[V8] the dreaded blue wire debacle

[Tony and Lillie]

I tore a V8 to the bare shell, and kept everything. There is a "splice" on 
the power cable, but it only feeds a 10 or 12 ga wire to a relay on the 
passenger side footwell. The power wire isn't actually split there. The 
cover is just stripped off so the splice is able to make contact.

Tony Hoffman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Larosa Jr" <Mc.Larosa at Sun.COM>
To: <Mc.Larosa at Sun.COM>
Cc: <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: [V8] the dreaded blue wire debacle


>
> And please do let us know if there is a splice or not,  I had
> them but I just saw somebody say there isn't one a V8...  curious :)
>
> Mike,
>
>
> Michael Larosa Jr wrote:
>> Steve,
>>
>> Go to See: http://www.audifans.com/archives/1997/06/msg02221.html
>>
>> check the splice...
>>
>> Mike,
>>
>>
>>  Kramer wrote:
>>
>>> Well, it's happened again.  One week after having the cluster taken out 
>>> and the blue wire fixed  I thought I was through with the blue wire 
>>> thing.
>>>
>>> Last night, I went to Radio Shack for some audio cables.  Turned the car 
>>> and  got no alternator light.  Switched it off.  Then back on alternator 
>>> light came.  Started the car and the alt light/ brake light/ cat light 
>>> all came on and stayed dim.  Started revving the engine to 3000 and then 
>>> they turned off.  Made it home with no problems.  At home I switched it 
>>> off then on. Alt light came on again.  Phewww !!   Looks like the 
>>> alternator is going kapput or the dreaded blue wire is raising it's ugly 
>>> head!
>>>
>>>
>>> This morning I started the car up - 3 combo lights came on dim.  Driving 
>>> the car  - Seems I need to get to over 3000 rpm for the lights to turn 
>>> off. Dropped my kid off at school.  Started the car but this time no 
>>> alternator light. Drove home no problem.  At home I turned  the ignition 
>>> car on then off.  This time even the brake light was off.   Tried later 
>>> alt. light came on.
>>>
>>> Everything was working great for a week.  No dim lights or anything.  My 
>>> mechanic had pulled out the dash and had cleaned the contacts at the 
>>> cluster and at the alternator.  Repeatedly he switched the car off and 
>>> on to make sure the alt. light was working.  He also replaced the bulb. 
>>> He checked the alt. afterward and it was putting out the 14.1 volts. 
>>> Battery head was something like 12.9.  CC still shows the flat 12.0 on 
>>> channel 11.
>>>
>>>
>>> My questions
>>>
>>> 1.  could the intermittent operation have anything to do with the 
>>> alternator going kapput - working sometime and not working others?   My 
>>> car does have the belly pan but I have been going through some large 
>>> puddles and snow.
>>>
>>> 2.  is the intermittent operation more like due to a failing cluster 
>>> that should be replaced?  does the CC go through the cluster as well? 
>>> Don't know if this related but sometimes both my gas and temp go off 
>>> intermittently.
>>>
>>> 3.  Possibly while closing the flap behind the glove compartment( busted 
>>> spring) I may have pulled on a wire hanging there thus pulling off  the 
>>> blue wire.  =
>>>
>>> 4.  Is the blue wire the culprit?  Perhaps even if the alt light doesn't 
>>> come on when the ignition comes on - I'll notice while driving that the 
>>> battery starts charging.  I'm thinking of going to an Auto parts store 
>>> and getting a voltmeter to track the voltage at the positive post on the 
>>> battery while I'm driving.  I suspect while driving I'll see volts 
>>> coming on and shutting off several times.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> Steve Kramer
>>> 1990 v8q
>>>
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>>> contributions welcome!
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
>
>     _/_/_/  _/    _/  _/     _/      Mike LaRosa
>    _/      _/    _/  _/_/   _/       TSE - HAS
>   _/_/_/  _/    _/  _/  _/ _/        1617 Southwood Drive
>      _/  _/    _/  _/   _/_/         Nashua, NH 03063
> _/_/_/   _/_/_/   _/     _/
>   S U N                              Phone: 781/442-1250
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> contributions welcome!