engine and drivetrain Wiring Question

[paulram]

Quick Recap. New engine dropped in by PO.  Many wires cut, many not reconnected. It seems we may used whatever was convenient to get the car running. so...

 

I was told that all blue sheathed wires are emissions and should be able to be disconnected.  I have been disconnecting them and seeing the result.  Today I disconnected one that goes into a sensor in the manifold with no problem. Then I disconnected one that went to the coil which shut the car down (see picture of two wires spliced into female connector)  One of those wires (PO used speaker wire) goes to nowhere so no harm but the second wire (the one that when disconnected shut car off) is spliced into the orange relay.  This relay in turn is spliced into the other relay housing with no relay. This is again spliced into another connector.

 

I guess my question is if the only thing that is connected through all this mess is the wire to the coil (ignition wire?) Can't i get rid of this mess and just rewire it? 

 

Sorry for this long winded, confusing question.  I don't know where to begin in this decipher and referring to the wiring diagram is great when things aren't butchered, but I have a blue sheathed wire that starts my car.... UGH.  I tried to put these pics in order, spliced wire into orange relay, into relay connector with no relay into connector... 

Edited April 17, 2014 by paulram

[esty]

run a wire from # 12 fuse to the coil and you should be up & running without the smog harness being necessary

[esty]

more info here

 

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/index.php?s=58b825b54e35f816ef9ee39b2dd8216c&app=googlecse#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=wire%20from%20fuse%2012%20to%20coil

[paulram]

Thanks I'll take a look.  Out of all those wires, nothing is hooked up except one that leads into blue sheath and disappears into the car.  Don't understand where that is going but evidently is providing the juice I need. thanks for the links to the #12.  If I can run that directly, I can move a mess of wires.  There are so many cut and exposed wires I need to track down.

[FunkyLaneO]

If you take the fusebox out you will see where the last wire connects, take the one screw out holding the box in and lift it out, disconnect the wire from the back of the fusebox and replace it with a single wire to your coil. 

 

What you do next depends on which coil you have.

 

If you have a black coil:  you will need either a ballast resistor or a resistor wire, the resistor wire has clear insulation and is located in your blue bundle (just cut the blue sheath and take it out, this only applies to 74-76 cars), otherwise you should have a resistor mounted near the coil, run the wire to there and then on to the coil..

 

If you have a blue or red coil: no resistor is needed, just run a wire from the back of fuse 12 directly to the positive terminal n the coil (use a green wire so people who look at it later will know it is switched power)

[paulram]

Ok...  So The two wires from smog harness on is in #12 fuse and that does indeed connect to the coil.  I need to replace is it has been spliced three times for who knows what reason.  Can anyone tell me what the second wire would have been for?  It seems to run off fuse 11 (the black and white striped)

 

As far as I can tell its not being used for anything.  This is the wire that is jumped through two relays and a connector.

[paulram]

 

What you do next depends on which coil you have.

 

If you have a black coil:  you will need either a ballast resistor or a resistor wire, the resistor wire has clear insulation and is located in your blue bundle (just cut the blue sheath and take it out, this only applies to 74-76 cars), otherwise you should have a resistor mounted near the coil, run the wire to there and then on to the coil..

 

I have the clear wire on my 76 which look like it has been through the war.

 

Where can I find the same type of wire or do I need a resistor?  I tried searching but do not come up with it.

[FunkyLaneO]

If the wire is no good then you can get a resistor from an earlier car, they have the same resistance.  See if anybody has a used one they will sell you cheap, as I recall new ones are kind of expensive (like way more expensive than they should be, it is just a resistor for goodness sake)  I don't believe you can get a new resistor wire from BMW.

 

The other wire from the smog loom goes to the emissions wiring and possibly to an electric choke (if one has been added) or an idle shutoff solenoid (again, if one has been added) so you should be able to just unplug it and not worry, or you can run a wire from there to your choke and/or idle solenoid.

[paulram]

Thanks.  I did disconnect that wire with no ill effect and removed a clump of wires from my engine bay.  Right now the original wire is hooked up but it is not in great shape.  I also have power to the idle shutoff solenoid.

 

I did disconnect a blue sheathed wire from the underside of the manifold.  Is that just a smog related sensor.

[FunkyLaneO]

yup, the one that plugs under the intake manifold is a temp sensor used by the emissions equipment, mine is still there but only to plug the hole, nothing plugged into it.  There should be one on the top of the manifold too (between cylinders 3 and 4), you can remove that one because the hole it leaves doesn't need to be plugged (it either measures the temp of the air under the manifold or the temp of the manifold itself, not sure but it isn't necessary so chuck it in CD's neighbors pool)

[paulram]

One last question,

 

SO my resistor wire is beaten up and looks like its melted in some spots.  It looks like in a search I should use a .9 ohm ballast resistor with my black coil.  I assume I can use regular automotive wiring if using the ballast resistor?  What gauge?  

Edited April 26, 2014 by paulram