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3 Posts
Greetings all,
I'm struggling to restore the wiring of a 1989 non-turbo 900 manual hatchback to basic functionality - at least enough for it to drive under its own power. A friend *ahem* helped to get it running by doing a little cutting and dicing and bypassing of wires (the problem actually was almost certainly bad fuel and a corroded ground connection), with the result that I was left with a tank full of good fuel an an intractable puzzle.
Long ago, a (competent) friend enabled me to avoid purchasing a replacement ignition switch by using a toggle switch and a contact switch. That worked well for years. (I failed, however, to get around to mounting the switches and securing what became a hanging grapevine of wires. *hangs head in shame*) More recently, the car sat untouched for an extended period and couldn't be started when it had to be moved urgently. Enter a friend, who did some electrical surgery. That failed. Someone kindly allowed me to tow the ailing beast to her yard - with the understanding that the arrangement would be temporary. At this point, I've disconnected all the romex and, following the circuit diagrams in Bentley's, seem to have re-created the necessary connections, so it should run. Isn't theory wonderful?
Initially, with the Creative Re-wiring, the fuel pump made occasional gasps. With the logic of The Old Ways were the Good Ways, I restored the excised wire between fuel pump and front wiring bundle. At one point the fuel pump hummed when I bypassed the fuel relay. Later it didn't with the same jump. At another point I was able to get the starter cranking, though it was lacking fuel to turn over. Now it's not cranking at all. Another wire which I *think* I've restored goes between the solenoid and fusebox.
At present, instead of the long-gone ignition switch I have two light switches: power and starter. When I turn on the power switch, the check engine, battery, and shift up lights come on. The instant I turn on the starter switch, all the lights go off and nothing else happens.
What suggestions or thoughts - ideally other than a quick tow to the junkyard - do folks have? On the whole I enjoy puzzles and challenges, but I'm getting dangerously near throwing in the towel.
Many thanks in advance from an exasperated amateur!
I'm struggling to restore the wiring of a 1989 non-turbo 900 manual hatchback to basic functionality - at least enough for it to drive under its own power. A friend *ahem* helped to get it running by doing a little cutting and dicing and bypassing of wires (the problem actually was almost certainly bad fuel and a corroded ground connection), with the result that I was left with a tank full of good fuel an an intractable puzzle.
Long ago, a (competent) friend enabled me to avoid purchasing a replacement ignition switch by using a toggle switch and a contact switch. That worked well for years. (I failed, however, to get around to mounting the switches and securing what became a hanging grapevine of wires. *hangs head in shame*) More recently, the car sat untouched for an extended period and couldn't be started when it had to be moved urgently. Enter a friend, who did some electrical surgery. That failed. Someone kindly allowed me to tow the ailing beast to her yard - with the understanding that the arrangement would be temporary. At this point, I've disconnected all the romex and, following the circuit diagrams in Bentley's, seem to have re-created the necessary connections, so it should run. Isn't theory wonderful?
Initially, with the Creative Re-wiring, the fuel pump made occasional gasps. With the logic of The Old Ways were the Good Ways, I restored the excised wire between fuel pump and front wiring bundle. At one point the fuel pump hummed when I bypassed the fuel relay. Later it didn't with the same jump. At another point I was able to get the starter cranking, though it was lacking fuel to turn over. Now it's not cranking at all. Another wire which I *think* I've restored goes between the solenoid and fusebox.
At present, instead of the long-gone ignition switch I have two light switches: power and starter. When I turn on the power switch, the check engine, battery, and shift up lights come on. The instant I turn on the starter switch, all the lights go off and nothing else happens.
What suggestions or thoughts - ideally other than a quick tow to the junkyard - do folks have? On the whole I enjoy puzzles and challenges, but I'm getting dangerously near throwing in the towel.
Many thanks in advance from an exasperated amateur!
