Melted wire, and what the heck is this???

[Huntervf]

First of all, the main question: What is this and should I leave it unplugged?

This little box and plug are located under the dash on the driver side at the edge, right next to the center console and almost exacty aligned with the gas pedal. The box itself has three holes in it (like a chime perhaps?) and the wires in the plug are as follows (from left to right):

Green/red-yellow tracer/red/white-red tracer/black-red tracer/brown/black

And now the story on how I found this:

My car has had a noisy radio for some time; I'll get static in the speakers (most notably the left) and at times channels will cut out or get quiet, usually when turning left or right. Also, my top dome lights don't work (car has a moonroof). Neither condition have been a huge deal but yesterday I decided to do some exploration while cleaning the trunk. I found a single wire melted to ****...green with a yellow tracer. In short (no pun intended) I tore most of the interior apart tracking this wire through the harness and checking the other wires for damage. The casing was melted to other wires and in places the casing was completely melted away. Eventually I found this wire had already been snipped by a previous owner or shop; it was snipped half way along the driver side entrance, and I couldn't find the wire running on up under the dash so I believe it was taken out. Going the other direction, I followed this wire up under the headliner...I'm assuming this is the reason why my upper dome lights do not work as I didn't drop the headliner to follow it further.

Now then, while examining up under the dash to find any remanants of this wire I found said harness pictured above unplugged. I don't have any other electrical issues other than the crackling in the stereo and the dome light not working. Obviously this car had a serious electrical problem at one time with this wire burnt to a crisp for nearly the entire length of the harness, but I can't stand knowing something is unplugged, and I'm wondering if it may also have something to do with the stereo issue. Does anyone know what this thing in the picture does?


I hate electrical problems. I'd rather do a complete 60k then mess with wiring

 

[Ishodu]

That does look like the chime to me. I unplugged mine the day I got my car. Never had any issues. Good luck with the wiring its always a pain. There should be diagrams up on the forum somewhere they may help.

 

[Slo-Sho]

The chime box module also controls the "Lights on" reminder as well as the seat belt light. I just simply cut the "key in ign." wire. Coming back to a dead car because I left my lights on would not make my day.

 

[k_mesaros]

The chime box module also controls the "Lights on" reminder as well as the seat belt light. I just simply cut the "key in ign." wire. Coming back to a dead car because I left my lights on would not make my day.

2 words, Automatic Headlights.

I never turn mine off, and I never turn mine on. Does get old hearing "Hey, you left your lights on..."

Kevin

 

[Slo-Sho]

2 words, Automatic Headlights.

I never turn mine off, and I never turn mine on. Does get old hearing "Hey, you left your lights on..."

Kevin

I often times drive around with my parking/fog lamps on. To each his own my friend.

 

[projectSHO89]

Green wires with a yellow tracer is normally a GROUND wire. Whatever the previous short circuit was, it was probably either fixed or else it was "fixed".

Steve

 

[projectSHO89]

Green wires with a yellow tracer is normally a GROUND wire. Whatever the previous short circuit was, it was probably either fixed or else it was "fixed".

Steve

 

[Huntervf]

it was probably either fixed or else it was "fixed".

That has to be the best description for backyard repairs I've ever heard LOL

Would a ground wire get hot and melt like that? The whole thing and I mean the WHOLE thing was melted. And there is a second green wire/yellow tracer that's in a second harness...it's running to the trunk light (which is also non-functional) but this wire looks completely fine. There's also a solid black wire on the trunk light with the green one (the only two there), wouldn't the black be the ground?

In any case, there's nothing weird going on other than I still have the noise in my radio. I think I'll just leave well enough alone.

 

[TimboSHO]

I've found various connectors unplugged under my dash with nowhere to plug them in. I also have no options what-so-ever, so they are probably just for the options I don't have. If I had my car right now, I'd go check if I had that one hanging there, but I don't. Sorry Chris! And I agree, electrical problems are no fun!!!

 

[Taurus G]

behold! i have the awnser! sorta.... the reason that wire melted was because the load that was flowing through it was to strong for that wire to handle. let me explain a little better. if you have a light that is 20 watts, and a switch that is 20 watts, and also a wire that is thin and cant handle any more power than say 30 watts connecting the two together it will be fine. if you have a 20 watt fuse that limits the flow of power to the light than you have a complete circuit, minus the ground coming from the light. so you replace the 20 watt fuse and bump it up to a 50 watt because thats all you had at the time, it will draw 50 watts worth of power. that 50 watts going through that thin 30 watt wire is going to melt that wire before or during the time that it reaches the light. and trust me it will melt that wire so fast it will make your headspin. so to make the story short, the wire had to much power running through it. if that wire is melted like you say it is, then it cant be a ground, cause grounds never short out and melt, only the positives do that. so yeah, theres a little info on wiring.

Jamie

 

[projectSHO89]

Hey you!

You have some facts confused.

Wattage is power and is the result of voltage X amps.

The amount of current flow through a conductor is measured in amperes. Changing a fuse to a higher amperage value will not, in itself, cause an excess of current to flow through it and the load. It will, however, no longer provide over-current protection to protect the rest of the circuit components in the event of an overcurrent situation.

A situation of excess current in a series circuit results in the SAME current in ALL points of the series circuit (Kirchoff's law). That means that the ground lead is carrying the same peak load as every other circuit element. This situation will exist until the weakest link in the chain fails. This is supposed to the the fuse, but things don't always work that way. Ground conductors can and do fail, I have seen many in my 30 years of electronics and electical expeerience.

I was mistaken earlier in my statement about green/yellow wires typically being ground wires. Looking though the schematics, I saw enough instances that they were HOT wires to realize I was incorrect to make that broad of a statement. Sorry about that, it's what I get from relying an memory only.

Steve

 

[Taurus G]

thats what i meant...

 

[shofun93]

anyone have any idea where to re-fill my blinker fluid?

 

[RStalveyARFF]

it's next to your muffler bearings. Use only Dot15 synthetic though. Mikey sells it.

 

[stevemainian]

Dont forget to to add some high performance washer fluid in your resivor as well.. Good for 16 hp.

 

[penguinphan]

Can I get my spark plug coolant at the same place that I buy my blinker fluid?

 

[hawkeye18]

yeah, replace your headlight fluid while you're at it, get the halogen type.