Need help removing engine harness - I hope this isn't what I think is it

[alansupra94]

So after chasing electrical grelims for almost 3hrs, I got fed up and just going to pull the harness so I can check everything outside of the car and/or replace that mess of sh*t.

After I removed the ECU connectors, MPI connector, weird connectors on the crash bar, removed the grommet and plastic crap, I gave the harness a tug and noticed it wasn't going anywhere. For the love of god, please don't tell me that this harness is bolted to the firewall somewhere because right now, I can't see anything there and the blower unit is blocking everything else.

Any help is appreciate,
Alan

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Wait, you're trying to pull the entire harness? I don't remember really well but if I recall it's attached to the body in several places, including I think 4 screws on the fire wall going through some plastic adapter type things that zip ties go through.

 

[alansupra94]

I am pulling the engine harness. Right now, I am just pulling the harness that is inside of the car to the outside. So basically I want the ECU connector plugs pulled into the engine bay. After searching for 45 minutes it seems that there is indeed some sort of bolt holding the harness in place. The question remains, can I removed it without removing the stupid blower motor?

 

[thedsmguy]

You almost have to pull the whole dash to get them out! Pulling the blower motor doesn't really get you where you need to be sorry!

 

[pot]

Those 3 ECU plugs get pulled from the passenger side of the firewall via the rubber grommet below the wiper motor. There is absolutely no need to even touch the blower motor! W/ your ECU disconnected and a fair amount of slack on the harness (Engine Bay Side) you will have no problem gently pulling on harness through the firewall. Obviously a battle buddy to help you along will help immensely but either way this is no more difficult than installing a non-cruise throttle cable.

 

[DR1665]

Dude. I remember struggling with that, too. I wish I had the harness at the house so I could take a look at that end to double check it for you. The only consolation I can give you is that it's easier than that damned press-press-press-pull Stoogery at the firewall. With the glovebox out and a couple deep, relaxing breaths, you should be able to get things worked out.

One sympathizes. That silver button now controls my starter. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[alansupra94]

Quoting Pot:
Those 3 ECU plugs get pulled from the passenger side of the firewall via the rubber grommet below the wiper motor. There is absolutely no need to even touch the blower motor! W/ your ECU disconnected and a fair amount of slack on the harness (Engine Bay Side) you will have no problem gently pulling on harness through the firewall. Obviously a battle buddy to help you along will help immensely but either way this is no more difficult than installing a non-cruise throttle cable.



Are you sure? I guess I will give it a try. I just don't want to break anything....yet

 

[pot]

I am Pot and yes I am absolutely sure. If I was down the street I'd come help you brother. First thing first, w/ your ECU removed feel those 3 plugs and ENSURE that they are 100% free of any zip tie style fastner. After reading the whole thread I realized that there may be 1 or 2 of those ties.

Once you have done that reach w/ your left hand while lying on your back (head in the footwell) and trace the harness with your hand ensuring nothing is holding it down (which it shouldn't be). Next go back to your engine bay (Passenger side) and remove the wiper motor, resevoir, and possibly the cruise control actuator and you should see a black rubber grommet on the firewall. Pop that bad boy off and your 2/3's of the way complete.

You will then need to pull from the engine bay side intermittenly going back in the cabin to ensure you haven't caught the harness on any sharp corners. *If I remember correctly, I pulled each plug separately as there wasn't enough space for all 3 plugs at the same time. G/L.

 

[alansupra94]

Okay, I have felt all the way up into the firewall and don't feel anything holding it. I will try to pull it out slowly tomorrow morning or possibly tomorrow night since it is raining here.

 

[moduleunknown]

The harness is bolted to the firewall behind the blower - It runs through (and is wrapped with tape around) a piece of plastic that is bolted to a stud behind the blower unit.

I've pulled that harness and remember getting very annoyed at the point you're at. Then, even more annoyed when I was unable to just pull the blower without removing everything to the left. Maybe I could have, but I didn't want to break anything, and I was stripping the car anyway...

 

[kerry92gvr4]

Paul (thedsmguy) is right!! it wraps around the bars behind the dash and is screwed in in a few spots. also there are 3 other connectors that are on that part of the harness when it comes through the firewall. we know this because we just swapped my dash in my g-gsx and just got a vr-4 harness ready to swap in. Good luck!!

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Everyone is talking about different things. You ^^ are talking about the other side of the harness. The harness makes a full loop in the bay basically. One side is the ECU plugs that come in the passengers footwell. The other side comes through the drivers side and up and under the dash. He is only trying to remove the ECU plug portion from the interior of the car. The might be one bolt but I don't think so. You just turn that grommet like you did and it should come out. It will be hard to get out though because of that loom that's stiff right on the other side of the firewall. I will try to find pics but I don't think I have any.

 

[alansupra94]

Well so far I think I got about 1/2 of it out. However, it is a real pain in the ass. I might have to remove the blower to be honest just to make my life easier.

 

[alansupra94]

So right now I am trying to yank this harness and it isn't moving. I am almost 100% there is a bolt and some other members that have done this before have confirmed this as well. I am going to remove the blower assembly and see exactly what is up there once and for all and take some pictures.

I swear if there is a bolt someone at Mitsubishi is getting solar panels on their lawn mower.

 

[DR1665]

Is a solar-powered lawn mower supposed to be a bad thing?

I snapped a couple pictures last night of the entire area with the blower and all that removed. There are more than a couple bolts in there, but I couldn't say if they were harness-related or not, and bumping the plastic door seal as I leaned in to snap the pics blasted me right in the face with 20 years of dust. Pictures didn't come out for sh*t, unfortunately.

Take it a piece at a time if you must, sir.

 

[maroonmetallic]

To pull the engine harness into the engine bay:
(from the glovebox side of the firewall)

You will "PROBABLY" have to remove the glovebox and the blower motor assembly.

When installed from the factory, the harness has a chunk of hard plastic to route it down from it's point of entry into the cabin.
Just several inches away will be a weld stud (inside of firewall) that the harness has a plastic clip for.
At this spot, there is a flanged nut holding the harness to the firewall.

The harness then routes to the ECU AND up to the dash harness connections.
There are 3 connectors.
They are held onto a clip that is welded to the cross brace (above the heater assembly)
You can see these 3 connectors by removing the passenger dash speaker.

Once all of these things are removed/disconnected, the harness should come right out.
Pictures of an uninstalled harness will be posted shortly to confirm all of this information!


-Shawn

 

[alansupra94]

There is a plastic piece holding the harness to the firewall right behind the blower motor. I got to it pretty easily after removing both the A/C and blower motor. Took only 15 minutes to remove. It looks like it is a piece of plastic electrically taped to the harness. I think if you pulled hard enough and cut some of the electrical tape off, the harness could slide out. Either way, the mystery has been solved.

 

[kerry92gvr4]

I was talking about the passengerside where the ecu plugs are, you cant just pull because there are 3 other plugs further up that are part of that part of the harness. That is not part of the harness that comes through on the driverside, they are seperate pieces. All i changed was the engine harness that comes through on the passengerside to the ecu, which is what he is trying to pull out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[pot]

Bringing this back from the dead:

Earlier in this post I suggested that removing the the harness was equivalent to installing a non-cruise cable. I think that was an overstatement as the glove box, metal beam behind box, and blower motor must be removed in order to access the nut retaining the Engine Management (ECU) portion of the harness. I've included a picture of the nut with plastic for reference.