For those unfamiliar to the 355 Spider collision project thread: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/97-f355-spider-collision-project.612502/ This is the same car and the fact that it was involved in an accident should be noted. Additionally, the rear clip that donated the replacement quarter panel did come with all of the tail light wiring. Quite a convenient point of reference. The silver car had some of its wiring affected by the wreck. As far as I can tell, none of those damages should have impeded our tail light operation. The wire loom that is routed through the top of the rear panel framework contains four wires. We repaired all four wires. Two wires go to the latch for the bonnet. The other two to the third brake light. We did not find any other wiring damages. So, what's the conundrum? We're reassembling the car and would like to satisfy the final check that all systems are operational and according to design. We have working park lights BUT the right park light only shuts off by the key. It is illuminated independent of the combo switch positions. No turn signal on the right side either. Left side works as it should EXCEPT there is no brake light illumination. None of the three lights Illuminate upon braking. The reverse lights do work. Onward on our journey for answers, we embark on another discovery. The wiring for the right park/turn light is incorrect, although I believe it is original. However, the original wire configuration suggests only two of the wires were in use and that the black wire (verified ground) was unused. Also, the white wire with the green stripe has power on it as soon as the key is turned into the ON position. Talk about looks of bewilderment. We've had a few here at the shop today. Attached are pictures of the original left and right side park/turn lights. Note the dissimilar wiring configuration and insulation. The donor clip tail light wiring, a separate '97 Spider, and all wiring diagrams suggest that this is incorrect. Naturally, I couldn't accept that this was original. I exposed what I thought was some former tech's effort to conceal where they spliced in a different pigtail. I was mistaken. If those wires aren't original, then the tech was/is a better magician than I am a detective. Any input or direction is appreciated in advance. I keep thinking that, at any minute, I am about to wake up from a bad dream. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I am not claiming I am right but I think the red/white/black is wrong I think it is a mirror of the other one, looking at it from the left, red white space black. I'm no expert but just recalling what I have seen. I suck at electrics, I hate them but I recorded this in my stash for future use. "If" I am right and you did not change those pin outs on the cannon plug then there is an explanation for that which not pretty.
According to every other indication, you are absolutely correct. This is the most peculiar find I have ever encountered on a modern vehicle of any type. Domestic or foreign.
Hmm....the wiring diagram clearly shows your white "should be" red/black. I 'believe" this is the same for all years, but what year is your car? Image Unavailable, Please Login
I overlooked the wire description because his picture is a match to both connectors on the 2.7 Spider and the other 5.2 Spider.
Its not my connectors its a picture I found a while back, I have a 348 not a 355. But it would be odd for them not be very similar. Again I'm no expert. I hope someone with 355 can take pics of inner and outer pig tales from one side. Ohh make sure your don't mix up inner and outer lens's they have different bulb config in that there is no center bulb position in the otters and hence no wiring to the bulb I think I read. Get them mixed and things may work and things will work that should't.
@thoroughbred_1002 ...and perhaps I didn't read carefully enough...are you getting no brake lights (yes) or no signal from the loom? Meter the loom out to see if the connector is pinned wrong? I had a set of jeep headlights like that...they were trying to ground through the highbeam becasue the adapter was wrong. sjd
So, I have finally resolved the inoperable brake lights. Fuses #26 and #18 were blown. A hands-free phone system was installed and those fuse connections were piggybacked. I think it's safe to say the system must've shorted out at one time or another. Of course my wiring debacle at the right park/turn light is a separate issue and remains an unsolved mystery. I will try to figure out why the alien white wire with the green stripe is powered by the key. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry, seems I was napping when this thread started. Are you saying the wiring is incorrect when referenced to all available wiring diagrams or because the light can't possibly work without a ground? My coloured gif diagrams match the '97 USA spider paper diagrams, although the originals don't have ABCD written on the plugs. That was my addition. I can't recall if I looked at my non-USA spider as a reference for the lamp holders in general (and whether I compared both sides of the car) to come up with the ABCD lettering. Note that the lettering is out of sequence on some of the plugs in the diagram, so don't read left to right to get the actual pin location. I don't know why your wire colours are different. Anyway, for the most part, you seem to have solved most of the issues. I don't see a white wire with a green stripe in your photos. Is it for the brake or the park? Either way, it doesn't make sense. The power wires for all the brake lights should be spliced together and the power wires for the park lights should be spliced together, so when one lamp has power, they all should have power. Green/white wires on F355's as a rule have ignition power on them, but why there is a green/white wire at the tail is a mystery. The closest green/white wire to the rear of the car seems to be the speed sensor on the gearbox, but that is part of the harness which runs through the left flank. I made a list of all the wires running through the rear harness on the left flank, but not on the right, so I don't know where that green/white wire may be picking up ignition power.
Coffee kicking in...... I just realised you said the park light only shut off with the ignition key, so the green/white wire is for the park/tail marker lights. When you say park lights, do you mean when the marker lights are specifically illuminated by the console button? Or either with the console switch or the steering column stalk switch?
I appreciate your willingness to weigh in and your efforts to help. As it turns out, I am just an imbecile. Along the parts of the harness that provides your plug connectors for the cat temp ECUs is a loom isolating a pair of connectors of the same exact types as the tail light wiring. Additionally, if you compare the pairs, they are very similar lengths as well. Adding insult to injury is the fact that I had taken excellent photos during disassembly, and I still messed up the plug orientations. Doh! It's been a while since I've felt this level of embarrassment from a mistake I had made while servicing a vehicle.
