By Stephen on Monday, June 25, 2001 - 05:12 pm: Edit

I was doing some work behind the binnacle and found a single solid-yellow wire by itself. The end looks like it was either snipt off or broke off. It's also a longer wire than anything else back there. I can't seem to figure out where it came off of. I checked my Haynes manual and can't find anything that corresponds to it. The only 'broken' thing with my truck right now is a flashing SRS light - could that be related?

Anyone with their dash apart that could tell me where this wire belongs? Or is part of some accessory my truck doesn't have and therefore un-needed? It's a 96' Disco with no rear a/c blowers, no rear power sunroof, no heated seats.

By Troy on Monday, June 25, 2001 - 06:41 pm: Edit

The, albeit dated, Lucas wiring info I have lists yellow wires as generator connections that go through the ignition. I have no idea what a "generator connection" is, though.
Good luck-
Troy

By Steve (Steve2) on Monday, June 25, 2001 - 07:59 pm: Edit

my guess it is a wire that somehow connects to the alternator/tachometer. just a hunch

steve

By Jon Williams (Jonw) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 02:56 am: Edit

Is it a fairly heavy guage wire? On Discos with airbags, ALL airbag components and SRS-related components use yellow wires (except the wiring to the warning light on the cluster). Hence, the yellow SRS fuse, the yellow wiring to the crash sensors up front, the yellow wirning to the airbag detonators, etc. And since your SRS light is blinking, I'm willing to bet that somehow that wire came loose (however that happens) and now your light is blinking to tell you don't hit anything cuz your airbag won't work! It's possible the wire just worked-loose and fell off the back of the fuse block, so check there first. After that, I have no idea why it would be snipped or dangling...

By Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 04:18 am: Edit

Yep , its the wire for the srs system , should have a little sleeve on it as well. It plugs into the fuse box...
\
Kyle

By Stephen on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 04:55 am: Edit

It's the same gauge as all the other wires behind the binnacle. A couple of months ago LR diagnosed the SRS light and said the airbags will still work, but that I needed a new wiring harness for them! Now I go behind the binnacle and find this yellow wire dangling back there! - someone had taped it back out of the way too! makes me suspicious of the quick fix by LR "buy a whole new harness for $1600 Canadian."
It's longer than anything else up there - so you guys may be right in that it needs to run to the fuse block - I'll trace it back from there and let you know what I find. Odd that it's up behind the binnacle though , no?
Kyle - I'm curious, does the yellow SRS wire on your fuse block lead up behind the binnacle where it is taped together with a bundle of more wires that all run back into the truck together?
Thanks
Stephen

By Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 04:59 am: Edit

Stephen , that wire is for the SRS. I am not just guessing. It does run up somewhere but I never traced it. What was it doing before you took it in to the dealer?

Kyle

By Stephen on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 05:12 am: Edit

HA! I don't take my truck to the dealer - I just come here and ask you guys!
It was the previous owner that took it to the dealer because of the flashing SRS light. I have the invoice from LR Calgary that says the fix is a $1600 cdn. wiring harness but that the airbag will still work. So instead of the $1600, I put a piece of electrical tape over the light for $.02. It would make sense that if this yellow wire to the fuse block was broken that the tech reading the scan would request a new harness.
I'll go have a look at it this morning...
Thanks for your knowledge on this Kyle - you're a great help!
Stephen

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 06:18 am: Edit

Stephen, what are you talking about with all this "suspicious" crap? Wires are known to sometimes snip themselves and then tape themselves up out of view. Especially those ornery yellow wires. For only $1500 cdn I'll fly to your location, untape the wire, and hook it back up for you. That's a savings of $100 over the dealer. What a bargain, eh? I also like your tape-over-the-dash-light remedy...that solved my "Service Engine" (52k emissions money maker) light problem a while back!

By Stephen on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 05:02 pm: Edit

That's awfully kind of ya!Thanks for the offer - I may take you up on that yet!
Well I had a look at my fuse box. There is a green wire (wrapped in a yellow sleeve) plugged into the SRS fuse - so it's not that. So I'm still no further ahead on the yellow wire. Maybe next time someone has their binnacle apart they can see if they have a yellow wire plugged into the instruments panel anywhere?

By Floyd on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 05:14 pm: Edit

Anybody disarm these explosive devices? Can one retrofit a steering wheel and dash piece from a non-airbag Disco into a DI? I know that it is sorta against the law, but as this thing gets older, I just don't trust a sodium azide charge just inches from my face....

By Jon Williams (Jonw) on Wednesday, June 27, 2001 - 03:32 am: Edit

Sure. You won't find any in America, but England has lots of non-airbag Discos made up to about '93/'94, when it was an option. I think after that, it started becoming standard equipment just like here.

By Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) on Wednesday, June 27, 2001 - 05:28 am: Edit

For one you can remove the bag module in the wheel and unplug it. That assuers that no electrical brain fart in the truck will set it off by accident. Just unplug it and put it back if you rather not have the bag....

Kyle

By Ron on Wednesday, June 27, 2001 - 06:02 am: Edit

pull the fuse.

Ron