extra wires

Topic: extra wires (Read 2750 times) previous topic - next topic

extra wires

March 19, 2012, 06:36:32 pm

It is my understanding that Foretravel installed several extra wires of various sizes that run from the front to the back of our coaches. Never having a need for any of them, i have never looked for their location. I will be installing an Air Force One braking system in the near future and will need to use one of these wires for a "coach notification light" for my towed's brakes.
I would assume they are in a loom, wire tied together, and possibly encased in a "ribbed" cover...where do these wires terminate at the front and back of the coach?...where do i look?

Re: extra wires

Reply #1 – March 19, 2012, 06:58:46 pm

Quote from: Ralph Trotter – March 19, 2012, 06:36:32 pm

It is my understanding that Foretravel installed several extra wires of various sizes that run from the front to the back of our coaches. Never having a need for any of them, i have never looked for their location. I will be installing an Air Force One braking system in the near future and will need to use one of these wires for a "coach notification light" for my towed's brakes.
I would assume they are in a loom, wire tied together, and possibly encased in a "ribbed" cover...where do these wires terminate at the front and back of the coach?...where do i look?

On my coach, there is an extra harness of 6 wires that is routed from the driver dash area. The wires are numbered EX-1 through EX-6. There is an additional 3 wire harness that is routed from the dash area up into the overhead television area with wires numbered EX-1 (38492) through EX-3 (38492).

Re: extra wires

Reply #2 – March 19, 2012, 08:13:07 pm

Ralph, On the GV's there is a bundle ( 12 plus ) of wires in the cabinet on right side in front, all of them terminate in a bundle on the curb side of engine, they may be tucked up into a cross member.
Gary B

Re: extra wires

Reply #3 – March 19, 2012, 11:39:06 pm

Quote from: Gary Bouland – March 19, 2012, 08:13:07 pm

Ralph, On the GV's there is a bundle ( 12 plus ) of wires in the cabinet on right side in front, all of them terminate in a bundle on the curb side of engine, they may be tucked up into a cross member.
Gary B

I've got 6 like Barry has on the passenger's side but they just go right side of dash to compartment above passenger's head. I have not seen the bundle of twelve. Which cabinet on the front right side?

Thanks,

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #4 – March 20, 2012, 06:19:29 pm

OK, thanks for the tips...I'll look for them this weekend

Re: extra wires

Reply #5 – March 20, 2012, 07:37:40 pm

sometimes you will find the extra wires under the dash on the drivers side to the left of the steering column. sometimes they are in a circle and other times bent back over themselves. should be in wire loom

Re: extra wires

Reply #6 – March 23, 2012, 08:04:11 pm

Found them...I have 6 wires. They run from under the dash, left of the steering column to the curb side of the engine block, below crankcase and transmission dipsticks.

Re: extra wires

Reply #7 – March 23, 2012, 10:16:44 pm

Quote from: Gary Bouland – March 19, 2012, 08:13:07 pm

Ralph, On the GV's there is a bundle ( 12 plus ) of wires in the cabinet on right side in front,

Wondered what they were all about. Figured that they hooked up to some option that my coach did not have. Now I know!!! Thanks - and good thread!

Extra Front to Rear Wiring

Reply #8 – March 28, 2013, 05:12:09 pm

I need to run some wires from the dash to the engine compartment for my new Transmission Lube Pump Monitor. I finally found what looks like the extra wires from the dash to the engine compartment but there is no continuity front to back. These wires are a Red 10 ga., Red 14 ga. Black 12 ga. Green, Blue and Yellow 14 ga. The front of the bundle comes out under the flip up dash cover on the passenger side and the back end comes out also on the passenger side.

Is it probable that these wires are fused somewhere? Do I have the wrong wires? Or, do you think they have been cut somewhere along the way?

If anyone has utilized the extra front to back wiring. Please share your experience.

Re: extra wires

Reply #9 – March 28, 2013, 09:01:25 pm

Kent,

Think they are the same wires I found on mine. They are also in the overhead compartment just above the flip-up dash cover and think this is the other end as the colors match up exactly.

Just got back into town and will take a look on the driver's side tomorrow morning.

I have been on my back in the steering wheel area but no joy. Sure would like to find the extra wires as I have some other ideas where I need front to back wires.

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #10 – March 28, 2013, 09:08:59 pm

The extra wires front to rear are normally on the left side. If I remember correct they are found under the bottom of the dash to the left of the steering wheel. They might be coiled up and probably in plastic split loom

Re: extra wires

Reply #11 – March 28, 2013, 11:08:17 pm

If it were a snake, it would probably have had lots of chances to bite me tonight. Just spent a half hour under the bottom of the dash to the left of the steering column and found nothing. Have not yet removed the carpeted enclosure that the wires come up through but will try that tomorrow. On a U300, its right under the DDEC low coolant module. Looks like a few screws hidden under the carpet. Also looked under the dash top but no extra wires. No split looms either.

Did see a lot of really well done wiring. Foretravel does an excellent job with the electrics.

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #12 – March 29, 2013, 08:24:10 am

I don't know how different the 93 is from my 95 but the extra wires in mine are in the cabinet above the co-pilot seat in a coil. They were jammed in a corner and hard to see til I pulled them out. They exit in the rear on the right side under the radiator.
Gary B

Re: extra wires

Reply #13 – March 29, 2013, 10:02:30 am

Gary,

Kent and I both have the wires you describe in the cabinet above the co-pilot's seat and also in the little flip up compartment directly below. Assuming you have a rear side radiator on yours. I am putting up my garage building so can't get at the pit to look under but do have the radiator cover off so will take a look. Do they just pop out of a conduit or do they lead down from somewhere else?

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #14 – March 29, 2013, 10:47:12 am

Pierce, In the rear they are bunched up and it appears that they come from the curb side of the engine and under the radiator and terminate just to the right of center at the rear cross frame rail. They are just wire tied together. I have never had to use them but when I bought the coach I was curious and followed them just to see what they were. Must be at least a dozen different gauge wires. When I get the coach out of storage I Will try to take a photo.
Gary B

Re: extra wires

Reply #15 – March 29, 2013, 11:32:35 am

I have thoroughly checked under the flip up dash and under the dash on the drivers side by the DDEC connector. I see no wires that appear unused and no bundle similar to those in the engine compartment. The only unused wires I have found are those that come out on the passenger side, see photo, but there is no continuity with the wires in the engine compartment. Does anyone know of a 12V fuse block other than the one on the base of the bed? I have to assume that the extra wires have either been cut, oh no, or have an open fuse somewhere along the line.

The factory printing on the red wire is identical in both the front and back. The green, yellow and small black wire in the front bundle are in use under the dash. They look like factory connections. They sure look like they are the same bundle front to back.

Re: Extra Front to Rear Wiring

Reply #16 – March 29, 2013, 11:43:07 am

Kent,
Are your extra wires numbered? The ones I found in our 99' were marked with ex1, ex2, etc. It was difficult to see because I had to get the black tape residue off. I haven't checked
for continuity yet because I ended up using wires I pulled instead.
Don

Quote from: Kent Speers – March 28, 2013, 05:12:09 pm

I need to run some wires from the dash to the engine compartment for my new Transmission Lube Pump Monitor. I finally found what looks like the extra wires from the dash to the engine compartment but there is no continuity front to back. These wires are a Red 10 ga., Red 14 ga. Black 12 ga. Green, Blue and Yellow 14 ga. The front of the bundle comes out under the flip up dash cover on the passenger side and the back end comes out also on the passenger side.

Is it probable that these wires are fused somewhere? Do I have the wrong wires? Or, do you think they have been cut somewhere along the way?

If anyone has utilized the extra front to back wiring. Please share your experience.

Re: extra wires

Reply #17 – March 29, 2013, 11:55:07 am

Sadly, these wires are not numbered in the front or the back.

Re: extra wires

Reply #18 – March 29, 2013, 09:11:18 pm

On the 93 there were no numbers on the wires, only different colors, and no there is no fuses between the front and the rear on the extra wires. Does your coach have an electric brake controller? If it does they may have used some of the extgra wires for that and that might help you find the wires. I don't remember, but is there carpet on the firewall ahead of your feet? If there is the wires could be behind that carpet.

Re: extra wires

Reply #19 – March 29, 2013, 10:21:55 pm

I found a bunch of wires of different colors and gauges in the small compartment by the navigator's seat. Two or three of them had the ends stripped, but most of them didn't. Haven't looked for the other ends at the rear yet. They are all loose, just jammed in the space. Tomorrow I'll see about untangling them and coiling them neatly, as well as snipping off the stripped ends.

Re: extra wires

Reply #20 – March 29, 2013, 10:31:29 pm

Quote from: kb0zke – March 29, 2013, 10:21:55 pm

I found a bunch of wires of different colors and gauges in the small compartment by the navigator's seat. Two or three of them had the ends stripped, but most of them didn't. Haven't looked for the other ends at the rear yet. They are all loose, just jammed in the space. Tomorrow I'll see about untangling them and coiling them neatly, as well as snipping off the stripped ends.

Look closely in the overhead compartment directly above with a flashlight. You may find the other ends of the same wires if yours is like ours. There is a possibility that they may be spliced into others that may lead to the back. I can't image what they could be used for. A mystery for now.

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #21 – March 30, 2013, 09:41:32 am

Thanks for everyone's input.

Quote from: red tractor – March 29, 2013, 09:11:18 pm

On the 93 there were no numbers on the wires, only different colors, and no there is no fuses between the front and the rear on the extra wires. Does your coach have an electric brake controller? If it does they may have used some of the extgra wires for that and that might help you find the wires. I don't remember, but is there carpet on the firewall ahead of your feet? If there is the wires could be behind that carpet.

To my knowledge there has never been an electric brake controller. I have taken the carpeted box off under the drivers feet area and can find no unused wires. They all go up into the dash and are attached as far as I can tell.

Quote from: kb0zke – March 29, 2013, 10:21:55 pm

I found a bunch of wires of different colors and gauges in the small compartment by the navigator's seat. Two or three of them had the ends stripped, but most of them didn't. Haven't looked for the other ends at the rear yet. They are all loose, just jammed in the space. Tomorrow I'll see about untangling them and coiling them neatly, as well as snipping off the stripped ends.

The wires on the passenger side compartment are the ones in the photo above that I felt sure went to the back of the coach. The colors and gauges match but there is no continuity front to back. The wires in the back are in a split loom that comes out near the exhaust tube for the air purge canister on the passenger side.

I have checked trying to find where these wires might have been cut but nothing so far. I called Foretravel but they were closed for the Holiday. I had already tried James T but thought I would see if Mark Harvey knew anything but he will be out until April 8th. I will try to get Carol or Jeff to talk to Alton in the shop on Monday.

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – March 29, 2013, 10:31:29 pm

Look closely in the overhead compartment directly above with a flashlight. You may find the other ends of the same wires if yours is like ours. There is a possibility that they may be spliced into others that may lead to the back. I can't image what they could be used for. A mystery for now.

Pierce

I have checked the overhead thoroughly and can find no wires that match the colors or gauges of the ones in the dash or the back.

If anyone knows the pathway front to back, PLEASE HELP!!!

Re: extra wires

Reply #22 – March 30, 2013, 11:34:54 am

Kent,

I had forgotten that I bought a cable/wire tracer when I was doing the same thing as you are. It works well, not the 12" range that some models advertise but will pick up a signal 3 or 4 inches away. You just go to one end like the wires you found at the back, connected the signal injector part and go forward and the probe will give an audible signal when it gets close to the same wire.

Also attached a photo of the overhead wire loom that matches the one in the flip-up cover.

I would do a bit of investigation but Gaylie and I have terrible colds plus are remodeling the bathroom so am out of it for a couple more days.

Hope this helps. Here is an Amazon link with lots of wire tracers. Think I bought ours at Home Depot or Harbor Freight.
Amazon.com: cable tracer

Pierce

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.

Re: extra wires

Reply #23 – March 30, 2013, 12:37:23 pm

Pierce, they are just where you said they would be.

Re: extra wires

Reply #24 – March 31, 2013, 09:31:07 am

I too found the wires in the overhead that come out on the passenger side of the dash. They were very well hidden beneath black vinyl but they were there. I should have know not to doubt Pierce.

Now all I have to do is find the ones from the rear to the front. I'm betting they are by the drivers left foot but I still can't find the bundle. I have order a cable detector from Amazon. It is to be delivered Tuesday. I will post again as soon as I find the hidden wires.

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