The good news is that it's not like coax or an impedance-matched line, so the repair is pretty forgiving. Here's what I would do:
- Cut out the whole section that looks questionable, so this doesn't come back to haunt you later. Measure resistance between the conductors and shield to ensure no shorting remains.
- Find some other STP wire, like from a junk harness or from one of your extra wire bins. You'll want more shielding than you need wire. If you don't have anything we can improvise.
- Cut the two conductors in a staggered fashion and splice at one end in the standard fashion (solder sleeves, solder and heatshrink, pick your poison, but it should be insulated and as thin as is reasonable.
- If you want to insulate the whole splice with heat shrink when you're done, push that shrink up the wires now.
- Twist them and do the same splicing at the other end. The total twisting will not be perfect, but that's OK as long as you'll be able to wrap them tightly to each other when done.
- Assuming it's that cheap foil shielding, prepare a chunk of shield that's like 6" long where the shield is missing. You'll overlap it to the existing shield at both ends.
- If there's a drain wire, repair that by splicing in more bare wire (no need to insulate).
- Wrap the new shield around and tape or heatshrink it up.
If there is no drain wire, for peace of mind, you could add a drain wire that's longer than your repair area and tape it in, so it has plenty of contact with all 3 pieces of shield.
So I already did the repair while also deciding i need to get a replacement from a junkyard to splice in.
I plan hopefully replacing from plug to plug but, worst case I stagger my splices all the time.
I did more research before I finally dove in.
It does have a drain wire and kept it connected since it wasn't burnt.
I did connect one wire, wrapped it with tape and then twisted the other around it and connected it.
I am still not sure what happened with the other wires but turned out they were not taillights wires but some sensors and I suspect one is the MAF because now I have an issue with it.
I rerouted the harness so it doesn't drop down under the exhaust then back up to the ECM, to protect it, but so to make it accessible for the later repair which might be soon, I need to get it smogged.
Good thing it I repaired the exhaust and it's quiet now and seems like it's not running rich anymore.
IAC is acting up now not sure if it's wires problem or needs a relearn.
I will double check the wires first.
Yesterday was a bad day:
I headed to work and 10 minutes later it was spitting some kind of fluid on the passenger side and I looked at my gauge and it was almost 250, so I pulled over and checked, the engine was pushing all the coolant in to the recovery tank and overflowing.
I put what water I had in and I was 5 minutes from my yard so I stopped to check.
I found a bad cap so I borrowed one from my other suburban, got more water and coolant, filled it up and burped it, and I headed out.
It lasted another 20 minutes stead at 220. Then climbed real quick to 250.
I stopped got it topped of and made it to my job as it hit 250.
On the way back it was cold and with the better cap it lasted half way, so I pulled over next to napa and called AAA.
In the meantime I am thinking did I blow a head gasket?
No moisture in the oil cap or on the dipstick, no oily residue in the coolant so not sure.
Then I thought what if the thermostat got stuck closed?
I bought the tstat and got the truck towed home.
This morning while cold I pulled the tstat and boiled it for 5 minutes and it didn't open.
I put the new one in and got it started, I put the heat on and let it idle for 5 minutes then drove it for 5 miles and came back and let idle for another 10 minutes, steady at 200.
Went to work with A/C on and then came back.
Seems fine.
I think I dodged a bullet
