Hello,

I've go 95 e320 that's having multitude of problems lately.

I changed the spark plugs and saw that some of the wiring next to it had brittle insulation (is that part of the wiring harness?)

Anyways, few days after that, I got CE light with codes 2,3,4,5.

last night, the car wouldn't start even though the starter is turning. Finally got it started by pushing the gas pedal.

At the next start, I got code 3 again.

Question:

Could all this be caused by the wiring harness?

Is the brittle wire I saw in spark plug compartment part of the wiring harness?

I noticed that Phil sells it for $575, is it a DIY item?

Thanks for all the help
Richard

Hey dude... I am not too sure about what I am about to say, but I will say it anyway. Perhaps someone out there can correct me if I am wrong. But... if your car started after pressing the gas pedal, I would venture to say that your problems are not limited to the wiring harness. Say that it is, in fact, the wiring harness that was giving you trouble; why would the car start after pumping the gas pedal??

I would go ahead and change out the brittle spark plug wires (even if they are not the direct cause of your problem, they are not helping).

If I come accross any other info, I will pass it on.

yamil

Read all the discussions on wire harness in the search section. Ed

do a search- wiring harness

you'll need about 2 hours to get through all the grim messages that'll pop up.

__________________
1995 MB E320 Wagon
2001 BMW 530i
2007 MINI Cooper S (!)

Hmmmmmmm ?

Throttle slide actuator ?

These wire harnesses are crapola to.

__________________
1994 E500 (MY SUNDAY DRIVER)
1993 190E SPORTLINE LE W/ M104 SWAP
1997 C230
2002 ML320
2000 BMW 528I (WIFEY'S CAR)

"Excuses are crutches for the unfounded."

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Yes. I've already spent all morning reading archives. Did you know that there are 49 pages of threads on wiring harness.

Yet there's not one complete picture of what it looks like. Maybe I'm too novice at this.

It seems like my problems are from the wiring harness. Too many people with similar problems after disturbing the harness.

One question, is the set of wires that connect to the ignition coils (not the spark plug wires) part of the main harness?

Thank you everyone.

Richard

Change your wiring harness.

All of your symptoms could be due to a bad wiring harness.

The insulation is alread brittle and falling off, so you know it is bad, and it will have to be replaced.

You must replace the wiring harness before you can diagnose anything else.

The throttle actuator is a part that does go bad. The throttle actuator also has a harness that goes bad due to bad insulation.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I have a 95 E320, and I just changed out my wiring harness. Got it from Phil at Fast Lane.

Yes the wiring harness includes the wires with cracked insulation leading to the spark plugs.

It's not that bad a job, about 2 hours. Any DIYer can do it. Lay out the new harness over the old to help with the routing.

Good luck. Be sure to give Phil the VIN number, as the early '95s had one harness part number and the later one another. Better yet give Phil the P/N for the harness, located on the harness just behind the battery. That way you will be sure to get the correct P/N.

Since all of your troubles started with the plug change, and you have to move the harness around a bit to change the plugs, I would start there.

BTY, my e320 has 126 kmiles, and at about 121 k miles, I had to change out the O2 sensor. I also had to clean out the EGR line between the EGR valve and the intake manifold. It plugs with carbon deposits just where it enters the intake manifold. Access to this connection is from below, and the tube is held in the intake manifold with 2 10mm hex bolts.

Good Luck - its a fine riding car - but it needs a bit more TLC than a rice burner!

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Tom Latos
2002 E320
1995 E320 Sold at 288kmiles

I have an 93 E300 3.2 and have been told that the car may not pass Smog? "Because of the harness!" if true that would be reason enough for a recall



Dave

So the plot thickens.

I opened up the hood on my car looked at the wiring harness. There were no white tag near the connector, so I decided to slit open some of the insulation near the intake. The wiring looks fine! Only place that it shows some degradation is when it connects to the spark coils.

I only get the code #3 which is lambda control...

Any suggestions? Should I still replace the wiring?

Thanks
Richard

I would still replace it. If the wires are exposed near the spark coils, then it is shorting out and probably causing your fault code(s).

I don't believe there is any way to fix it. Some may have tried, but I believe it is a band-aid approach that won't last.

You may (or may not) continue to get fault codes and you'll never know whether or not the codes are true or not untill you replace the harness.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

<< only get the code #3 which is lambda control...

Any suggestions? >>

To expand on the code 3 of the DM , you now want to get the codes from the HFM-SFI module [ injection/ignition]
That will be pin #8 at your diagnostic terminal box. [ this will require a simple homemade LED tool- ck archieves]

Get those and post findings to pinpoint possible diagnosis....

I've looked and it's not obvious where the number is. Could you be more specific?

Image deleted by Kestas 4/1/03 to conserve server bandwidth)

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

Before you go crazy make sure you have the latest/greatest OVP!!! 67 45 =GOOD, 52 45 Made in Austria=BAD.

Yes, I acted on one of the posts recemtly that pointed that out. My OVP has been replaced with the 67 45 (good one).

Can anybody point me to the part number location of the wiring harness?.....Tom?

I'm finishing up the head gasket job, and I know the insulation has taken a beating on the original wiring harness. I don't want to start the car up with wiring that may damage some healthy electronic components.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K