A engine harness question. Wiring gurus

[99TransAmWS6]

Im currently working on trying to piece back a car i picked up for cheap. I had to run the harness through the engine bay. I got it all ran and wired up to all the sensors..Then went to connect it to the harness that runs INSIDE the car. I noticed on the engine harness side..they're 4-5 pins that are broken off. So that means i either have to try and re-pin it...or pull the harness out and find another one. Im curious if i can just cut those wires right outta the connector..and just direct wire then? Id use a butt connector as to not add any resistence..crimp it good...and electrical tape it tightly. Would this work without having problems? I dont forsee pulling the harness out ever again..so im not worried about that.

[meissen]

Do you know which connector specifically it is that the pins are broken off? I can tell you what wires they're for and whether it's even necessary to have the wires.

Likewise - *if* you go the route to directly wire the wires together, I'd really recommend doing it right and soldering it. Butt connectors suck and if the wire comes loose and slides out of your connector = short = possible interior fire. I've almost always soldered my wires where possible (only wires I can think of right now that aren't soldered on my car are the o2 sensors for my extensions that I made and that's because two of the o2 sensor wires are a special wire that the solder wouldn't stick to)

Just my opinion, though, obviously.

[99TransAmWS6]

They're all color specific. Its the connector from the ENGINE harness..that plugs in to the harness that runs INSIDE the car. The connection is still under the hood. Its probably a 25-30 pin plastic connector. The only reason why i would butt connect it is to make sure i dont add any resistence. Soldering can add a bit of resistence and also brittles the wires. Its not a connecter thats gonna move alot..so im thinking a butt connector would suffice. I hear you on the soldering though...i always solder connections..but this being an engine harness.. I can grab a quick pic of the connector if anyones confused.

[1BADAIR]

chrimp some new pins on. should be standard metripack, weatherpack, gt pins
if not move those 4 wires out and solder/shrink tube.

[99TransAmWS6]

yea i dont have the proper tools to re-crimp them. If they're not recrimp properly..they'll never fit into the plastic connector the right way. I still see your suggesting soldering. Why have i heard soldering is bad on a engine harness due to resistence the solder adds?

[99TransAmWS6]

Oh this is on a 96 cavalier 2.4ltr 5 spd.

[meissen]

They're all color specific. Its the connector from the ENGINE harness..that plugs in to the harness that runs INSIDE the car. The connection is still under the hood. Its probably a 25-30 pin plastic connector. The only reason why i would butt connect it is to make sure i dont add any resistence. Soldering can add a bit of resistence and also brittles the wires. Its not a connecter thats gonna move alot..so im thinking a butt connector would suffice. I hear you on the soldering though...i always solder connections..but this being an engine harness.. I can grab a quick pic of the connector if anyones confused.

What year is the harness? What color is the connector? It looks like 1998 carried over the 3 connections from the engine harness to the interior dash harness just like the 1993-1997 LT1 engine harness (two whites, one blue) and by 2000 that there's only two connectors - one white and one blue. The most I'm seeing is the connectors having 10 cavities, though... nothing 25-30.


Edit: Just saw your last reply - disregard my above.

In regards to the soldering, if you have a cold solder joint it will add a lot of resistance but a good solder connection shouldn't add any (using the term loosely) measurable resistance. I would think you'd have a better chance of having more resistance added with crimp connectors because of the crimp isn't making a good connection with the wire it'll add resistance. With solder you have a better chance of getting a good connection because a good hot solder joint is soaking into the wires. This is all how I've understood it, at least.

[99TransAmWS6]

Ok..but we all agree..its not gonna make a difference that its direct wired..rather then trought the connector. I figured as much...just had that slight doubt in the back of my head.

[1BADAIR]

if you use a ton of solder the wire and pin can become brittle.
butt connectors shouldnt be used for anything in my opinion. in the field they are considered hack.
you can find the crimp tool for like $25
I have crimpers and some pins (depending on what yours are)

[99TransAmWS6]

if you use a ton of solder the wire and pin can become brittle.
butt connectors shouldnt be used for anything in my opinion. in the field they are considered hack.
you can find the crimp tool for like $25
I have crimpers and some pins (depending on what yours are)

Heres a pic larry. The butt connectors on it already were there when i got the car..i mine as well solder those up as well.

[1BADAIR]

are those wires even used? hard to see in the pic. sometimes they put in blanks just to seal the unused holes

[99TransAmWS6]

yea...theres a pin..and a connector on the other side. You have pins like that?

[1BADAIR]

i dont have any that wide. Do you have the old harness? you could pull the pins out of the old harness and splice in the new wire. Thats how we usually fixed a pin issue at the dealer

[99TransAmWS6]

this is the old harness lol. I never picked up a new one due to all the salvage yards cutting them. Can i pick up these pins from autozone or something?
?

[1BADAIR]

not sure. Duke on motown would have them though