Spent the afternoon with my girl. '86 5-speed.

While ripping out an old wire, I noticed something I haven't seen in a long time and had forgotten about.

Coming out of the harness above the fuse box (the harness that goes through the firewall, I think - I was *really* tired) is a loop of black wire with a white stripe and a red intermittent mark (i.e. one every few inches.)

Midwway through this loop is a blue connector. Actually, it's more like a small blue clamp. I don't recall seeing another like it anywhere else on the car. Coming out of this clamp is a solid black wire that runs down and behind the dead pedal. It has a female spade connector on the end, but the connector is wrapped in electrical tape so that it won't contact anything.

It seems clear that this black wire is someone's add-on, but I didn't see any male spade connectors nearby that it was meant to connect to. It appears that it was once connected to a device that was later removed, but the mystery modder didn't remove the solid black wire, choosing instead to insulate it and leave it. Sloppy guy.


Anyway, there's what I saw plus my speculations. What I would like to know is what that loop of black/blue/red wire is connecting. Was the mystery modder trying to ground it or draw power from it or what? I'm going through the FSM but it's slow going. I thought I'd put this up in the meantime.

 

Sounds like the factory starter kill plug, and its bypass loop... although weird that you would have it on a 86 since the factory security didn't start being available ubtil 87.

These are thick wires right?

 

I'm planning on hitting it again today. I'll look more cloesly then.

Are you certain that security wasn't available 'til 87? My first 7 was an 86 GXL with the alarm, and that alarm brain is working just fine in my current 86... The wiring is there for it.

 

Maybe it was a mid year thing

 

Yup, thick wire.

 

yeah i think the alarm was a mid year thing cuz my 86 has one

 

mind does too..

dont really know how its supposed to work tho, i just have a huge orange square by the armrest that says security on it. anyway to actually put it to use?

 

It should activate as soon as you lock both doors from the INSIDE. As long as the hatch is not open, you should hear a "beep" and the orange light will go on solid. When you close the door (holding the handle up) the light will flash rapidly for a few seconds, then flash slowly once every couple of seconds. Then it is armed, providing your alarm works, of course.