Well, Happy New Year to all, I truly hope it was a good'un for ya! However, while mine was nice, I have a couple of issues I need some advice for. On Tuesday, 1/3/12, while traveling down the road, the old girl got to bucking and snorting, cutting out/off, all manner of things that just wouldn't smooth out. I got to my destination with much coaxing and talking nice, thankfully, but I was seriously worried me and the pooch were going to be broke down on the side of the road, somewhere.

Wednesday morning, as I was ankling back toward the house (500+ miles), I stopped in at a MB/Volvo mechanic for advice. He hardly hesitated, said the wiring harness under the hood was failing, but that with some gentle coaxing and nice words, I could probably get home, albeit much slower than I wanted.

About 200 miles out, right about darkness setting in, I could make no more than 55-60 in a 70mph zone. Couldn't use the overdrive as that exacerbated my problem with the cutting out, kicking, and bucking. Not a comforting feeling to be tooling along and suddenly everything dies, have to turn the ignition key off, engage the clutch, crank the engine on the roll and stay on the road.

I checked the wiring at the harness, and sho'nuff, the wires are exposed muchly, and obviously arcing at will, kicking everything out of socket. The baby will sit for a spell until I can get it repaired.

I've already checked FCP Groton, and IDF for wiring harnesses, but all I can see are a couple of wires here and there. Can someone give me a hint as to what to do to replace all these connections? Electrical is simply not my bag.

Also, the plug that fits in the power assist unit blew out on the initial trip, and as no one in that little town called ancestral home had anything to fit a Volvo, the mech was able to jury-rig a GM plug, which is working fine, but I'd rather have something that is a dedicated plug. Again, I've checked FCP (nothing I can nail down) and IPD may have what I'm looking for. What is there works, so this is not so critical.

Sorry to be so verbose, but that's just how I are.

TIA, y'all!