Previous owner tapped into spark plug wires - any ideas why?
- Thread starter dkyleb
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RUN-4-LIFE
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What an idiot. Being a complete dumb*** is the first thing that comes to my head.
RedSled
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Really, thats how they wire for a remote start?
A proper remote start install taps into a tachometer signal or ignition coil signal wire that gives ac voltage that is linear to RPM. Looks like they tried one wire and it wasn't right so they tried another one. Its usually easy to get the right one the first time based on color but shit does happen.
Brokeazzlos
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Shift light? Tach
BlackWorksInc
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That seems idiotic, why would you (A.) Tap into an Ignition Coil (B.) Do such a shit tap job, at the very least they could have scotch-locked it... (C.) Since most of the unit is INSIDE the vehicle, why not tap the ECM signal wire for ignition at the ECM on the passenger side!?
This is the kind of crap I see far too often with aftermarket installation of various junk.
To the OP, I'd try to clean any corrosion on the wire and use something like liquid electrical tape to seal it up; hopefully they didn't damage the wires too much.
(A)Ignition coil is great place to get a tach signal. The 4 wires at each coil usually have three wires that are the same color and one that is different. The different colored wire is a tach signal and the one you need. (B) Scotch locks are not the best way to tap a wire on a remote start. The preferred method is to poke a hole, wrap the wire through, and solder. (C) Trying to tap into wires at the ECM is not always a good idea since there are so many wires in a tight place and many times there are wires of the same color repeated. It can be difficult to find the right wire. This means you are taping into wires and testing sometimes taking 2 or 3 tries before find the right wire if at all. The coil packs are faster and more consistent and probably where the wiring diagram pointed the installer.
I'd wrap those wires with 3m tape individually and be done with it. Those wires haven't been damaged at all.
dkyleb
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BlackWorksInc
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Poking a hole damages the insulation and depending on how thick the wire gauge is can damage the circuit. You can have continuity on a single strand of wire, but unreliable voltage and current. Additionally once you've punctured the insulation, you're allowing corrosion to form; that corrosion can wick it's way along the wire strands and extend far beyond the initial puncture.
I don't disagree with the soldering, though Toyota has moved away from Soldering as a wire repair method due to variables (mainly due to improper technique and training) that create a worse potential for damage/failure than their recommended wire repair protocol (based on aluminum wire repair).
I personally would not have bothered routing a tap wire through the firewall, damaging an ignition coil wire, and then leaving it exposed to corrode like that. It'd be much easier to simply tap the wire at either the ECM plug or the junction connector it goes through before it exists the cab (most likely on the driver's or passenger's A-Pillar junction blocks). Additionally while I'm not fond of scotch locks myself, they would have been a far better option than shown splice. Though your method of soldering it after you run in through the wire isn't a bad idea either assuming the splice is done correctly. Even Alldata has decent EWDs for Toyotas and shows you the connectors and pins for the wires; I know a lot of people have trouble reading EWDs; but a person who plays with vehicle wiring for a living should be pretty well versed in that supposedly.
The main point here is that the OP's discovery is a horribly done splice that could have allowed corrosion into a good length of that wire, created a poor connection, and possibly even damage the wiring itself. It may still work, but that's a potential failure point that could cause a future intermittent misfire or DTC that would be a pain to diagnose. All because the installer couldn't be bothered to splice into the wire correctly and then seal that up correctly.
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