Melting Wire From Under Gear Stick Lever

[Wastedagen]

Hi,

Just joined because I was hoping I could get some advice/help from some of you who probably know this car inside and out.

I have a R' reg (97 I believe) AUTO 1.4 8v. In a nice faded red........... Last september I got an SOS call from the misses because as she tried starting the car smoke was coming from inside somewhere. So I shot out with some tools to see what was up. After about 30 mins of looking under the bits of plastic I found where the burning was coming from. It was an earth wire on a cluster below the gear stick.





Now being 13 odd years old I assumed (yes I know) that it had worn through and maybe shorted against a positive somewhere and then burnt out. So I replaced/soldered in a new earth wire, tested everything and put it back together. All this at 8:30pm in a car park in windsor with just a torch and my car headlights.

I digress................

No more burning, no more smoke, so I thought...................

Well yesterday the wife went out to start the car and nothing. Ignition lights came on but no turn over of the car. Just more smoke and burning again.

I opened it up again and sure enough it had melted again. This time I replaced the wire again (pic 2), but didn't connect it back up to the cluster. To my amazement everything works. I was hoping something wouldn't work so I could fix or replace the offending culprit.

Now I don't really want to leave this earth cable unplugged but at the moment I have. The car drives fine and everything work as it should.

Now my questions are:

Does anyone know what this earth is for?

This earth wire goes forward through this foam and dissappears. I couldn't follow it. I looked under the dash and found no other signs of melting wiring. If it's an earth for something in the engine bay, why would it be earth under the gear stick?



I would like to know what it's earthing. Can anyone shed some light please. Is it necessary or can I leave it unplugged........

Thank you in advance.
Kind Regards


P.S. Sorry should I have posted this in The I.C.E. and Electrical threads............?

[matty101]

really wierd one that mate i know you sed u cudnt follow it but i'd try again and make sure that what ever earthing point its connected to is nice a clean and is actually getting a gd connection and doing what it shud do. other than that without seeing it in front of me i dont know what to suggest im affraid.

[PRICER]

ask liam on here, bluecorsab because his car used to be an automatic so he might know or at least have an idea of what its for.

[Wastedagen]

really wierd one that mate i know you sed u cudnt follow it but i'd try again and make sure that what ever earthing point its connected to is nice a clean and is actually getting a gd connection and doing what it shud do. other than that without seeing it in front of me i dont know what to suggest im affraid.

Cheers mate,

I will endevour to have another look. Will get back under the car and see if it comes out along with the gear stick push/pull rod. Seems to go through the foam at the same point.

Regards

[Wastedagen]

ask liam on here, bluecorsab because his car used to be an automatic so he might know or at least have an idea of what its for.

Will do, I'll try and find him and PM him.

Regards

[Wastedagen]

Ok, Ive just tried to send a PM to bluecorsab, but my PM's just sit in my Outbox. Is this normal? Aren't they supposed to go, and then go into my Sent Box?

I did email an administrator but just in case my PM's aren't going through, I thought I'd ask this question here too.

Regards...............

[matty101]

mine does the same mate,

[Wastedagen]

But does the PM go through? Or is there something wrong?

[PRICER]

i think its something like, it will sit in your outbox until that person has read it, because iv sent messages and they'v just sat there for days, then i get a reply saying sorry for late reply iv been off.... etc soo thats what iv come to understand of it

[Wastedagen]

ok thanks guys....I'll just wait..

Regards

[bluecorsab]

hi there, just got your PM and thought i would reply in your thread, just been thinking and i would look into where that earth wire goes, it may either go to the control module on top of the gearbox or the engine ecu which sits in the foam in the drivers footwell near the gearlever, you may also want to check the engine earths as that earth wire that has melted may be a secondary earth and the current its pulling is too much for it ? the earths that i know of in the engine bay are one that goes from negative on the battery to the body, one that earths the engine loom to the engine and one that earths the engine to the body via the gearbox to the chassis leg

[Wastedagen]

hi there, just got your PM and thought i would reply in your thread, just been thinking and i would look into where that earth wire goes, it may either go to the control module on top of the gearbox or the engine ecu which sits in the foam in the drivers footwell near the gearlever, you may also want to check the engine earths as that earth wire that has melted may be a secondary earth and the current its pulling is too much for it ? the earths that i know of in the engine bay are one that goes from negative on the battery to the body, one that earths the engine loom to the engine and one that earths the engine to the body via the gearbox to the chassis leg

Thanks for the swift reply. I will try to check these places tomorrow. But if I have trouble locating any chance you could upload a quick camera pick showing the areas you indicated.

I will let you know how it goes..............Thanks.

Regards

[bluecorsab]

yh i dont think that should be a problem

[Wastedagen]

yh i dont think that should be a problem

Thank you kindly.

[Wastedagen]

hi there, just got your PM and thought i would reply in your thread, just been thinking and i would look into where that earth wire goes, it may either go to the control module on top of the gearbox or the engine ecu which sits in the foam in the drivers footwell near the gearlever, you may also want to check the engine earths as that earth wire that has melted may be a secondary earth and the current its pulling is too much for it ? the earths that i know of in the engine bay are one that goes from negative on the battery to the body, one that earths the engine loom to the engine and one that earths the engine to the body via the gearbox to the chassis leg

Hey bluecorsab,

I just spent an hour looking for the ares you mentioned and could only find the obvious one, the earth to the body of the car. Which was ok.



The othe two brown wires simply merged into a mass of sheathed/shielded wires so I don't know where they go.

Is this the Control Module ontop of the gearbox. If so then all the fixings were secure. I couldn't really prise anything of.



I couldn't find any ECU looking box in or around the drivers footwell or near the gear stick lever. Could you point the area out where I should be looking or take a pic of the item. Thx.




Any chance you point out the engine loom to the engine earth and one that earths the engine to the body via the gearbox to the chassis leg

Sorry about this, but I know enough about electrtics to keep me alive, but bugger all about cars. Especially terminology. What's a Chassis Leg??

Once again thanks for your help so far.

Regards