While successfully replacing the front right shock bushings on my 95 XJR, I noticed a rather thick electrical wire that had become detached from some part of the front suspension due to wear. I didn't think to take a picture of it...but does anybody know why this wire is for? It looked like some sort of electrical ground the way it was (supposed to) be attached. Being detached does not seem to have any affect on the car (that I can detect).

 

I would follow it and reconnect?

 

I recall that it IS a ground wire just as you suspect. I can't remember, offhand, exactly how/where it attaches

Someone will know

Cheers
DD

 

I think it may well be the wheel speed sensor ground, although if disconnected, you should be showing an ABS warning on the dash. Unless it's a back up, in the event that the sensor itself also forms a ground.

Look at the opposite side wheel area and see if anything there makes sense.

Apart from that, a brake pad wear sensor wire is all that comes to mind.

 

Yep, the wheel speed sensor ground makes sense. Look on the top of the wheel hub where the sensor attaches. There is a screw that secures the sensor to the hub, there should be a ground wire with an eyelet under the bolt head.

 

+1 on the sensor ground

 

Just so nobody spends any time looking or wondering I'll mention that the X300s didn't have the wear sensors.

Cheers
DD

 

The wheel speed sensor gets power and ground from the ABS control unit. There is no external ground required.

The ground lead may just be for grounding the hub - for static????

(BTW I don't have one of these ground leads)

 

A million variations. I'm only across the water and there are ground leads on all four sensors on my car. It might be a static discharge, it might be a supplemental ground or it might be for some, as yet, undiscovered gizmo, but that's just my 2 cents worth.

 

both my front wires mentioned snapped and fell off loooooooong time before I got my kitty... And no lights on the dash... So I guess they were there only as a backup...