Stripping the Rover Wiring Harness

Companion Video

This task is simple, but tedious: remove all the connectors we don't need, and keep the ones we need intact.

KEEP these connectors

Mark these connectors with labels and stay organized.

ECU Plugs - KEEP

We will keep all of these

BCU Bulkhead connector - KEEP

Keep this as-is

Any grounds - KEEP

Keep any grounds you come accross to reconnect them to the chassis later

Oil Pressure Sensor - KEEP

A white connector with a single wire.

Because we are using the Rover oil pressure sensor. This will light up the oil pressure light on the dash if the oil pressure drops.

Radiator coolant temperature sensor (if equipped) - KEEP

A white connector with a two wires.

On some vehicles, but not all, there is a coolant temp sensor on the radiator. This sensor activates the electric fan on the AC condenser if it gets too hot.

Fuse box plugs - KEEP

Two bulk head connectors going to the fuse box. Keep them intact.

Starter battery cable and ignition wire - KEEP

Keep the cable going from the battery to the starter. Also keep the single orange wire next to it. This is the wire that activates the starter (key ignition)

Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor - KEEP

On some vehicles, this could be a round black plug. Keeping this will retain function of the dashboard temperature gauge. Usually it has red and green wires leading to it.

CAUTION: Do not confuse this with the fuel injector plugs. Those are also black and square. There are 4 in a row on each side of the harness. The coolant temp sensor has red and green wires.

AC Compressor Plug - KEEP

This is a grey connector with two black wires. Keep to retain the Rover AC.

Crankshaft position sensor - KEEP

Later we will cut this connector off and route these wires to connect to the Golden Rovers electronics box. But for now, label the connector to save it.

CAUTION: Do not confuse this with the throttle position sensor plug. The crankshaft position connector has a pink or orange wire in the middle, and two black wires on either side. One of the black wires may have a white stripe. The wires are usually wrapped in a sheath.

Throttle position sensor - KEEP

Later we will cut this connector and feed it the throttle position sensor signal from the LS. But for now, label the connector for keeping.

CAUTION: Do not confuse this with the crankshaft position sensor plug. The throttle position sensor should have 2 red wires and 1 green with white or yellow stripe.

That's it! Everything else can go.

2. Remove all the corrugated loom and electrical tape

Carefully cut any electrical tape and remove all the plastic corrugated loom from the entire harness.

3. Separate "keep" and "cut" wires

For each of the connectors we are not keeping, work one connector at a time:

Cut off one wire from the connector
Untangle the wire from the harness
Pull the wire out all the way to its origin (usually the ECU connector)
Put the wire in your "cut" pile

You should end up with two piles of wires, you "keep" wires with connectors intact, and your "cut" wires:

Keep pile on the right, cut pile on the left.

Close-up of the keep pile

Closeup of the "cut" pile

4. IMPORTANT! Reconnect Brown-orange wire

When cutting the 8 injector plugs, you should have noticed that all of them had a brown-orange wire that leads to a huge multi-wire splice.

After cutting off the splice, you should see that there is one brown-orange wire going to the ECU plugs, and one going to the fuse box plugs.

It is very important that you reconnect these two wires together (solder, crimp, whatever you prefer, just make a good quality connection).

This wire is responsible for triggering the fuel relay. Without it, the car will not run.

There is also a smaller multi-wire splice of purple wires with a white stripe. After cutting off the splice, reconnect the remaining two wires.

This wire is reponsible for powering a gas tank pressure test pump. Less critical, but might as well keep.

5. Eliminate the wires from the "cut" pile

Separate the grommet from the rubber sleeve. Using a knife, VERY CAREFULLY cut the sleeve open. It will be filled with black silicone.

Cutting this sleeve will allow you to pull all the unwanted wires out through the grommet.

Take all of the unwanted wires and cut them near the ECU plugs, on the inner side of the grommet as shown.

We will terminate these wires with some heat shrink tubing to prevent shorts.

If you prefer, you can de-pin the wires from the connector. But if you make a mistake, it will be harder to track down where the wire used to go.

Terminate each of the wires using a piece of shrink tubing. For the cables that have two wires in them, strip the outer sheath and terminate each individual wire.

All unwanted wires terminated.

6. Route the Crank Position and Throttle Position wires.

Route the Crank position wires (2 black, 1 pink or orange) to wherever you plan to install your Golden Rovers electronics box. We recommend installing it inside the cabin. In that case, route the Crank Position wires back through the grommet so they are on the same side as the ECU Plugs.

For the throttle position sensor wires, you have a choice. You can route the wires to wherever you plan to put your LS ECU, if you want to splice the throttle position at the ECU plugs. Or, you can route the wires to the LS throttle body and make your splice right at the throttle position sensor.

7. Re-wrap the rubber sleeve

Wrap the rubber sleeve in electrical tape and put it back inside the grommet.

8. Route the wiring harness in the engine bay

Re-install the wiring harness into the engine bay. From the engine bay, insert all the ecu plugs (and anything else like the Crank Position connector) into the original hole in the firewall. Re-seat the grommet into the hole.

Begin routing your wires and plugging things in. Start with the oil pressure sensor in the back of the engine.

Route the AC compressor plug towards the compressor. Route the coolant temp sensor to the passenger side of the engine near the firewall, where the Rover temp sensor is installed.

You should also route:

The plug for the radiator temp sensor (if equipped).
The fuse box plugs
Coming out of the fuse box plugs, you will find the single orange wire with female spade terminal. This is the starter solenoid wire.

Decide how you want your wires to route. You might find that some wires are longer than necessary. You can simply double them up inside the loom.

Once you are pretty happy with the routing, start looming your wire. Start with the furthest branch: the AC compressor, and work your way back, picking up the oil pressure sensor and engine temp sensor as you work your way back to the firewall grommet. Wrap the loom in electrical tape at the connecter, every 12-18 inches, and at any junctions.

Keep looming the wires, increasing the loom size as necessary after each junction.

You did it! You have stripped the rover harness and re-built it to fit your engine bay.

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