Hi Guys

I have got a broken earth in my car.

It is quite a thick, braided cable. It is attached to the front right corner of the gear selector housing (under the center console). It has broken at the other end. I now have no indicators or brake lights, the altenator light is always on (when the door is closed) but the battery is not discharging and I am having issues with the fuel and temp gauges (read low but not not the bottom the door is open?).

Does anybody know where that earth goes? I have been looking for it under the dash but cannot find it.

It is on the corner arrowed below. You cannot see it though as it is under the other plugs in the picture. I have tried plugging all of those cables back in but nothing changed.



Ta
Cam

Can you see a wiring code printed on the wire at all?

I'll have a look. It's not like any of the others, It's actually more of a cable than a wire. Had black sleeving on it and with that off it's braided instead of twisted and it is also very thick

Just plain black sleeving, no code's on there.

If you look a 7A-3 of the Haynes manual, there is a picture with an arrow pointing to the earth "Gear lever support housing showing gear change rod fork bolt hole (1), console support bracket (2) and earth lead 3)" It just doesn't tell me where the other end is.

I think that it is not original earth wire. All earth wirings that I have seen on a couple of 405s have been coded to form M123... And the cables have been coloured with green and yellow.

It is noted in the haynes manual though, so unless someone modified both the car they worked on and mine...

Does anybody know where the following instruments are earthed?

Coolant temp gauge
Fuel gauge
Alternator warning light
Windscreen wipers (possibly just the stalk)
Indicators (possibly just the stalk)
Hazards (still work but very very dim)

I just find it a bit of a co-incidence. I find thisbroken earth (which is long enough to reach up into the dash) and all of a sudden these things stop working.

If anybody can tell me where the wires go and where the earth is for these things I would really appreciate it

when i come down for new years i'll have a look with you if you like...

That would be EPICALLY awesome!

Cammy, the braided wire from the gear lever goes to the earth of your radio.

Is that it? Nothing else? I'm not even at square one any more then. Any idea where those instruments earth to?

Would explain why I couldn't find the other end I guess.

Ta

The main earth for the instrument panel is called 'PM2' on the Haynes Manual wiring diagrams. Unfortunately they don't specify the locations of the earths (really useful!). This earth has a lot of stuff hooked up to it, and all the gauges etc that would explain your symptoms. If you can find it it, it could be the cause of your problems.

If I remember correctly, dashboard wiring harness earth point is in front footwells. Left or right side, under the lowest doorway trimpanel. Or at both sides. I took the whole dash out from the car about a year ago, and I don't remember seeing any other earth points.

There is one massive collection of earth plugs bolted on under the dashboard in the middle of it, but I am not sure that the actually 'earth' there. There maybe a connector from this lot to the bodywork, as you say, in the footwells, but I can't remember either!

Thanks. There is an earth in the passenger footwell, Looked like it is connected to the blower motor.

Right, think this means it's dash out time. Gonna get my volt-meter, tools and complete collection of swear words and other assorted expletives.

The most annoying thing about removing the dash is that the whole loom is bolted to the underside of it. It is probably easier to unplug everything and lift the whole thing out with it still bolted on, but this turns a big job in a huge one! I am going to put the basic dash back in my track car, but without most of the original wiring and other assorted junk (like the heater system etc).

Yeah I might do something similar although I need some form of de-misting for the windscreen by law.

Get a heated front screen! I am going to try and get one made, apparently they are the one thing you can never again live without in a race car once you have used one!

Sounds awesome but stupendously expensive

GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!! Seems like a few of the problems were fuses. Must have blown them when taking everything out (don't think I disconnected the battery this time, normally do). Right hand indicators I think were due to the earth in the boot, about the only notable thing I did was unplug it and plug it in again. Just went for an awesome trip over the hill