OK, OK, Wifey "instructed" me to stop being lazy, go and find the schematics and help the guy out.

Sooooo, I obeyed, as we do, right guys??????

1) Main Relay (Red socket).
terminal 87 has 2 wires, KB colour, ONE goes to terminal 86 of the PUMP relay (Black Socket), the other goes to PIN22 of the ECU. MEANING, the main relay "wakes up" the pump relay, AND the ECU.

2) Pump relay (Black Socket), has a NS coloured wire from Term 87 going to term 30 of the Cold Start Really, and onwards to the +ve side of the Fuel Pump. NOW, if you no got Cold Start (we dont), then that NS wire is going DIRECT to the +ve of the pump.

NOTE: The Pump Relay is EARTHED via the ECU pin #15 of the ECU, and is the Infamous Orange wire well spoken of.

My thoughts:

With the Ign ON, the pump relay SHOULD run the pump for about 3 seconds, before the ECU times out the earth connection to that Pin 15, and then the Pump Relay goes DEAD.

BUT

If your pump has seized, then that relay, AND its associated wires will get bloody HOT real quick.

AND

If you have Cold Start Injectors, that relay is under the bonnet, RH side REAR, near the bonnet lock, under a plastic cover, so wires are running through the car from the Pump Relay TO that Cold Start Relay, so maybe????? there is an issue up front, as in the cold start relay etc etc. All I know of that circuit is I remove IT, and the Injectors, as they are a problem looking for a home.

Simple HA.

 

All,
Thanks very much for all of the feedback. I have a confession and an update...

1. I owe (Grant and his wife...) an apology. While I was busy trying to figure out all of the highly technical reasons my car might not start all of a sudden, I realized that the car was still in neutral from when I moved the lever to get the console out. I put it in park, and it started and ran perfectly. So other than a truly stupid miss, that's a good thing.
2. OTOH, the harness still gets hot very quickly with the key on, engine running or not. I've opened the harness through the engine compartment, and found no damage or issue there.
There is still a section of harness under the dash that I haven't seen. Opening that is the next step.
3. Have ordered the relays except the one under the plastic cover in the front corner of the engine compartment. Will order that tonight.
4. Will be looking closely at the fuel pump and relays per Grant's note. I don't really know if the pump is behaving like it should short of the fact that the car runs well. Not expecting an issue there.
5. To Doug's point, the two wires coming off of the Battery positive are, in fact, just the fuel pump power.

Will keep everyone updated. Thanks again for the help.

Chris

 

FYI, The large diameter ECU to engine bay harness goes through into the cabin from the engine bay via a multiplug on the RHS down by the RHS passenger/driver's ankle, to access it you have to remove trim the one side and the front wheelarch baffle the other. It then runs across the "footplate" and along the centre before turning back to the RHS rear wheelarch goes over it and into the boot. Quite a bit of trim to remove to get to it all, but essential if you are tracing a short, which heat indicates you must be. Best to get this sorted as you do not want to accidentally fry your ECU.

 

So appreciative of everyone’s help on this issue! After a few hours of tracing damaged wire, I found this smoking gun....
the damaged, suspect wire ends up at this plug, which was torn, and lying up against a metal bracket at the rear of the engine compartment. Thrilled to find something solid! Repairs pending new carpet on its way.... ordered new seat leather too...just well, BECAUSE. 😎

 

Great sleuthing

Sometimes you gotta just keep digging until you hit paydirt !

Cheers
DD

 

WELL DONE.

Ya gotta luv this OLD AGE shiit, HAHA.

"Just because", now the Aussie is coming out in you, good move.