extra wires

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

Re: extra wires

Reply #25 – April 02, 2013, 09:38:56 pm

I have the same configuration of wires on the passenger right side overhead compartment.......I wondered what they were for years ago but just never did ask. Would be interested in the final answer as well.

Re: extra wires

Reply #26 – April 08, 2013, 07:23:35 pm

I FOUND THEM!!!

I received my "Ideal" brand Tone Generator from Amazon to trace the wiring and it actually worked. The bundle of extra wires that I discovered on the passenger rear of the coach do come out on the drivers side under the dash. There is a carpet covered plywood box near where the drivers left foot goes that contains a lot of wiring. In that bunch is a loom with the extra front to back wires. It is buried deeply and not readily visible. It goes up under the dash over to the steering wheel column where it exits the loom and is then looped back toward the drivers side of the coach. There is a wrap of black tape at the end of the six wires. The colors are 12 ga. black and red, 14 ga. I had to clip several of the zip ties holding the huge bundle together but before I cut them I pre-installed replacement zip ties to make it easier to tighten everything down when I am through.

I have attached a couple of photos.

Re: extra wires

Reply #27 – April 08, 2013, 08:41:10 pm

Outstanding Kent! I will have to pull the plywood box off and get them ready for use. Glad the "Ideal" generator worked. You and Ken should set up shop.

Once I open the box, I will see if my Harbor Freight generator will find the end at the back. Glad to know which side it's on.

Thanks

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #28 – April 08, 2013, 09:03:54 pm

Its a whole lot easier to find the ones in the back. They are right out in the open. Just look for a loom with no wires coming out of it. The stub end of the extra wires will be up inside loom. On mine it is right beside the air drier purge slobber tube. Once you find them, the tone generator will make it easier to find the buried wires in the front.

Re: extra wires

Reply #29 – April 08, 2013, 09:09:19 pm

Steve, the extra wires in the passenger overhead run down the wall to the dash in case you need to run power from the dash to the front overhead.They are in a loop on the under the flip up dash all the way to the right on the passenger side.

Re: extra wires

Reply #30 – April 08, 2013, 09:57:08 pm

Kent excellent work. I bummed I didn't get to see you use your new toy. I just checked and I have the same box that I presume the cable run is in but how the hell did you squeeze between the seat and the steering column? I know you don't bend all that well.

see ya
ken

Re: extra wires

Reply #31 – April 09, 2013, 08:34:10 am

Ken, a little guy like me had no problem. I'm sure you noticed my neck is three feet long and I'm triple jointed. I'll give a more detailed explanation when the pain levels in my shoulder and back diminish.

You have to be a contortionist to get in there but it can be done. I don't know if you noticed the wood chips on the floor but I did get a little frustrated getting the box out. The two bottom screws were removed with extreme prejudice. It can be repaired.

Re: extra wires

Reply #32 – April 09, 2013, 09:45:55 am

Kent,

Have pulled the carpeted wall off in front of the passenger's seat so know how hard it is to find the screw heads. And that was with easy access to the front of the panel. I got in there were you were but not easy and I found the first screw but not the rest. I changed kitchen sink faucet and that was a pain but not as bad as getting around the driver's seat.

Hats off to you for the sacrifice. Lots of time to relax now with your new toad and the pump to go with it.

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #33 – April 09, 2013, 01:02:07 pm

Kent,
The toner sounds like a good tool to own can you give us the model number of the toner you bought? Would you buy a different one now some experience?
Thanks,
Rick

Re: extra wires

Reply #34 – April 09, 2013, 01:34:45 pm

I have only used it a little bit but in my research I found that some of the cheaper ones would not broadcast the tone over long distances like the length of a 40 foot motorhome. The one I bought is a Tracetone by ideal (Amazon.com: Tracetone? Tone Generator and Amplifier Probe: Electronics) for $30. The tone volume was just as loud at the front of the coach as it was where I hooked up the generator to the wires in the rear so it worked great. You do have to get the receiver tip within a few inches of the wire in question so you need to have a pretty good idea of where the wire will be. For instance if you were trying to find a wire in a wall you would not hear anything until you were within say 4" of the wire but all I needed was to determine if the extra wires in the front of the coach were in that bundle coming out of the carpeted box and not up under the flip up dash. I did not want to open up the bundle if the extra wires were not there.

Just an additional note on removal of the carpeted box, it is actually just half a box, L shaped plywood. The carpet is stapled onto the plywood so I just pulled the carpet loose from the top left and bottom left of the box until the wood screws were exposed. The right hand side is held by two wood screws near the floor at the bottom of the box. Again, just peel up the carpet to expose the screws. If that doesn't work just yank the sucker out like I did. It's just plywood so it can be repaired.

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Re: extra wires

Reply #35 – April 09, 2013, 10:13:01 pm

Kent,
Wow!
Great effort in tracing those wires. Now the rest of us won't have to twist our backs and tear up our coaches just to find em! Now we can figure out the best use for them. Definitely worth a Karma point.

PS

A shot of Jack Daniels with a Heineken chaser is a good back pain and frustration reliever!

Jerry

Re: extra wires

Reply #36 – April 10, 2013, 07:41:30 pm

Hmmm... timely thread. Today, I planned on installing a Trimetric to measure both house and start batteries. I put one in our 320 and was able to use a couple of the extra wires. Pretty straightforward. Not so with this one. I found the bundle behind the instrument panel (10 18 gauge wires). Also found four extras in the cabinet above the pax seat (2 18 gauge and 2 14 gauge). As someone mentioned in an earlier post, on these older models the wires are not numbered. e.g. the four above the pax on mine are each labeled "extra wire." In the back I found the taped off loom which has 2 10 ga, one 14 and two 18s. None of the colors match up with what's up front and compared to our 320, there are fewer extras.

This rig came with a complete security system (door, all windows, panic button) and I suspect some of the extras were used for that. Anyhow, I think I'm going to pick up one of those tone deals and see if I can figure out what's what. Can't install a Trimetric without wires!
jor

Re: extra wires

Reply #37 – April 11, 2013, 01:25:53 am

Best to use twisted pair wires from the shunt to the Trimetric if the wires are next to other current carrying wires (as they all are...) since the measured voltage across the shunt is in millivolts, and it doesn't take much changing current in neighboring wires to induce more millivolts. If you get funny readings using "unused wires", you may want to pull a twisted pair cable.

Re: extra wires

Reply #38 – April 11, 2013, 05:07:36 am

I am a believer concerning induced voltage on control wire, mostly around the Generac generator controls, very sensitive, so need for separate conduit run or shielded cabling.

Re: extra wires

Reply #39 – May 07, 2013, 09:39:55 pm

I spent some time this evening trying to troubleshoot my non-working monitor system. As I was poking around under the dash, tracing wires I found some wires coming up from below that have never been connected to anything, or else the ends were VERY cleanly cut off. At any rate, I think I've found some of these extra wires. No need to pull a permanently mounted box (maybe). I haven't tried looking for the other ends of them, though, as right now I don't need them.

Re: extra wires

Reply #40 – May 08, 2013, 05:23:38 am

FT has run extra wires front to back for you. They should be in a wire loom at the rear in the engine compartment. Brake controller is one reason that springs to mind.

Where is the other end of this wire?

Reply #41 – May 11, 2013, 01:16:11 pm

You heard of "snakes on a plane"? Try wires in a Foretravel. For all the documentation, wire labeling and diagrams i still can't find the other end of EX2-38492. U320, 2001. The book says it goes from the OH by TV (found that end) to the Front Dash Area (still looking). Has anyone ever looked for and found the other end? I spent quite a bit of time looking behind the panel in front of the pass seat where all the circuit breakers are with no luck.
I found the Satellite wire hot and gound up in the TV area and where they get power from the circuit panel. I could use them but then I will surely want to add a sat dish at some time. Anyway, I'll keep looking and hoping for some help.

Thanks!

Re: Where is the other end of this wire?

Reply #42 – May 11, 2013, 03:46:52 pm

I have some underneath the lift-up curved dash in front of the driver.

Re: extra wires

Reply #43 – December 13, 2014, 09:42:09 am

I FOUND 'em !!!!

On the '93 U300 they were just under the dryer ( in the way of R & R actually )
I cut the tie wraps to gain access to the dryer, and 6 wires of different colors were in the conduit . Match the colors in the passenger side overhead

Re: extra wires

Reply #44 – December 13, 2014, 08:53:13 pm

Bill those wires in the overhead probably are not the same ones as you found by the dryer. The ones by the dryer terminate under the dash in front of your left leg as you sit in the seat. I think it was Kent Speers that had a hard time finding the wires under the dash. The overhead wires should be able to be found by raising the dash and looking on the passenger side

Re: extra wires

Reply #45 – December 13, 2014, 09:16:08 pm

Kent used a signal injector found at HF or HD. Cheap and works like a million bucks.

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #46 – December 13, 2014, 09:41:13 pm

Bill, my 93 U300 is five units newer than yours. I have a bundle of wires on the navigator's side running from the cabinet above down to the little hatch at the right end of the dash. The bundle of wires on the driver's side goes from the left end of the dash back to the rear of the coach.

Re: extra wires

Reply #47 – December 13, 2014, 10:02:32 pm

And the bundle is folded back on itself and hard to identify without signal injection from the rear.

Pierce

Re: extra wires

Reply #48 – November 28, 2024, 04:34:38 pm

I think the installers at foretravel put these wires in a different spot on each coach on purpose to mess with us 2nd 3rd and later used Foretravel owners. I spent an hour looking for these extra wires in the engine bay over the last two days and finally found them in the large loom running down the passenger side rear most part of the engine, on the engine. The ex 1-6 wires were inside this loom along with 3 other wires that are in use. I know it's an old thread but thought this was worth adding so the next guy that has these wires in this spot doesn't over look them over and over like I did 😂

Re: extra wires

Reply #49 – November 28, 2024, 04:37:51 pm

Quote

i still can't find the other end of EX2-38492. U320, 2001. The book says it goes from the OH by TV (found that end) to the Front Dash Area (still looking). Has anyone ever looked for and found the other end? I spent quite a bit of time looking behind the panel in front of the pass seat where all the circuit breakers are with no luck.

Did you ever find them? I'm my 96 u270, this bundle was directly behind the bundle that runs to the engine bay in the lower left side of the driver's foot well under the dash

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