gta892000

OR IS ORANGE INCORRECTLY TAPPED SOMEWHERE?
dashboard, fuel, and fans together? really? that can't be right, can it?

Ten years ago, a garage "fixed" the fans so they both come on together. I can see it was wired so that both fans ran through one relay. Neither relay looks burnt, but I will swap them, since the seconday relay had no load ever! The secondary relay had its fan feed wire black with red strip cut, hidden in the harness. The two fan feeds were crimped together. Gee, thanks garage... How much did I pay to have them sand a ground wire and crimp two fan feeds together? I forget, but surely wasn't worth it.

A) What was the factory fuse size for the orange wire circuit that runs both fans and the fuel pump? (or that's how it was on this mangled mess) This one had 35 amps, is that correct?

B) Would you run a new ground cable from the battery to the other side of the radiator, where the sheet metal screw hold the grounds from both fans? just to add a beefy ground to the body (bigger than the little one off the main battery ground wire)

C) After ripping it all apart, why didn't they just route the ground wires toward the battery and use the screw that is currently direct to the battery? too small of wire?

The orange wire is pretty crusty at a crimp that looks factory, fairly deep into the wire harness on passenger side near the ac line...

D) Or should I reroute the grounds toward the battery and hook them in with the fairly small wire from the main battery negative cable that's screwed in next to the radiator? or just add a new main ground and leave them where they are... as it feeds something else, there's a nother ground wire going into a harness that must be for lights in front...

I cut out the orange wire that when you wiggle it, the fuel pump and dash lights went out... and cut out that big plastic nub and replaced with this
I used a 200amp fuse

I replaced a crusty 35 amp fuse holder with two 20 amp ACM fuse holders with rubber covers that connect after the main fuse to attempt to separate the fuel and the cooling fan orange
- but you can't... didn't look closely at schematic, seems rather stupid to put so much crap on the same circuit
in diag mode, it pops one fuse, then the other...ha - clearly 20 amp isn't big enough and it draws from either one... wtf? I guess I'll have to look around more and trace orange to see what else is powered by it




the way it was on the car I didn't understand:
there were orange wires crimp connected to a wires coming out of either side of the big rubber nub (fusible link?), one had a fuse... the other had nothing but a crusty crimp...

The secondary temp switch is new.

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I've got a piece of ten gauge soldered to a 12 gauge fuse holder with a 30amp fuse (figuring maybe its old fans and would need more than 20amp)


from this post: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/elec...y-getting.html
relay pins on connector of each relay
C-----A
D--E--F

pin E has the orange wire, factory circuit and is also connected to pin E on the 2nd relay
which now goes roundabout back to the battery to a 20amp fuse (too small for two fans)

The letters on the relay don't match my relays
the two relays in my car are positioned and labelled like this:
A -------
F -- E -- D
the schematic of where the letters go do match up exactly and with the color coded wires from the link above


Here's what I think I should do:

1. leave one relay for the secondary fan, and one for the main,

2. add a new, fused power feed for the main fan relay DONE.

3. run clean wire with clean, sealed connections from each relay to the each fan

4. ensure good ground for each fan ... ALMOST DONE

5. put all the orange fuses at 30 amps?

then it's wired up like factory?

except a beefed up fused wire from the battery to the main fan relay


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and be sure the new connections can withstand water, etc...
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO? thanks.

gta892000

after ripping apart all the taped wire harness stuff to get at it

I found the cut wire that was supposed to feed the secondary fan

I found the main orange power wire with a corroded crimp with what looks like black duct tape falling apart... is that factory?

Why were the grounds routed to the passenger side to a sheet metal screw? Even if doing that, why not go toward the battery where it has the ground wire to the metal next to the radiator?

Does anyone have pictures of a correct, factory installation?
I just want to see where they routed the wires.

NINÅ

gta892000

thanks for the advice.

I will make adjustments.

That 200a fuse is on the line with alternator and didn't know what size to make it.

I think I've dug up all problem wires.

As it is now:

secondary fan runs on original orange wire circuit
primary fan: new feed (to relay) and a new ground for both, 10gauge

can still replace the 200a with a 150 or 100a...what's the max for the alternator?

it seems that the orange wire circuit includes both fans and fuel pump and dash by factory? is that correct? my feeble attempt to separate them doesn't fix anything
although by removing the main fan, certainly, I expect a 20amp fuse to work...am I wrong?

thanks.

gta892000

I know why the secondary did not energize. I replaced the switch because it was bent, looked corroded, and had no wire attached. I found that wire, cleaned it up, added a new connector and attached it to the new temp switch. I wrapped the wire in the corrugated plastic stuff, then wrapped that in aluminum tape, and used safety wire attached to I forget what nearby to hold it in place because I knew it had no connector clip. Hopefully, that's enough for that.

I had way too many hours under the car looking at stuff ...

gta892000

gee, thanks garage... why didn't they tell me that? it is basic, is it not?

gta892000

for several connections, I used the old method of strip it about an inch,
clean it with a wire wheel on a drill, then twist with pliers on both ends to make a decent connection, then solder with the one that has flux built in...
on a few others bigger, I used the torch with silver solder... ran out of heat shrink
used tape, one direction, then the other...hopefully good enough for several years...

it's still early, I can rip it all out now, if necessary... god, I am tired of it already

this would be the fourth time...but whatever... if I have to, then I will.

the garbage can is filled with my clipping of tape, heat shrink, zip strips, etc.. never thought I would run out of zip strips...

I think I will take photos and submit to see if you all approve...

everywhere it looks like vibrations, I get nervous as it will wear through, we all know it...

either I keep this car, or I do a good job for some kid who can afford it and put on some paint... the oil pressure is up...it seems to run strong... there's no big rust..underneath has one tiny little hole under driver's door, very tiny... the rest looked worse than it was, just the undercoating flaking off, didn't want to deceive anyone, so I gave it a light spray of flat black...