Engine Harness issue

[blueapplesoda]

I replaced my hacked up 89 engine harness with one from a 91...and I don't know why but the gauges and ignition don't work anymore, and the only way I can get the car started is to jump the diagnostic connector pins. It runs fine then, but the gauges and ignition still don't work.

The engine harness to chassis harness/fuse box connector has all the same colored wires in the same place, 89 and 91.

I didn't think there was a difference between the 91 and 89 engine harnesses, and I really don't know where to start looking. I don't want to pull the engine harness just yet.

If it makes any difference, the car was auto before, and the harness is from a 5-speed 91...but i doubt that.

I also changed my clutch master cylinder, so something down there might have been disconnected, but i doubt it too. Any ideas on where to start looking?

[shiboujin]

Your gauge cluster and shizzle are run through the connector next to the fuse box. Check fuses to make sure you didn't blow stuff. You might have an engine harness from an airbag car. I don't think the pins should be different though.

[blueapplesoda]

I understand that the gauge cluster/ignition run through that round connector next to the fuse box. Pins and wire colors aren't different....

I do have a harness from an airbag car, which I am thinking is the problem....blargh time to go swap it out...

[jlevie]

Before getting another harness I'd suggest that you trace out the relevant wires. I had a 91 harness in my 87 before it was wrecked. Other than having to re-route the DME start input and tach output to match the 87's body configuration, the harness worked fine. By pin-out, the 91 harness should match up at C101 as far as I can tell.

[MR 325]

They CAN be different. Check if they have the same pins in the same places.

[blueapplesoda]

Gauges turned out to be a fuse that was toast inside the fuse housing. Can't see it from the top, so I seemed to have missed it.

Starter is another story..It turned out to be the wires that you have to cut when you do a 5 speed swap. Apparently something is different with the 91 harness, so I read another r3v members post about 5 speed swap wire issues, and that pretty much solved my issues.

Everything but my reverse lights work now. I'll figure that out later.

[shiboujin]

reverse lights are fairly simple. or should be. I thought that all was in the dash wiring tho. So you did a 5speed swap?