1MZ-FE wiring harness gaff via valve cover change
 

Hello gang,

1997 Camry LE V6, 120K miles. Decided to finally replace leaky rear-bank valve cover gasket. Big PIA. Problem: while detaching the big 'ol wiring harness which snakes along the rear valve cover, I pulled up and inadvertently yanked off a wire from a connection next to the #1 Engine hanger (passenger side hanger). The connector was hidden from my view--didn't know it was even there. Whoops!

No biggie, I figured. But this was a couple weeks ago, and I cannot find what I did with that connector that I retrieved afterwards. Not only that, I cannot now find what it was connected to! That's the most troubling.

So, what is this connector to? It is a one-wire (blue) connector that emanates from the wiring harness at the #1 Engine Hanger, and I think it goes down deep into the engine bay. It's heavily covered with loom/wrap, and a peculiar "boot" that looks like a spark plug boot as a cover/protector--none others in the harness are like that. Looking underneath the car and with the wheel off didn't help. Also, factory service manual pics (i.e. EM-28, 30, and 35) were inconclusive on these middle-aged eyes.

Any insight? Thanks!
-Alan

You mean engine mount?

Power steering pressure sensor?

Thx Toyomoho,

The vernacular in the FSM says it's the #1 Engine Hanger, located near the cowl rather than an engine mount. The wire in question protudes out of the wiring harness, one blue wire, with a large flexible rubber cover.

Power Steering Pressure sensor? I cannot find a picture of what that looks like...anyone got one? Thanks for the tip tho....since it's only one wire, it must be a sensor or sending unit of some sort. Is that wire Blue?

Hope this works...I've uploaded a pic of this particular culprit. The yellow arrow points to it. What is this for/from? It's got that flexible rubber boot, with a solitary blue wire inside. To the right in the pic, that black metal upright piece is the #1 Engine Hanger next to the cowl/firewall (for reference). This is the passenger side of the engine bay, btw.

Can someone please look into their engine bay (with the V6) and see what that goes to?

Thanks so much!!!!

Can also ask at the Toyotanation website in the appropriate section.

The PS pump has a pressure switch screwed onto the top of a banjo fitting that bolts on the high pressure hose going to the rack.

Check the O2 sensor on the rear manifold, some of the older sensors may have had only one wire.

Bingo
 

Thanks Joey, it looks like you hit the nail on the head. It must be the Power Steering switch "idle speed" (per attached foto, which looks exactly like what I've got in connecting-distance from the wire in question). I'm scratching my head in that this is a wire connector, and it must therefore attach to what looks like a hose should clamp onto.....didn't make sense, and thus didn't pass the "eye test", which is why I had trouble searching for another electrical attachment.

Off to the junkyard to harvest a connector....but I'm still befuddled how a wire from the wiring harness could connect to a hose fitting. There must be something in the connector itself that transduces the fluid pressure into an electrical signal...

Thanks again Joey; will keep y'all updated
-Alan

It's an On/Off switch.

:-)
 

Thankfully there was a generous donor from the local junkyard. New part fits perfectly, and splices onto my harness nicely. Best part that it cost a whole $1.31.

Haven't finished reassembling all the components yet, but I'm definitely stoked. Problem (probably) solved.

Thanks Joey for your continued help!!
-Alan

Great, thanks for posting back with your fix.