Help! What is the white/pink wire behind the glovebox?

[b3nson]

Help! I think I already know the answer to this question but would like confirmation that I am an idiot! Is the pink/white wire that runs behind the glovebox and seems to be joined to a white wire the ignition coil wire?

[Toledo Man]

It is the live feed for the radio.

[b3nson]

See i thought this, that's what I was looking for...
It looked like it was bound to a white wire with insulation tape but difficult to tell if it was actually connected. I chopped the top off both and stripped white/pink wire and started to connect it up to a radio, however now the car doesn't start and it very much seems an ignition issue (turns over, fires then dies straight away). I checked the wiring diagram and it says the coil feed wire goes from white to white/pink, although it does confuse me why it is all the way over the other side of the car from the coil itself. Also all the manuals say the radio wire should be located around the steering column somewhere. At the moment I'm a bit confused! I suppose it is possible I have pulled out another important wire while hunting for the elusive radio wire. Any ideas anyone?

[Mad Mart]

You'll find that the pink & white wire is the ballast resistor wire from the coil. It is actually almost exactly 5 feet long. This is to give it a resistance of 1.5 ohms.

[b3nson]

That would explain it then! Thanks!
I'm assuming in that case the radio supply will be a seperate wire elsewhere?

[Jon Tilson]

Mart is right and it explains the starting and cutting out. The ballast bypass feed from the starter allows the car to start when you are cranking the starter motor, but then cuts out when the ignition switch is back to the running position and the starter stops. You have cut the wire that would then feed the coil.

The accessory feed you want can usually be found somewhere behind the heater vent.

Rejoin the wire you cut and all will be well again. Alternatively you can do away with the ballast feed by running a wire from the fuse box to coil plus. There is a spare terminal on the white fuse....the brown one is permanent live.
Dont use the green side as you dont want your ignition fused. You will also need a 12V coil to do this.

Jonners

[Toledo Man]

Yes, there will be another wire for the radio supply and it is the same colour as the wire for the ballast resistor. Sorry!

[b3nson]

Thanks for quick help guys! Will reconnect that tomorrow and hunt down my radio wire.
On another note if I put a small switch in that ballast wire, would that have an adverse effect? Seems like a good idea for a backup immobiliser!

[b3nson]

Reconnected and all up and running now!

Still can't find this elusive radio wire, there's only one white/pink wire from the ignition switch and that's for the heater motor. Can anyone see a reason why I can't tap into that wire and use it for both?

[Dolly-Dimple]

Great news that your cars up and running again, excellent

Kind Regards

Russell

[Mahesh]

Something I have to look into soon, my Sprint has a orange wire from under the heater vent.

My new head unit is bit pokey, so I may put a relay in and redo a grounding point, along with the direct battery feed.

[b3nson]

I'm only planning on running a pair of low wattage speakers with a modern Alpine headunit hidden in the glovebox. Was planning on taking a switched live from the heater motor wire, take the memory live from the clock and then find an earth somewhere. Just don't fancy melting anything in the process! Would like confirmation this should be OK before I attempt it...

[Mahesh]

I would run the main live from the battery via relay, but then I need the amperage.

Do not recommend the heater motor, you may get interference when the heater is on, also motors cause voltage/current ripple.

I haven't had a chance to check my car wiring diagram yet, but I would trace the radios ign lead back and do the connection from there, after all these years it's probably tarnished or corroding.

[Mahesh]

Unfortunately I'm away right now and have no manuals to hand, until tomorrow.

[Toledo Man]

I'm running a 90s Panasonic radio/cassette with a pair of loose speakers on the parcel shelf. I'd like to fit a pair of shelf speakers which would've been a period thing in the 80s & 90s. I had such a pair in my Mk2 Cavalier back in the early 90s like these.