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A hell of a mess!

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Old 09-03-11, 02:22 PM
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A hell of a mess!

Hi!
I have recently bought a -93 RX7, and itīs full of problems!
To start with, the entire cluster is dead. (even the odo-meter section)
Similar to this thread: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/rx7-fd3s-instrument-panel-not-working-900691/
But my warning lights donīt turn red when ign is turned on.
I have checked the ground points, and even made som new ones.
Back light does work, but thats it!
Iīve read in a post here that a white plug from the engine harness, that barely makes it from the firewall, is that this one? If so, where do I connect it?
Iīve looked around it, and canīt find anything?


In the post I linked to above, they talk about a connector from the emissions harness to the dash. Is that what the white plug in the picture is?

I really hope that some kind person have the time to help me with this one.
And sorry for my bad english, Iīm from Sweden.

Best Regards
Christoffer
Old 09-03-11, 03:27 PM
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If I am not mistaken that white plug connects up behind the heater box, behind the glove compartment. I am not sure exactly what it does but from my engine removal I think it links the engine harness & ECU to the dash harness, which could be why your cluster doesnt work.
Old 09-03-11, 05:10 PM
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^ that right! Check behind the heater box right above your white connector
Old 09-03-11, 09:27 PM
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Ok, thanks for the quick response!
Iīm gonna try it the first thing tomorrow then! And cross my fingers!
I tried to make a quick ground from the inside of the firewall yesterday, and put that cable in every one of the pins from the four cluster wires, with different results..(While they where connected to the cluster)
When some of the pins got ground, the oil pressure went down to the bottom instead of the top. Another one got the fuel gauge to suddenly rise to the correct level. Everything went dead again as soon as I removed the temporary ground cable.
Could it still be just the white plug under the glove box?

I do have another question about the previous owners silly wiring:

There is a constant 12v cable running from the top of the alternator, to one of the pins under the EGI relay!? When I remove the fuse that you can see in the pictures, the car wont start. What kind of sollution is that, and why?



I did also discover that he had left the plug to the TPS disconnected!
Iīm gonna calibrate it tommorow, and I hope that it works?
You canīt imagine the amount of disconnected plugs in the engine bay!
Alot of the plugs seems to miss somewhere to be connected, and that makes me really worried!
This is just one example, and is located next to the left pop-up light:


I really want to thank all of you who take your time to read this, and hopefully got an answer.

/Christoffer
Old 09-03-11, 09:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Erix7rew
^ that right! Check behind the heater box right above your white connector
Hi.
Is one of those the one?


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Thanks!
Old 09-03-11, 09:51 PM
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That is the correct location. I want to say it's X14 becaue it looks like the pink harness is the body harness and this connector plugs into the engine harness. The plug is way up there, luckily I had my seat out so i was able to lay on the floor to see it.
Old 09-03-11, 10:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Turk82
That is the correct location. I want to say it's X14 becaue it looks like the pink harness is the body harness and this connector plugs into the engine harness. The plug is way up there, luckily I had my seat out so i was able to lay on the floor to see it.
Thanks alot! I return with a (hopefully positive) result tomorrow.
Old 09-03-11, 10:57 PM
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In your last pic, the two connector on the right, plug in the main fuse box on the +terminal of the battery.



Last edited by Erix7rew; 09-03-11 at 11:07 PM. Reason: add pic
Old 09-04-11, 05:15 AM
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Erix, youre a true genious!
When I connected those plugs to the main fuse box, I could remove the wire between the alternator and the EGI relay. Thank you so much!

I did also find the other end of the white plug behind the glove compartment, and plugged it in. Now the oil pressure stays at the bottom, with everything else..?
Itīs still dead with other words.
I did however find a new unknown plug on the other side:


Uploaded with ImageShack.us


This is located over the clutch pedal, and a little bit towards the center of the car.
Is this the final missing piece?

And again, thanks alot man!
Old 09-04-11, 07:32 AM
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I should have mentioned that it has 20 holes in it. Not every hole has i wire to it, but close to it.
I did check the TPS now, and the reading was ok.
When I connect the TPS plug, the car tends to miss a bit. Almost like some of the sparkplugs donīt fire properly? But the car runs smoother up in the revs.
I havent tried any wot, because of the dead cluster. I want to monitor the temp at least.

/Christoffer
Old 09-04-11, 08:50 AM
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I dont know for sure but i realy think it is for the cruise control unit!! But JDM dont have cruise control!!?? I will check in the wiring diagram for a 20wire connector
Old 09-04-11, 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Erix7rew
I dont know for sure but i realy think it is for the cruise control unit!! But JDM dont have cruise control!!?? I will check in the wiring diagram for a 20wire connector
You are indeed a very kind man!
I dont remember exactly how many wires there were in the connector, but it had 10 close holes per side.
Looked ecacly like the connectors to the fan part of the middle console, over the stereo section.

What do you think about the cluster then? Should I check closely for signs damage like short circuit or so?
I find it very strange that the white connector behind the glove box, made the oil pressure to just stay at the bottom, instead of just working? i mean, there was a difference after i connected it, but just that little one..

Kind regards
Christoffer
Old 09-04-11, 09:22 AM
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I just check on my friend JDM FD for your 20 pin connector and it is not plug either and is car is 100% functionnal so it is probably for the cruise unit that most jdm dont have!

So when you start the car, your oil pressure stay to 0 ? Check if the oil pressure sending unit is plug. It is under the oil filter. If it is plug, unplug it and ground the wire to see if the oil pressure meter change position

Eric
Old 09-04-11, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Erix7rew
I just check on my friend JDM FD for your 20 pin connector and it is not plug either and is car is 100% functionnal so it is probably for the cruise unit that most jdm dont have!

So when you start the car, your oil pressure stay to 0 ? Check if the oil pressure sending unit is plug. It is under the oil filter. If it is plug, unplug it and ground the wire to see if the oil pressure meter change position

Eric
Hi Eric.
Ok, thank you. Iīll leave that plug alone then.
Yes, it stays at 0 when its started.
The sending unit was plugged in. I tried to connect it to ground istead, but nothings changes. Still at 0.
I just checked some of the inputs to the cluster, and found out that it has a good ground to the ground input.
A good illu 12v when I turn on the lights.
And a good bat 12v. WTF!?

The background light works sometimes, and sometimes not, even if the fuse is good.
I took the cluster apart, and inspected it. I couldnt find any obvious burn marks or anything like that. Maybe some brownish "goo" on some places.
Almost looked like light brown glue or something, but very thin and transparant.

Do you think that its time to order a used cluster from Ebay?
Iīm going to the inspection center next friday, (MOT?) and want this done by then.

By the way, is there a good ECU-pin out some where? With symbols or explanations to every wire? I found out that two wires where connected to each other, and that looked kind of suspect to me?

Christoffer
Old 09-04-11, 01:30 PM
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You can send me your email by PM and i will send you all PDF i have for FD3S!
Old 09-04-11, 03:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Erix7rew
You can send me your email by PM and i will send you all PDF i have for FD3S!
Thanks man! PM sent.
Christoffer
Old 09-17-11, 03:24 PM
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A side note: My JDM has cruise control. It's a touring (automatic)

Last edited by ploplen; 09-17-11 at 03:25 PM. Reason: added more information
Old 09-17-11, 04:11 PM
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not sure if this helps but i had a buddies car and he had wore a hole in the fender liner and it hit the harness that is underneath and that caused his cluster to go out just some thing that might help if you can't find some thing that caused it
Old 09-22-11, 02:34 PM
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youre not alone. I have the same issue. I picked up a basket case myself and had the same plug unplugged after he pulled the motor. I located its mate also but still no cluster. I got an ODO reading with it unplugged but now I just get an illuminated panel. If I come up with anything this weekend i'll let you know
Old 09-22-11, 03:35 PM
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Originally Posted by justincredble
youre not alone. I have the same issue. I picked up a basket case myself and had the same plug unplugged after he pulled the motor. I located its mate also but still no cluster. I got an ODO reading with it unplugged but now I just get an illuminated panel. If I come up with anything this weekend i'll let you know
I got a second hand unit from Japan, and now its working perfect again!
I did have a illuminated panel as well, but nothing else.
My guess is that I fried something in it while I was looking for some signs of bad ground in the cluster. Search on Ebay, and good luck!

Christoffer
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