Mystery Wire Destroyed... HELP??

[disasterlady]

Rodents have nested and eaten this wire in the middle of my V6 engine. I do not know what this wire is to, but it is disconnected to whatever connection IS down deep inside the engine area that I cannot get to. SEE PHOTOS PLEASE AND LET ME KNOW WHAT IT IS? Red end of wire is the part that became disconnected.

I imagine it is to a sensor or indicator of some kind, nothing showing up on instrument panel EXCEPT the check engine light which goes on intermittently and I have yet to be where I can get the code read at that time.

I have a constant woodrat / mice problem as I live up in the hills, surrounded by Oaks and a seasonal creek and have no garage, just a carport. I leave my hood up when parked and have the electronic sonic repellents plugged into a solar panel, but once in a while I forget to turn them on. It only takes one night... sigh. Use Pet urine neutralizer too.

Appreciate ALL serious comments, thanks all!

[Y33TREKker]

This is just something of a wild guess based on various pics from the troubleshooting manual since I'd rather not go outside and look at mine right now (VX is outside, with a car cover, with a few inches of snow on top, and 14 degrees F).

Anyway, looking at both the Electrical Connector and Wire Harness Routing diagram in the back of the manual and a few other pictures and schematics, it makes it appear as if that may be the wire to connector #E27 which would go to the Crankshaft Position Sensor. A difference I see in the manual though is that is a Red/Yellow wire, and not just Red.

Does your VX turn over but not start? I'd think if the CPS sensor wire was no good I wouldn't think the engine would ever start.

[disasterlady]

I truly appreciate all of your sacrafice! heh heh. VX runs fine and starts fine, just engine light goes on and off. The wire is a solid red ( the black in the photo is electrical tape from a former chewing incident that did not disconnect it ). The wire appears to be twisted copper and about the thickness of speaker wire.

Maybe if we knew what the plug or wiring harness was that it is hooked int, that would help? It is circled RED in the 3rd photo.

[Y33TREKker]

Ah, so the pic of the wire hanging down in front of the timing belt cover (2nd photo) is not the actual routing? That pic just shows the wire pulled out front and center so a pic could be taken of it?

It appears then that the wire runs under the black plastic engine cover from the front of the engine towards the rear of the engine on the passenger side? If that's the case, then the black plastic engine cover can easily be removed just by pulling up on it since it's just held on by four rubber grommets. Once you have that cover off, maybe the other end of the wire would be visible?

If on the other hand the wire run more towards the center of the engine underneath the intake manifold, it's possible it could be a wire for the knock sensor. If it's a knock sensor wire, you would probably experience a lack of normal power under heavy load due the ignition timing being retarded.

At any rate, I'd guess that being outside for a few minutes in Riverside would be less of an ordeal than it would here in the Shawnee at the moment.:bgwo:

[WormGod]

Hmm, dunno. If it were the Crankshaft Position Sensor, you would code out. My sensor went bad a couple years ago and coded. Imagine a "no-read" from a broken wire would do the same.

Check the Knock Sensor. Though I believe that is a black wire from memory, but it is around the same location you are mentioning....

[disasterlady]

Yes Y33TREKker, it was pulled out for the Photo. It does run towards the back, but much deeper than just under the manifold cover. Forgive me, I am not a gearhead and that's the one reason I am asking all you folks, hahaha. I guess you would call the area being in the middle of the engine, under the manifold between the 2 V shaped sides of the engine where the pistons are? A really nice little nesting place for critters. I have to vacuum out nuts, etc. occasionally when I catch them. Since I live in the hills, I don't always have an opportunity to be where I can get the code read... WHEN it comes on. I also have health issues, so I don't get around as much as I would like, but I am focusing on getting this checked this week.

Mechanic had said that he would have to take all the manifold and everything above apart to get to that area to try to figure out where it was attached.... not sure I could do this myself?

Thanks for all ideas!! Thanks for that info Gary, sounds plausible.

Dlady

[siemprelisto]

Hi,

I have a motor sitting on a stand with the wiring harness still attached. When I'm able to make it out to my warehouse I will take a look.

I will try this evening to go out there.

Happy New Year to ALL!

[Y33TREKker]

Check the Knock Sensor. Though I believe that is a black wire from memory, but it is around the same location you are mentioning....
There WAS at least one black wire associated with the knock sensor when I found it in the wiring schematics, but I didn't find any additional wires associated with the knock sensor that were red. That's not saying there isn't a red wire associated with the knock sensor, just that in my searching I didn't see one.

Maybe it runs somewhere else completely though? What are the chances that the little culprit found it somewhere else, got it chewed through where it originally was, then decided to take the loose end down under the intake manifold for later snacking?

Sorry I wasn't able to help more. I'm not sure, but I think my car cover may be frozen in place at this point, so even getting the hood up for a look might turn out to be an entirely separate ordeal. :_snowplow

[disasterlady]

Thanks for the effort and reply Y33TREKker, When the critter chewed it before, it was still connected, that's why I saw it leading to the back of the engine.

Siemprelisto: thanks, appreciate it and Happy New Year to you also!

[siemprelisto]

Hi,

Finally made it out to my storage for your pictures.

The plug attaches to either a Temperature or Pressure sensor about center of the block under manifold. These pictures were all shot from the rear of the engine with it on an engine stand.

Don't think you'll be able to get to it from the rear, access will be very tight if you can even get to it.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_1072-1.jpg http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_1072-2.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_1075-1.jpg

[disasterlady]

THANKS, that is extremely helpful, really! NOW... IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THAT IS?

THANKS EVERYONE AND ANYONE THAT IS HELPFUL, DLady

[Y33TREKker]

I had a chance to look at mine today too and agree that, given it's position, it appears to be the Knock Sensor. That's also based on Picture #34 in my Electronics Troubleshooting Manual for 1999 VX's.

That said, the color designations listed in the manual don't agree with the actual color of the wire you're seeing (or mine either since I could see that it is also Red going right into the sensor itself), but there's no mistaking the picture in the ETM.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_01412.jpg

[disasterlady]

awesome Gary, thanks. hmmm, is that #34 photo looking from front on left to back on right side of photo? It appears to be attached in the middle of engine area rather than towards the back like what siemprelisto looks like... or maybe I'm just off?
thanks again, DLady

[Y33TREKker]

The photo seems to have been taken from the front drivers side of the engine looking towards the middle of the passenger side of the engine. The large diameter hose starting from the bottom left of the picture is the radiator hose on the center front of the engine.

And if you were referring to me when you said Gary...I'm not Gary. :p

[disasterlady]

Thanks Y33TREKker!! Sorry about name ... that was WormGod. oopsy. I appreciate the help, now I gotta figure out HOW to get to it... hahaha.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

DLady

[Y33TREKker]

Thanks Y33TREKker!! Sorry about name ... that was WormGod. oopsy. I appreciate the help, now I gotta figure out HOW to get to it... hahaha.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

DLady
After looking for the wire from the front passenger side of the engine, I'd suggest working on it from there would be your best bet.

With a small pair of hands, you could possibly get to the connector (between the intake chambers and the engine block) to get it unplugged from the sensor itself, make the repairs to the wire with both the wire and the connector out front and center, then, once the wire is repaired, fish everything back into the opening between the intake chambers and the engine block and plug the connector back onto the sensor.

[disasterlady]

sorry, life got in the way....THANKS Y33TREKker, you have been of great help. I'm tackling this again, trying to figure out what I can disconnect out front of engine manifold area so I can get my hands into the center of engine area.
You identified the radiator hose in the manual photo, I'm assuming fluid will come out if I remove for fix? and the other hose? OK to open for this fix?

Anyone have suggestions? Also anyone know what a NEW Knock sensor costs and where to get ? I can see with a mirror that the wire broke off the end flush with the sensor, don't know if soldering would fix and what gauge wire.... would love info or suggestions??

[siemprelisto]

Next time I go out to my storage I will get some close up pictures from the front of the engine at eye level.

I remember trying to take a picture of the knock sensor from the front when I got you the others. I don't think I could even see a path to it from the front.

I will also look to see what has to be removed in order to get to it from the front.

There's always a way...

[WormGod]

Not an easy location to get to. I replaced my module and connector when I had the supercharger off last, so it was a piece of cake to reach. Without knowing what all you are looking to repair/replace, it was affordable. Given you you arent touching the module itself, the connector is just a few bucks. Usually go to Rockauto to get good comps on pricing.

[Y33TREKker]

sorry, life got in the way....THANKS Y33TREKker, you have been of great help. I'm tackling this again, trying to figure out what I can disconnect out front of engine manifold area so I can get my hands into the center of engine area.
You identified the radiator hose in the manual photo, I'm assuming fluid will come out if I remove for fix? and the other hose? OK to open for this fix?

Anyone have suggestions? Also anyone know what a NEW Knock sensor costs and where to get ? I can see with a mirror that the wire broke off the end flush with the sensor, don't know if soldering would fix and what gauge wire.... would love info or suggestions??
If you were going to remove any other coolant hoses, then yes, draining the coolant system/radiator would be necessary first.

If the wire has been chewed off where you said, you wouldn't need a new sensor. It might be possible that you'd just need to reconnect the wires to the connector that plugs into the sensor, but you'd have to have it removed first to see what you had to work with. The other option would be to get another connector (with intact wiring at the connector) and splice that into the existing wiring harness that's going to the knock sensor area.

[disasterlady]

Thanks again Y33TREKker, yeah I realize now that I don't need to replace the sensor. The original wire is shot so I am ordering a new connector, I'll be splicing it into the harness as suggested.

I have decided to put some flame retardant aluminum tape over the wiring to discourage the chewing. I'm thinking of putting in some metal netting like chicken wire only 1/4 inch at both ends of that valley to keep the critters out... not sure how, but gotta try something.

Anyone else tried any of this?