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rynoman · Jan 25, 2005, 05:23 PM

I am not an expert with my car and while doing some labor accidentally damaged some wiring that is hooked up to the electrical box on the passenger side foot board. As a result the car won't start now and I am in need of some advice as to where I might find the wiring that connects to that box and approx. how much it goes for? Have I done something fatal to the car? I love my car more than most things in life. Please help. Thanks :eek:

labman · Jan 25, 2005, 07:09 PM

It is entirely too easy to do that sort of thing. If you just cut off or burned in to a few wires, it may be easier to to splice them. If you have to replace the whole cable, you will have a miserable time snaking wires in and out under the dash and wherever they go.

If you must do it, try a junkyard. They will want no more than half what the dealer would. They are more likely to have one on hand too. On a seldom needed part like that, maybe even much less.

While doing some body work on my truck, I cut the whole bundle of wires going back to the back. Oops, $%*$%&%%#$. I just spliced them using Sta-Kons, matching up colors and stripes. Usually in any bundle of wires, there will only be one of any one size, color, and stripe or hash mark.

CroCivic91 · Jan 26, 2005, 02:30 AM

The electrical box under the passenger's feet is the car's ECU (electronic control unit, also called ECM - electronic control module - it's a car's computer). Damaging it's wires is bad because it can not operate some things, or get readings from some sensors, depending on which wires you damaged.

To me, it sounds like you could repair it if you can solder (I learned how to solder in like 2 minutes and you can solder well in about 30 minutes of practice). Make sure you disconnectthe whole cable from the ECU while you do your soldering. I know it might get tough because it's in a quite hard-to-access place.

Or if I misunderstood, you maybe damaged a wire in the engine bay, that leads to the computer. In that case, it should be more easy to access, and yet again, soldering should do the work. Make sure you use electrical insulator on the solder joint to protect the joint from water and other environmental hazards.

Hope it helps... let us know how it goes.

Kresho