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[Mick_600]

Hi, I'm new to the forum but have accesed some of the past topics so thankyou for the info I have gained so far.

Anyhow I now have a serious wiring issue on my 2002 ex police MV6. When fitting a hidden cigarette socket to permanently power my phone charger I was using the radio "ignition live" feed. Partly for ease as I have an adapter for a standard size radio (being ex police). Being only for a phone, I was looking for a low amp feed that should be fused, so the radio looked ideal.

Problem is, the lighter socket was goosed and had a short in it. I have also found out via smoke signals that this feed isn't fused and the wire is now burnt out as it took me a few seconds to think, gather my thoughts and disconnect the battery earth.

What I need to know is where this cable get's it's feed from so I can cut it, pull the old bare cable through and then run a new cable and if possible check for damage to other cables although this appears heavy but fixable at easily accessible the radio end but fairly light as it tracks back into the main loom so I may have been lucky.

However, without know where it starts I'm stuck and if I can't find it the car is dead as I cannot reconnect the battery. I have a haynes but that tells me nothing (although I have got the dash loose using it) and the owners handbook tells me the fuse for the radio is fuse 6 and I haven't got a fuse 6 !! Presumably, being a late car there is a control box somwhere that creates this feed as it stays live until the key is removed (or at least it used to !!).  

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated

[hotel21]

No direct experience of wiring and cars but do know that the guys who wire cars round my way are usually spot on when it comes to fuses etc and fit additional ones and relays where none otherwise exist.

Sorry this does not answer your Q directly but, as you have found, ex-police cars can be entertaining fun in more ways than one!

Someone more cleverer will be along to sort you out for real, no doubt.

Welcome to the forum, by the way!!  

[Mick_600]

Hi, Thanks for that.

Maybe I should clarify, I don't think the lack of fuse 6 is due to any police mods, more that the handbook is wrong for the actual car. The radio wiring looks completely standard and unmolested (at least it used to). There is no sign of the fuse box being bypassed for anything and all plod's wiring looks sensible or direct from the battery so bypassing the original electrics.

I would say the standard wiring is unfused for some reason, maybe a control box should trip but didn't. Hopefully somone will know where this wire should get it's feed from and I can fix it (and fit a fuse while I'm at it !!).

At the very least I'll be letting others know, if you want an ignition based live feed, "don't use the radio feed".

Cheers
Mike

[TheBoy]

I am sure it will be fused somewhere (except the +ve distribution fuses). I don't have my diagrams installed, so can't check at moment

[Kevin Wood]

They won't have left a small circuit like that unfused. Maybe it's been fiddled about with during the course of the plod conversion or a bigger rating fuse installed to run some extra gear without the wiring having been upgraded.

I'm not sure you'll find out from the standard wiring diagrams exactly where that wire runs through the loom. At a guess it'll head to the fuse box in the driver's footwell but it may pass a few more accessories on the way. Best to get a wiring diagram, locate that wire at the fuse box and chop it off. Then route another wire to the affected items once you have figured out why the fuse didn't protect it.

Kevin

[Mick_600]

Thanks everyone. I have traced it back ..... scary !!

There is an inline join, 5 cables, 3 joined in to 2 that looks factory, not plod (not the usual insulation tape covering used for the rest of the mods), around the base of the steering column so reckon it probably leads straight to the ignition, thats the directoin it goes !!! This is also part of the main loom rather than the extra bits added on.

Fortunately, the connection to 4 other leads has meant no burining past this point so only about a meter of cable has gone and it will slide freely so looks like minor colateral damage to other cables.

Hopefully as long as there is no electrical parts damage I may have got away with it, if you can call taking the 30 ish parts off to get the dash clear getting away with it and I haven't got it all back and working yet.

I emphasize though THIS LOOKS LIKE A FACTORY ARRANGEMENT MEANING, IF I'M RIGHT, THIS RED IGNITION FEED LEAD TO THE RADIO IS A THIN RED WIRE AND IT ISN'T FUSED. Thinking about it, they can't. A fuse would have to be capable of allowing 3 times the current to power the three cables so how could they use a fuse stopping just one cable from taking too much current ?

Mine will be now, just need to decide where to put it so I can change it if needed without taking the dash out.

I'll post again when I know if it still goes  :-/

Many Thanks
Mike

[TheBoy]

Possible they think fuse not required, as there is a fuse in the back of a standard stereo...

[Mick_600]

Always dangerous, that "Thinking"  

[Kevin Wood]

A fuse is there to protect the wire, as we have discovered  
Even if the radio is fused there should have been something to protect that section of wire.

It's most odd to have thin wiring unfused on a modern car.

Kevin

[Mick_600]

IT RUNS !!!!!!    

Got it all back together, only one undoing and redoing to re-route the digital dispaly cable which wouldn't reach. It's now got a 20 amp fuse in it and is accessible by removing the fuse box. Also got rid of a load more disconnected plod wiring and got the panels to fit better, the side panel on the drivers side used to unclip, fits properly now.

Only one casualty, the abs light now comes on, but compared to maybe losing the car that is very much a result. Might this be the result of a hasty disconnect of the battery needing the system now to be reset or the screw mentioned below. Can I read this code with a normal ODBll reader ?

The inevitable one extra screw, probably from around the steering column and maybe the cause of the abs light ?? It is small and not a self tapper type, so screws in to a thread somewhere, it was on the drivers side floor so will be from that side (one of the tricks I use if I cannot actually replace the screw where it came from as I dismantle).

Thankyou very much for helping me to think this through to a very happy conclusion.

Cheers
Mike

[davlad22]

the abs light now comes on, but compared to maybe losing the car that is very much a result. Might this be the result of a hasty disconnect of the battery needing the system now to be reset or the screw mentioned below. Can I read this code with a normal ODBll reader ?

Nice work. The airbag light may possibly be, as you say, a result of disconnecting the battery too fast. Isn't the time frame something like, "time for a cup of tea"!?!   I believe the airbag light can actually be reset by most of the 'cheapo' tech 2 readers (on ebay) so people say it's often worth that cost alone if you're gonna tinkering around for a little while. Otherwise, have you disturbed some connections around the ignition or passenger side when you've had the dash apart? Otherwise, connections under the seat?

The screw!?! Well putting that back is surely like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow   Just check it all when if it all comes out again. I wouldn't mind betting it's from some plod equipment though? (comms gear?)

[philayl]

Hi, recommend you go and see Andy Stockton at Asautocare in Widnes, he has a proper Tech2 and will reset your abs, he has a sound knowledge of Vauxhalls, his website is www.asautocare.co.uk

[Mick_600]

Hi, Thanks for the tip but I have now had the fault code read FOC by the guys that did the cambelt for me.

It is a fault and it shows as being the squib having low resistance. Be great if it is the squib, I'll need to remove it and test it for a short but I have a nagging thought it could be a short in the loom resulting from the fried cable.

Here's hoping. At least it runs ...... or will do when I've fitted the new crankshaft sensor but that's another post I've got going.

Cheers
Mike (mick_600)