headlight/dimmer swith wiring

[d3athm3talh3ad]

was going to splice another wire harness and connector for my headlight and dimmer switch...as I was comparing the wires with the donor vehicle, I noticed a white wire on my van that says 'metric resistance do not cut'...this wire is not mentioned in any of my diagrams...and the only thing I can think of is it having something to do with the digital dash, which mine does not have, any ideas? if I can't cut and splice it, I may be able to tie it with the other white wire in the connector, since it's the only wire to the switch not melted...

[astrozam]

What exactly are you trying to accomplish "Oh Mistress of the Dark" lol

[d3athm3talh3ad]

the wires going to my headlight and dimmer switches are melted, the previous owner also spliced some wires going to the instrument cluster, i was going to cut the melted portions of wire out and splice in good wires from my blazer (which has the same connectors)...i thought it would be wiser to fix these wires before hooking up the battery in case one of the wires is still getting hot (at least two have 3 inch sections with no insulation at all)...there is a white wire that is marked 'metric resistance do not cut' on the insulation and i'm not at all sure what that wire is, as none of my diagrams show it, and i've never come across a warning on insulation like that...i'm inclined to think it may be an extra wire included for the digital gauge cluster, but mine isn't equipped with that...was wondering if anyone else has come across a similar wire in their '89's...

sorry if my other post was unclear, i was on my pda and it doesn't have a keyboard, so lengthy posts are difficult...

[astrozam]

I see, is the white wire definitly oem? you mentioned the other owner doing some splice/dice any chance they spliced it in there? I was thinking maybe daytime running lights but with you being State-side and the age of the van I doubt it has anything to do with that. If you don't get an answer here then pm V8Famvan he's our resident GM guru, he can probably at least get you started in the right direction.

[d3athm3talh3ad]

yes, this wire looks to be oem, as it's not spliced anywhere that i can tell and goes straight to the oem connector and is the only one not melted...when the harness melted, i think it's grounds to the cluster that the previous owner repaired they're two big black wires connected with wire nuts going to metal points on the cluster...i hooked a battery to the van a while back just to see what lights would work and what didn't and somehow he's rigged the instrument cluster lights so they stay on all the time, but i didn't leave the battery connected long...i think i had checked the dome light with a volt meter and it was hot all the time too, no bulb is in the socket...i'll probably just have to hook up the battery and sort out the mess, and leave that wire alone if i can...it's just weird for an exact resistance wire to be in such an older model with no bells or whistles...

[crash]

gwendolyn, you have a pm with some wiring schematics..

I don't see a white 'metric' wire listed

[v8famvan]

I believe I have seen this before, but did not pay much attention to it as I was not having to repair the wire that had the warning on it. Having said that, I do believe the warning implies - do not shorten - so if you keep the wire the same lenght you should be ok. Cut & splice carefully/cleanly.

[d3athm3talh3ad]

I believe I have seen this before, but did not pay much attention to it as I was not having to repair the wire that had the warning on it. Having said that, I do believe the warning implies - do not shorten - so if you keep the wire the same lenght you should be ok. Cut & splice carefully/cleanly.

it's not melted on mine, but i think another wire shares the copper part of the connector with it, so i'll leave it and just splice the other wire (it's been a long week of work and my memory is just not working with me right now)...if the weather doesn't rain me out like they say it will tomorrow...