8 replies to this topic

[pete l]

Hi all,

 

I am putting my MPI back together (that I bought dismantled) to get it through it's french MOT and I have this cut and shut wiring going to the steering column.

 

Why would anyone do such a thing ?????

 

And there is what looks like a modification, (bodge) the light blue wire (cut in two) shorts out two thick brown wires, from the ignition switch to the indicator / light stalk. Anyone got a clue what that would do ?

 

 

 

Edited by pete l, 07 February 2018 - 09:09 AM.

[paulrockliffe]

If I had to guess I'd say it isn't shorting it out it's taking power from the ignition switch to the indicators.  On my non-MPI setup the purple wire that supplies the Horn switch also supplies the indicators via a little black wire between the two switches, I suspect that is replicating that.  You might bodge it if you wanted to swap from switched live to unswitched live perhaps, or if you hacked it about and missed the little black wire and wondered why your indicators weren't working.  But that's a guess.

 

It all looks a bit of a mess and if it's anything like mine was you'll find some burnt wires under there.  So that I was sure it was safe I would cut out the crap and reconnect with a proper crimping tool and trace all the wires back to the right fuses with your Haynes manual so you know everything is getting it's power from the right place and that none of the fuses are over-loaded.  I'd check the fuse ratings are correct for the circuits as well.

 

I'm rewiring my car at the moment because of stuff like that and have ended up fitting new fuseboards and using some 200A relays to control the switched/.unswitched 12v feeds to avoid so much load going through the ignition switch.  Have discovered some funny ways of wiring things back to power that seems to be standard.  Eg last night I traced the 12v to the rev counter, it gets it's power from the windscreen wiper motor!

 

Good luck!

[Steve220]

Pete, have you got a copy of the MPi wiring diagrams? Might be worth downloading them and going through it slowly.

[pete l]

No, I don't have the wiring diagram for the MPI, it is available online ?

[gazza82]

http://www.theminifo...agrams-redrawn/

[Northernpower]

No, I don't have the wiring diagram for the MPI, it is available online ?

Yes, it's on the forum, http://www.theminifo...agrams-redrawn/ Scroll down to the one you want.

[viz139]

Maybe somebody tried to hot wire and steal the car at some point. Not the worst repair I've seen. Each of the two brown wires should have 12v on them , if one of them doesn't than this "short" was done as a repair. If one of them is not 12v than the problem is probably around the engine bay fuse-box.

[GraemeC]

Looks to me someone has replaced the ignition switch with one that didn’t have the correct wire colours or plug and hence has spliced it to the old loom.

[pete l]

I just find it strange that someone would cut all the wires to the ignition and lights / indicators. 

 

Maybe someone wanted to remove the loom and couldn't be bothered to undo the steering column mount !!!!

 

BUT I found another bodge, in the headlight there is an extra wire added going to the side light, the other end has a crimp spade connector on it. Can't see where it might go yet.