4.0 AW4 to AX15 swap, dash 4wd indicator question

[dkmcgowan]

I have some pictures to help out...

 

So first, the 4wd light is working....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the bunch of wires coming out on the drivers side firewall, I was probing and I found that the wire connected to the dash 4wd indicator light was black with a red stripe.  You will notice that I cut the wire.  You will see my red heat shrink material.  I cut the wire right on the firewall.  Even though I could run a continuity test all the way to the final wire, it wasn't working correct.  This black wire with red stripe goes into the harness on the drivers side towards the front of the vehicle, not exactly sure why or what it does along the way, but I cut it here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the next part is I connected a new black wire, and ran it into the harness along the firewall from the drivers side over to the passenger side.  I then connected it to the original connector inside the harness so it comes out right where it use to and looks factory.  This is just another shot of the black and red wire being cut and the new black wire I added connected.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't run it to the front of the vehicle towards the head lights, but took my new wire straight into the harness, up by the MAP sensor and over to the passengers side of the firewall.  You will then see I had 2 wires coming from the NP231 transfer case.  I took one of those wires and connected it to a new hole on the firewall for a ground, then the second wire I soldered on the proper connector and connected to the original OEM 4wd light connector (which is connected inside the harness to my new run wire over to the drivers side where I soldered it to the original black and red wire coming out of the firewall on the drivers side).

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I know that this newer style electrical 4wd indicator is not what was originally in this 89, this originally had the vacuum stuff.  The original wire has now been cut on both ends and is still just sitting inside the harness.  Everything is working.

 

I did notice that the line on the passenger side firewall was black and NOT black with a red stripe, so the wire was spliced or changed with something else along the way inside the harness?  It originally didn't have enough power on it to light up a test light, but would arc and show it had power when messed with.  I did a continuity test from inside the dash to the connector on the passenger side before I modified anything, and it worked, but it had something like 2V on it when checked

 

I am concerned as to why that was happening, or if I was confused somewhere along the way.

 

But...  it is working now, but now I'm concerned some wires lost insulation inside the harness and were touching or something.

 

Everything works and engine is running fine... my OCD has me tempted to rip the entire harness apart to understand what was happening, unless someone here has an explanation?

[onlyinajeep726]

I'm glad that it worked the way I theorized.

 

However, when you say the plug/wire you found was solid black and not black/red, are you absolutely certain that you were looking at the correct plug?  I just went back out to verify on a third Renix era Jeep and said wire was black/orange.  I don't see any single, solid black wire coming from that area or the harness.

[dkmcgowan]

So I'm an idiot...  I cut the wrong wire...  So I will remove my home made wire and do it correctly.

 

So I found the correct wire tucked into the harness, did a continuity test, all worked fine.

 

What I cut and soldered my new wire onto was the connector below.  It has a little voltage on it.  I will solder and connect it back up.

 

Does anyone know what this wire is for below?  My car did not have it connected.

 

[onlyinajeep726]

That plug is for cruise control equipped models.