Did you know that the under hood engine wiring harness
on Volvo 200 and 700 series models is prone to fail with age?
The main
engine wiring harness is a bundle of individually insulated copper wires that
connects various sensors, electronic engine control components, warning lights,
and electrical actuators. Over time, and with exposure to heat, the insulation
on the individual wires becomes brittle and begins to crack and flake off,
exposing the bare copper wire. These bare wires are then prone to short out
against each other or the body of the car.
Shorted uninsulated wiring can
manifest in many ways depending upon which wires are shorted and where. Some or
all of the following symptoms are what our customers have reported to us over
the years.
- Warning lights that won’t come on or won’t turn off
- Starter motor won’t turn on, or worse! won’t shut off
- Engine
stalls
- Engine cranks over but won’t start
- Various other poor
running engine problems
Inspection is simple, and at Popular Mechanix
we take particular care to inspect the main under hood engine wiring harness any
time the hood is open. We always recommend the wiring harness be replaced as
soon as the earliest signs of deterioration are visible. Once the wiring harness
begins to deteriorate it is only a matter of time before the car will fail to
operate properly. If left unrepaired, more expensive repairs may become
necessary.
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