Hello,

I am slowly wading through the jobs on my missus Ka. Whether it's servicing it, or replacing flexi pipe, next job the passenger door handle doesn't open and also we need to work out why the Air Con is as dead as a doornail.... although maybe this is the answer to that one.

Last night, I put some valve lifter treatment in, as recommended by delboy, and spotted this random bare wire hanging around in the engine bay. It's from the drivers side, sort of behind the strut as you'll see in the photo. It was dark so I couldn't really see where it was coming from properly. Off the top of your heads, can anyone tell me what it is?

I did wonder if someone had fitted HID's in the past because the plastic casing looks a bit cheap and naff, but right now it's really hard to tell.

I will have to wrap it with some tape and start tracing it, but let's see what you guys say first.

Any luck tracking down what this wire is?

I'll bet good money that it's a wire for heated washer nozzles.

Good thinking batman! Although don't they take power along the same route as the washer hose? I don't know as I don't have them (yet ;) )

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My car certainly has that style of cable tubing around the washer pipes and heater wires.

(I know this as I had to re-route them slightly when I fitted my bonnet struts).

To be honest, I've not had chance to look yet. We both work full time and as you can imagine, the last thing she wants when I get home is me routing through her engine bay. Plus, I've somewhat put it to the backburner seeing as there's other issues that need fixing with the car. Passenger door handle has failed miserably and the heater control valve needs replacing still.

Ahh. Heated washers. Now that is interesting. Go with me for a second here. Because this is a luxury Ka... (apparently, right now the only luxury is the problems caused by the previous owner) it comes with a 'heated front windscreen'.... or does it? I thought it did because that's what the little button on the dash seems to suggest.

Did Ford put out cars with both heated washer nozzles and heated front windscreens? Or is it more likely to be heated washers controlled by the button on the dash?

Stoney, any idea where that wire goes? Is there a better way of routing it or shall I just find the other end solder it up and heatwrap it like any othe wire?

Heated washers are highly unlikely to be operated by a dash button - more likely to come on automatically when heated screen is operational

Test the temperature of the washer nozzles with the engine running & the heated screen on - they should be warmer if you have heated washers & they are functioning

Edited September 10, 201510 yr by MONDEO TXS 2.2

OK. I'll have a look at the washer nozzles and also the washer bottle. I assume it's the nozzles that are heated as opposed to the bottle itself. If I can find the other end I'll just solder it together and assume whatever it is starts working again :P

Strange that it looks as if someone has cut and then stripped it though. Maybe that's just how it was caught. Obviously hasn't been connected in a long time though because the core has started to go rusty. I'll have to cut away the corrosion.

Now I just need to find the other end :P That's the tricky bit.

IF they are heated it'll be the at nozzles & not the fluid reservoir

They simply warm up to melt ice / frost in the jets & enable the otherwise frozen fluid to spray out - make sure you have the sufficient ratio of water to screenwash or the water can freeze in the reservoir without screenwash

IF they are heated it'll be the at nozzles & not the fluid reservoir

They simply warm up to melt ice / frost in the jets & enable the otherwise frozen fluid to spray out - make sure you have the sufficient ratio of water to screenwash or the water can freeze in the reservoir without screenwash

OK. Well, I'll check the nozzles for a white wire then. That said, even if I find it, I've still got to find wherever the other end is. I have no idea right now.

Do the washer jets have a wire coming from them, or look like they have at some point?

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If it's for the washer jets, is there another wire there for an earth?

You could also test the wire for voltage with the heated screen on & then off - maybe not definitive - but could offer a clue as to what it does

Edited September 10, 201510 yr by MONDEO TXS 2.2

Providing it's a feed and not an earth you could short it to earth and see what fuse it blows

OK, got some good ideas now :P I might get a multimeter on it and try the heated screen. I'll have a route around for the other end as well. It's got to be somewhere.... hopefully :P