply "nests" underneath a retaining slot. So when the cable end comes out, you should be able disengage the pins and then tuck the opposite end under the retaining slot to free it.

Does that make sense?

(EDIT) Don't take this the wrong way, Dave, but you did unbolt the thing from the floor, right? It's four nuts.

Toddimus

Dave,

I just was poking around the DME connector to do some testing, and I also had trouble getting the plug out. I found a zip tie on the harness that leads up to the plug that was restricting movement of the plug. I think there's no harm in cutting the zip tie, so I did and the plug came out much easier. Also, it appeared that I wasn't the first person to be messing around there since the foam/tar covering on the floor was ripped a bit in the vicinity, which made the job a bit easier still.

Hope that helps,
Todd

Dave R.

Joey,

Unbolt the DME box *before* disengaging the plug from the box? Nope, didn't think of that!

So are you saying it is impossible to disconnect the plug without unbolting the DME box?

I overlooked that possibility because Schubee's <a href="http://forums.rennlist.com/forums/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=004237#000007" target="_blank">description</a> implies disconnecting the plug before unbolting the DME box. Besides, I don't want to remove the box or replace the DME, I just want to access the pins in the cable end plug and check whether the temperature sensor on the #3 cyl is behaving properly.

Thanks for the tip.
-Dave
'90 C2

Dave R.

Todd,

I was replying to Joey B when you posted...

I cut the zip tie away this morning for my 2nd attempt at the plug, that helped but not enough. I've been resisting the temptation to apply more force.

Were you able to disengage the plug without unbolting the DME box? If so, at about what angle did the far end release, or in other words, how far did you have to rotate the cable end of the plug away from the DME box before the other end of the plug released from the slot?

Thanks
-Dave
'90 C2

Toddimus

Dave,

It looks like I was doing it for the same reason you were, to check resistances of temperature sensors.

I was able to disengage the plug without unbolting the unit. I gave the tabs that are restricting the release a bit of help with a flat blade screwdriver to make them release. I would guess that I had to move the plug about 45 deg, maybe a bit more. It does take some wrestling to get it out. Like I said in the previous post, I think it helped that the floor coating was a bit torn where the plug harness disappears under it. Don't apply too much force though.

Disclaimer: If you damage your harness, don't say I told you do pull hard!!

One surefire (and safer) way to get it to release is to unbolt the 4 bolts that Joey is talking about.

Good luck
-Todd

JasonAndreas

If you remove the four bolts and pull the dme out from under the seat the 55 pin connector will disconnect effortlessly. It is possible to remove the connector without rotating the box, its just that the strain relief hinge was designed to make this as difficult as possible (for good reason.)

Lorenfb

The DME harness is too short on 3.2's
and even shorter on 964/993's.

So, don't force the connector off
and unbolt the "box" first. Install
in reverse, connect first and then
bolt it down.

Good luck
Lorenfb@aol.com

Dave R.

Thanks for all the comments guys.

I unbolted the box and then released the plug easily.

Temp sensor on cyl #3 checks out as functional.

-Dave
'90 C2