[JSHarvey1961]

Hi all,


I have a 2002 outback 2.5 four cylinder. I replaced the head gaskets, timing belt and water pump this weekend. Everything has gone fine except I have one wire that I don't remember were it connects. :-( (I should have taken more pictures, but messed this one up.)


The wire comes out of the wiring harness close to the starter motor. It is a fairly large gauge black with with a yellow stripe. It is not the long similar wire that connects to the top bolt on the starter motor/bell housing. It is much shorter about 6 or so inches from where it comes out of the wiring harness.


In the terrible picture attached it is wire number 1, wire number 2 is the black with a yellow strip connected to the top starter bolt.



Can any of you tell me where it connects to?


Thanks.


John Harvey

 

[traildogck]

I tried, I did, man.

The pic is just not good enough. Get another pic, get several.

 

[RoughDiamond]

@traildogck definitely some CSI-level stuff trying to decipher the picture... lol "ENHANCE"

Looks like a ring terminal on the end? Maybe 3/16" thick?

There's a ground cable that attached to the metal plate on the firewall (where the AC line bracket anchors), but that runs to the transmission and shouldn't have needed to be removed.

Did you remove the large, positive cable from the starter solenoid?

 

[JSHarvey1961]

Here are some pictures that you can actually see the wire in (sorry about last night's mess).


The wire is the one sticking almost straight up in pictures 1 and 2. I've included picture 3 to show the main battery ground is hooked up to the top bolt on the starter motor. Also the firewall to manifold ground is hooked up as well. The main power, and the signal wire, to the starter are hooked up as well.



The mystery wire appears (to me) to be a ground wire.


John

 

[JSHarvey1961]

Pictures, second attempt.

 

[traildogck]

I agree it's a ground. Engine ground the bracket on the TGV, or Intake manifold?

 

[JSHarvey1961]

I don't think it will reach that far. I think I'll just hook it up to a bolt on the bell housing.

 

[Timberwolf99]

Ground from engine to inner fender? This would need to be removed to remove the engine.

 

[JSHarvey1961]

Ground from engine to inner fender? This would need to be removed to remove the engine.

I've got that wire hooked up already.

 

[RoughDiamond]

That's the factory ground wire from the battery/main harness. It belongs on the little bracket at the upper starter bolt.

The wire currently on there is not OE. Probably a replacement cable assembly with a pre-attached negative battery terminal. I'd try to find the other end of the B/Y wire near the battery and re-attach both ends. The factory setup used that cable plus a small, 8ga wire to ground the entire car....

 

[JSHarvey1961]

That's the factory ground wire from the battery/main harness. It belongs on the little bracket at the upper starter bolt.

The wire currently on there is not OE. Probably a replacement cable assembly with a pre-attached negative battery terminal. I'd try to find the other end of the B/Y wire near the battery and re-attach both ends. The factory setup used that cable plus a small, 8ga wire to ground the entire car....

Thank you! I appreciate the detailed explanation and suggestions. I'll get it fixed up correctly.