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Old 01-03-2017, 10:07 PM
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Default Help identify/verify these wires

Hello,

I recently discovered cut wires in my car (99 Camaro) that i need help verifying. The first one, I'm pretty sure is for the Air/Fuel meter a previous owner installed. The meter is just swooping back and worth, which I'm guessing is the result having no signal. I just want to verify before connecting wires that shouldn't be.

The first image shows the cut wire, along with a yellow, and black wire. The yellow wire runs to a thermostat on the transmission. The car has a trans temp gauge installed. The black wire pigtails off a front O2 sensor. The cut wire runs along and connects to the red crimp in the second picture. Which then runs forward into conduit. I'm assuming this pig tails off a MAF wire?

The fourth image is inside the cabin. The blue is a taped crimp that connects the black wire from the engine bay to the that purple wire inside. There is a cut black wire on the inside as well, however it does not seem long enough to connect to the cut wire on the outside.

Lastly the fifth and sixth pictures are of a cut wire I found while crawling near the gas and brake pedals tracking down that other wire. What is that?

The car has run and driven fine since I've had it, so I'm too concerned about this. However, if that wire is for my A/F gauge, I'd like to re-run a new wire and avoid having multiple crimps along the way.

Thanks in advance!
Attached Thumbnails Help identify/verify these wires-20170103_205121.jpg   Help identify/verify these wires-20170103_205136.jpg   Help identify/verify these wires-20170103_205157.jpg   Help identify/verify these wires-20170103_205804.jpg   Help identify/verify these wires-20170103_210136.jpg  

Help identify/verify these wires-20170103_210212.jpg  
Old 01-03-2017, 10:34 PM
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This is frightening... Looks like a lot of novice aftermarket installs.

Originally Posted by Z28SLPCAMAROZ28
The first image shows the cut wire, along with a yellow, and black wire. The yellow wire runs to a thermostat on the transmission. The car has a trans temp gauge installed. The black wire pigtails off a front O2 sensor. The cut wire runs along and connects to the red crimp in the second picture. Which then runs forward into conduit. I'm assuming this pig tails off a MAF wire?
In a car, yellow should only mean "danger - air bag" - so this is not a good choice for this application. Stealing the ground off the O2 sensor is also another non-stellar choice. I would not use either of these.

Originally Posted by Z28SLPCAMAROZ28
The fourth image is inside the cabin. The blue is a taped crimp that connects the black wire from the engine bay to the that purple wire inside. There is a cut black wire on the inside as well, however it does not seem long enough to connect to the cut wire on the outside.
Gotta follow, trace, and figure out as this is non-stock. While you are at it, maybe you can remove it?

Originally Posted by Z28SLPCAMAROZ28
Lastly the fifth and sixth pictures are of a cut wire I found while crawling near the gas and brake pedals tracking down that other wire. What is that?
Same as above.
Old 01-03-2017, 11:25 PM
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In the aftermaket Air/fuel ratio gauges, they all seem to have some sort of pig-tail off the front O2 sensor. Is this not the preferred way? If not, what is?

This appears to be how mine is wired.
http://my.prostreetonline.com/wp-con...08/wiring1.jpg

I'm going to try and track down, and remove any unnecessary wires.

Thanks!
Old 01-04-2017, 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Z28SLPCAMAROZ28
In the aftermaket Air/fuel ratio gauges, they all seem to have some sort of pig-tail off the front O2 sensor. Is this not the preferred way? If not, what is?
I read your post as the wire was spliced to the black wire on the sensor, also. (I assumed that since the wire was black.) That wouldn't match your gauge wiring diagram.

I take it that the black wire goes to a different color on the O2 sensor?
Old 01-04-2017, 03:37 PM
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Do you know of any reason why the hatch release button would be unplugged? The button has never worked in my vehicle, and I've always figured it was just a broken button, using my fob instead.

After snooping around to track down those wires, I found out it was unplugged and taped away.

Just want to be sure there is isn't a common issue or reason why this unplugged before I plug it back in.

Thanks for your help
Attached Thumbnails Help identify/verify these wires-20170104_152814.jpg  
Old 01-04-2017, 04:32 PM
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Curiosity got the best of me so I plugged it in with the car off etc, and someone else around to kill power in case anything went south. The switch functions fines. However after closer examination there are other wires taped in.

I have to go back to college in a couple days. At this point I think I'm just going to put everything back the way it was. It really seems like I'm about to go down the rabbit hole if I keep snooping.
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Old 01-04-2017, 09:42 PM
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Frightening... Something else was going on at that button, given the other wires. I would have guessed they re-purposed the hatch button for something else. Surprising that it works!
Old 01-04-2017, 09:43 PM
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I think this project deserves some time when you can take all the interior panels off and trace these phantom wires and pull them all out. It looks like someone just hacked out all the aftermarket stuff in a rush.
Old 01-04-2017, 09:58 PM
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Agreed.Those three wires underneath the tape was actually just "one". The blue/green wire was spliced in. The red and yellow wires are just little segments attached as it appears to be a ribbon cable. Whoever did this was too lazy to remove these tiny segments.

I removed the spliced wire and taped the area off. Might reconnect the hatch switch as it would be nice to have it, and it works. Just going to watch carefully for the time being, while its plugged in.

As for the others, I'm going to put them off till the summer. This is certainly going to take more than two days to track down.

Thanks for your help!
Old 01-04-2017, 10:48 PM
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Turns out that little stub of cable with the 5 wires inside is labeled Speedwire multiconductor installation wire. Google shows it typically used for amplifier installations. Someone must have ripped out an amplifier.

This all makes sense, as the four main speakers in the car are wired directly to the headunit.
Old 01-04-2017, 11:11 PM
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Alright, tracked that cable down! It goes the passenger side, then patches into a harness behind the kick panel. I'm guessing the harness it patches into goes to the stock amplifier in the back. The 4 gauge red, flat black, and shiny blue are cables I had ran for my sub install.
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