Solenoid Ground Help

[RangerJoe]

I reconnected my battery cables after they had been off for a while. I noticed that the negative cable was getting hot. I tested my cables with a multitool and found continuity across the negative and positive cables. Then tested positive cable with a common ground and found same.

I then disconnected all cables and wires from solenoid and checked each one against a common ground. I found that the 10 gauge yellow wire had continuity with the common ground. This wire is made up of three seperate wires, so I seperated them and found that the black and orange wire had continuity with the ground.

This black and orange wire feeds the #4 fuse. The #4 fuse controls the tail lights, side markers, instrument cluster, parking lights, and license plate lights. I've traced this black and orange wire the best I can through the engine compartment and under the dash. I cannot find anywhere that looks damaged. The wiring was still in the original loom.

What am I missing here? Electrical is not my strong point, but I'm not sure where to go. This wire is not supposed to have ground is it?! Is there another connection that I am missing somewhere?

Any and all help is appreciated. You can see the yellow wire in the upper, left hand side of this diagram that I robbed from Jrichker.

Thanks in advance!
Joe

Car is listed in sig....

 

[stang&2Birds]

BTW, some of us have the sigs turned off because we're sick and tired of looking at the stupid looking sigs. So, I don't know what car you have.

Regardless , you can't really measure resistance the way you did. You're measuring "everything in the circuit" - the ECM, radio, air bag controller, etc, etc.

Also, you never said when/how/where the ground wire was getting hot.
Was it with the car fully off?
Was it getting hot at one end, and not the other?

It could be something as simple as a bad ground wire with a poor/rusty connection to the end.
But, it could also be something much more.

There are a bunch of wiring diagrams located here (thanks mostly to TMOSS):
http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/#Diagrams

 

[RangerJoe]

BTW, some of us have the sigs turned off because we're sick and tired of looking at the stupid looking sigs. So, I don't know what car you have.

Regardless , you can't really measure resistance the way you did. You're measuring "everything in the circuit" - the ECM, radio, air bag controller, etc, etc.

Also, you never said when/how/where the ground wire was getting hot.
Was it with the car fully off?
Was it getting hot at one end, and not the other?

It could be something as simple as a bad ground wire with a poor/rusty connection to the end.
But, it could also be something much more.

There are a bunch of wiring diagrams located here (thanks mostly to TMOSS):
http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/#Diagrams

1) Its a 1993 GT
2) The car was fully off. I only felt of the ground wire at the battery, this is where I felt the heat. I do not know about the other end.
3) All my grounds are a year old, done with 4 gauge wire. I have checked them, they are all clean with good connections.
4) Thanks for the link, but I already have it saved in my favorites and was already utilizing it. Thats how I was able to determine where each wire went right off the bat. Like the website says, Very Useful.
5) Ok, so I guess I need to measure the resistance now? All I had checked for was that wires that usually carry current were recieving a ground somewhere along their path. I will try to start checking resistance. But, am I right to believe that the yellow wire on the selonoid should not see any ground?

Thanks again.

Joe