Black wire back to firewall, rubber connector, has metal tag connected to wire, tested against + on battery, i show it to go to ground but my reading is 7.7vdc

 

Are you sure the wire is black? Kinda looks like the connector for the oil pressure switch. If you ground it the oil light should come on.

 

It looks JUST like the plug for the oil pressure sender, but it should be on the FRONT of the engine, not the back, so I'm baffled.

- Eric

 

What year/model is your car? I have seen on the 69 Cutlass cars, and 68 too, with a 350 and 2 bbl carb with factory AC, these cars used an idle solenoid that would bump up the throttle a little when the AC was switched on. This wire could be for a solenoid like that. If your car has factory AC, turn it on and see if you have 12V at this plug.

 

My memory's a bit hazy on this, but didn't those solenoids have two wires?

- Eric

 

No, just a single wire and the connector looks just like the one in the photo. The solenoid has a single flat spade on it and it's grounded through the housing which continues the ground through the bracket and the engine. I have a harness set up for this solenoid and a solenoid too. I had installed one on a 442 4 bbl several years back and thought about doing it again on a 69 442 I'm currently restoring. But I decided to keep it original and just used a dashpot instead. The 2 bbl solenoid bracket does not work for 4 bbl applications so I cut it down to make it work. But, it will now just go into the parts bin.

 

the car is a 69 cutlass S AC350, 4bl,t350,12bolt rear car, I wanted everything original on the car so wanted all wires accounted for
I had a wire mess this one was hooked up to the oil switch but didnt light the light when grounded and doesnt light anything in dash. I grounded the light blue wire and found the oil wire in the alt harness, grounded the green and found temp in the alt harness. but this one was curled up on top of engine by distributor.Long enough to reach front of engine or trans.But im baffled on this on.
I hooked up my meter + to BAtt and - to the connector and i read 7.7 vdc.So it is going to a ground. No change while car is running

 

Hook your meter up so you connect the - lead to the neg battery and see if you have 12V on this plug with the + lead when you put the dash selector in AC. Chances are you will see + voltage.

 

I assume you checked this but the rubber connector in your pic also looks like the wire that comes out of the firewall thru a large grommet and feeds to the heater fan blower under the passenger fender.

Or, maybe your car originally had a turbo 400 that also looks like the downshift wire. Or, Maybe all the harnesses had the kick down wire regardless of tranny and it was taped inside if not used?

 

My exact thought based on the photo.

 

The wire/plug in question is for the idle stop solenoid. Attached is a photo showing the same wire/plug. The oil pressure sending plug has the terminal offset to one side and the T400 trans kick down wiring connector is much shorter and would not be found on a Cutlass with a T350. Either this car had this installed from the factory and a solenoid was not used, or the car was originally a 2 bbl car that had this solenoid and someone converted it to a 4 bbl and the solenoid was never used again.

 

thanks 69442C for the excellent picture, Never knew about a idle stop solenoid from the 2 bbl original setup.,,Everyone was so helpful with my wiring issues for the plugs and idiot light this week.


thanks again

 

Glad to help out especially a PA guy. I grew up in Bucks County and still have family up your way in Newtown and Langhorne.
Brian

 

brian thanks, that connector was driving me crazy, Im all set for the shadybrook farm cruise nights

 

just a pic of my olds

 

Nice car. Is the shadybrook farms you mentioned at the 95/Newtown Yardley interchange?

 

It's funny to read this thread today as I was just looking at that same wire dangling from my firewall yesterday and wondering what it went to... or more importantly what I forgot to hook it back up to. I have a 69 Cutlass S 350 AC 2barrel carb car that I just rebuilt with a 4 barrel holley. So that would explain where that came from.
Thanks for the great information in this thread!
-Dan

 

yes thats the one, cruise nights tuesdays

 

dan, if you changed over to 4 barrel carb like i have, then we dont use it, but if you decide to go back to 2 bl carb then you will need. do you still have thbe old carb post a pic, i wouldnt mind seeing the original solenoid setup

 

I do still have it. It is in the rafters in a box. I will get it down this afternoon when I get home from work and take a picture and post it.
-Dan