the source of all my electrical issues found!

[inh]

This pic was taken after i started sorting out the 30 some-odd wires that had shorted and melted together... I have no idea what caused the short as the wires are housed in a black plastic square conduit thing. Tomorrow morning im gonna try and repair this mess..

 

[96limitedX]

omg thats crazy! would it be better to get a whole new harness from the junk yard?

 

[inh]

not really. i cant just replace the harness as it runns all over the truck.

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Proper wire repair: shrink wrap, solder. Solder all connections - watch this video: http://www.news14charlotte.com/shared/video/buildasx.asp?AdShown=&vids=48601&mswmext=.asx

I'm sure you bought little butt-connectors which are ok, but WILL not last. Good luck.

-Drew

 

[IAmTodd]

Suprising you don't have a BBQ'd truck right now. Doesn't look like it would be too bad to repair. Could this be from little rodents?

 

[inh]

Doubt its from rodents, they'd have no way to get in there because of the housing the wire is in.

As for soldering, i am most certain its the correct way to go about this, and may have to look in to it. I just wish i had a soldering iron here... :/ the rest of my things wont be here till the 11th. Im gonna use the connectors ans solder the wires back in later on.

 

[Blee1099]

That looks like the wire loom that runs along the drivers door sill. Definately solder all the connections and heatshrink them.

 

[inh]

man this keeps getting better. went out to start the repair, but first i had to seperate out the rest of the wires.. Well the problem doesnt stop there...i keep working towards the back of the truck, still finding melted wires... I chase the wires up the b pillar to a little connector. melted wire continues past the conenctor.. all the way in to the rear drivers side door.. Theres this one little wire that has no insulator left, and i cant figure out what caused this.

The problem starts right after ford spliced 2 wires together to make one.. Two wires in, one wire out but theres no rubber left on it. its all melted away. What caused it to melt? I have no idea. The wires are wrapped in a plastic conduit which is then wrapped in electrical tape. Somehow this wire started shorting out and just kept going, getting past a connector (doesnt make much sense but it did) and continued shorting out all the way down the b pillar, and along the huge section of harness to more or less where the wires for the power seats run out of.

This really sucks.. I think im pretty much looing at buying the rear driver side door harness, and just asking someone parting out an x to chop out that section of harness and just splice the whole thing back in

 

[410Fortune]

a dead short is what melted all that insulation.

I recommend a junk yard and replace the entire harness.

 

[Spdrcer34]

I swapped from Manual Windows/Manual Mirrors/Manual Locks over to Pwr everything.....I had both Explorers parked next to each other, swapped mechanicals over first, then tackled the electrical, that's when the REAL fun began.

That wiring harness is just about the biggest PITA to deal with!.....right as it turns under the rear seat, the wiring for the rear lights & 4x4 computer go straight back, you will have to cut and re-splice those wires into your new harness.

Even knowing how much of a PITA that wiring is to mess with, if I were you, I'd just swap the ENTIRE harness!


Ryan

 

['97 V8]

ahhh i got aheadache, wiring chaps a$$ big time, all i can say is good luck...my thoughts and prayers are with you