Repinning ECU connectors

This is a tutorial on how to repin the connectors that plug into the ECU. Most of you know i'm working on my engine swap, however this is not the tutorial on pin locations and additions to the ECU connectors. I will write that later.

Instead this is for those of you who are like me and HATE splicing, soddering, taping wires. I wrote this tutorial because you don't have to do it.

The connectors OBD1 and OBD2 have ways you can get the pins out. All the pins are tension locked into place.

The first step is different for each harness, but the second step is the same.

step 1 OBD1
This one lock the wires in place from the back side(wire side) of the harness by folding down. On each side of the connector are two holes that have locking tabs. Using a small phillips or nail head, press in on these tabs through the hole, while pulling up from the back of the connector turning it up. the top and bottom row have tabs on both sides, so the first side you'll just make sure the tab is unlocked, and then the second side will get a full fold up.

this is the top alread unlocked and folded up, and i'm working on the bottom side
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0916072057.jpg

this is the OBD1 fully open you can see the one on the left fully locked
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0916072058.jpg

OBD2
Unlocking the OBD2 harness doesn't look as dramatic when in the open position, but can be slightly more difficult. you'll need to be more careful, cause you can be pretty damaging to the harness.

From the bottom (opposite latch side) there will be a noticeable area that has two locking tabs. On the one pictured it's white, but they are sometimes yellow as well. I found that trying to get these tabs to unlock from the top was damaging. (the donor harness took a beating the first time)

Using a fairly strong paper clip and open it up to a U shap you can press on both tabs from the back of the wire harness. the tabs are lined up with the opennings for the wires, and pushing from this angle less damaging, then using a small flat head, the rectangle will lift just enough so you see slits in the lifted rectangle. This thing doesn't come up a long way, honestly it's less than 3mm, but just enough that when you do step 2 it clears the metal part of the pins.
here's a pic.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0916072052.jpg

now step two is the same for both. Each pin is held in by it's own tension loaded piece of plastic. looking into the front of the connector you can see thin line of yellow plastic above each pin. using an extremely small flat head, or also i found the tip point of a picture hanging tac, lift up on yellow tab, while pulling the specific wire from the back side. this will free up the pin you'd like to remove or relocate.

in this pic you can also better see how little the locking bar moves on the OBD2 connector.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...916072052a.jpg

It's blurry, but you can see the pin is now released form the connector
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0916072053.jpg

Next are a few pics defining the difference in OBD1 and OBD2 connectors, for those who may not know.
1st. 94 and earlier had 3 connectors for the ECU / 95 and later have 4
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0916072048.jpg

2nd. I noticed that the connectors and pin locations are mostly the same, but there is one thing that gets in the way of using OBD1 connector in an OBD2 ECU, and thats the middle rib on the top. the (1) rib is wider than the (2) rib. the following pic shows the difference

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0916072049.jpg
i don't have a 94 OBD1 pin out diagram, so i can't tell you if all the pin locations are exactly the same. but most of the wire colors and their locations match up with the OBD2.

Now you're ready to pull any thing you need.

To put the pin in, just push the pin through the back until you hear a ping, then the pin is locked in place.

What? you put the pin in the wrong location?? hahah, no need to fear ,just repeat step 2.

When your all done, just fold the tabo down for the (1) connector or press the bar int oplace for the (2) connector. Voila!

Hope this helps.
L