Cut brown wire?

[rcngmoto]

I have a 1996 SL900 that I recently purchased and upon investigation I found a brown wire cut in half at the electrical box. From what I can see it appears that the wire goes up to the MFD. For some reason at the electrical box the wire has been stripped back on both sides. Does anyone have any ideas why this wire is cut and what it affects. Does anyone know what might be wrong.

[ph2ocraft]

How about a photo? Browns are usually a ground.

[RedlineR6]

Doesn't a brown wire go to the temp sensor??

Could be one spot to check.

[KEYZBUM]

Doesn't a brown wire go to the temp sensor??

Could be one spot to check.

+1 tan=brown = temp sender

[rcngmoto]

that is what i thought too, but there is a seperate set of wires running from the temp sender. the brown ire i am talking of goes to the mfd, as far as i can see

[ph2ocraft]

Hook it up and see what you get. My guess is there is a failure of some sort and they found buy killing the ground to the MFD the running problem went away.
Does the MFD work?

[rcngmoto]

yea the mfd works with it hooked up or unhooked, so i am not sure. i havent had it out yet so i guess ill have to hook it back up and go from there

[ph2ocraft]

A photo would help.
The brown wire also ties into the LR54 so my guess is the problem exists somewhere in that area.
I'd hook it up and see what you get at the dash. Overheat or whatever.
If it is the HOT system, disconnect the tan wire from the temp sensor at the exhaust and see if that shuts the warning system down.
If that fixes the problem, verify the temp sensor is working properly. If it is, you need to see why you're overheating.
Let us know what you get with the wire hooked up.

[rcngmoto]

well i took it out for the first time today, with mixed results. i hooked the brown wire up and it started and ran...for a bit. i wasnt getting any message on the mfd, but i couldnt break about 5000 rpm (i dont really know what top is) that went on for about 10 mins and thats when it started running rough revving up and down and so on. i got it back to the dock and turned it off, and tried to restart it and it wouldnt. Got it loaded on the trailer and out of the water, and tried again, started up. this is all with the brown wire hooked up. any ideas?

[ph2ocraft]

Check compression and makesure you didn't seize the engine.
If you were getting a max RPM of 5000 you may be running lean or have a restriction in the carbs.
1). Make sure compression is good
2). Next outing pinch off the fuel return line and see if you get fuel RPM's. SHORT bursts ONLY.
3). If you still ony get 5,000RPM's feel the cylinders and see if one is extremely hot versus the others. If so, you found your lean or non firing cylinder.