Can someone tell me what this red colored part is. I noticed the wires to it are broken and 1 wire is too short and can't be reattached. So hoping I can get a replacement but Ive looked thru the service manual and can't seem to find it. Its on the drivers side near the firewall. Also anyone know where to get replacement harnesses? I've seen some on ebay that had crazy high prices.

 

Just a connector plug. You'll find them all over the car; under the seats, fog lamps etc.

 

Any idea why they'd use a big plastic tube like that just to connect 2 wires as that doesn't make sense to me. If it's just a plug that doesn't do anything except connect 2 wires, can it just be bypassed? I was thinking there might be something electronic in the plastic tube.

 

They are quick disconnect connectors, similar to what is used all over modern cars. They make components easy to replace, without cutting wires.

 

Thank You. I'll just make some new connections and get rid of the plug. No wonder I couldn't find it in the service manual!

 

Sometimes these older cars seem so much easier to work on, and sometimes they seem so infuriating. But it is nice to see the manufacturers incorporate this more user friendly tech.

 

On my car (UK 1989) the red plug with orange/black wires connects to the microswitch near the throttle mechanism that clicks on as soon as you slightly touch the throttle. It tells the ECU 'We are no longer idling, something is happening!' I think.

It's loomed up with an identical Black connector with a loop of wire on one end, and a much larger black cylindrical connector, both of which don't really connect to anything aside from back into the loom. Can't see why you couldn't tidy them all up.

 

Don’t remove the black one that just loops back in on itself! That’s the strategy selection link. When you're traveling in a country with poor fuel quality, you pull the link, and the ECU will retard the ignition timing.