snowy2
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| posted on 28/4/12 at 07:00 AM |
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How to rewire your car, (+with a cooling fan + override switch)
http://www.andersensmith.freeserve.co.uk/wiringloom6.pdf
Its seems to be a subject that comes up regularly on here so i have decided to give it its own post....
I hope it is of help to some out there.
also here is a further article on fitting relays (wrapped up in a method of fitting a cooling fan over ride switch and fan warning lamp)
http://www.godspeed.me/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1289
both written by me so feel to ask questions...
Dave
[Edited on 29/4/12 by snowy2]
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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steve m
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| posted on 28/4/12 at 07:42 AM |
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That will be very helpful for al the guys on here trying to wire up a kit car from scratch
Why did you not post this 14 years ago!
steve
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imp paul
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| posted on 28/4/12 at 07:56 AM |
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thanks it looks very helpful and a lot of time must have gone in to it 
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HowardB
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| posted on 28/4/12 at 08:55 AM |
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that is great, and good timing too, as after the plumbing, the wiring is the next job.
thanks
Perhaps ChrisW can make it a *sticky*?
[Edited on 28/4/12 by HowardB]
Howard
Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)
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snowy2
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| posted on 28/4/12 at 11:59 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by steve m
That will be very helpful for al the guys on here trying to wire up a kit car from scratch
Why did you not post this 14 years ago!
steve
it used to be on this site (or the original one) about 4-5 Years ago and the first version of this article was in a club magazine in 1996.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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lewis
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| posted on 28/4/12 at 12:40 PM |
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That's a great write up thanks,can this be made a sticky for all to see & so it does not get lost.
I am a driving god!..........sort of
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Hector.Brocklebank
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| posted on 29/4/12 at 10:22 AM |
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A very good, helpful & very informative piece But ........... I do question one part, not all "scotch locks" are created equal and as
such they should not all be derided.
quote:
DO NOT under any circumstances use scotch locks (or similar) to make any connection whatsoever on your wiring loom. And if by some horrible quirk of
fate you do have to use one, make it as temporary as possible and completely remove it from the loom, and make a proper spur joint at the earliest
opportunity. I am sure that under ideal and damp free conditions it will be the case that scotch locks ( or similar) will make very good and long
lasting connections. However my years as a mechanic, fitting alarms and tow bars etc. and then subsequently fault finding on them lends me to believe
that these conditions do not exist in the automotive industry. From personal experience it seems that scotch locks eventually have a similar effect as
slowly hammering flat a section of water pipe would do, so benefit from bitter experience, and take my advise on this matter. I cannot stress this
point enough!
Maybe in the past using the horrible cheapo scotch locks.
But a if a joint is terminated properly using the correct equipment it is considered a perfectly acceptable joint, they are even used in some OEM
commercial/municipal vehicle builds. Such as Heil, Faun, Rotopress, Scarab, to name a few.
These "proper" 3m scotch locks are filled with a Vaseline type liquid that seals the joint, and if there is adequate strain relief used,
these joints are very good.
Some people can never handle the truth and always try to shoot the messenger instead of taking an honest look in the mirror (its always easier to
blame another than to face reality), but secretly they wish they could grow a pair and be the messenger !!!
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snowy2
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| posted on 29/4/12 at 12:57 PM |
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I was speaking generaly as a mechanic most folks who would be thinking of rewiring their car would not go for the types you show. also they would not
be too carefull how they are fitted or if they are the right size.
most faults found on tow bars and alarms could be traced to the use of these connectors. if your rewiring your car why use them and ask for problems
if not used correctly? Especially if doing it correctly is easier and more reliable?
Most folks are amateurs and some jobs are daunting so these articles were written with them in mind.
as i have said most (90%+) of electrical faults on aftermarket equipment could be cured by removing the scotch locks.......as i say in the article
they are perfectly good when used correctly. it is very difficult to do so in the automotive world.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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Hector.Brocklebank
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| posted on 29/4/12 at 01:59 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
I was speaking generaly as a mechanic most folks who would be thinking of rewiring their car would not go for the types you show. also they would not
be too carefull how they are fitted or if they are the right size.
most faults found on tow bars and alarms could be traced to the use of these connectors. if your rewiring your car why use them and ask for problems
if not used correctly? Especially if doing it correctly is easier and more reliable?
Most folks are amateurs and some jobs are daunting so these articles were written with them in mind.
as i have said most (90%+) of electrical faults on aftermarket equipment could be cured by removing the scotch locks.......as i say in the article
they are perfectly good when used correctly. it is very difficult to do so in the automotive world.
I fully agree with you, but maybe it might be prudent to inform the non-professional, who is thinking of undertaking their own wiring, of some of the
higher quality, more acceptable types of consumables that are available, instead of only (correctly) advising against those horrible cheapo style
scotch locks.
Some people can never handle the truth and always try to shoot the messenger instead of taking an honest look in the mirror (its always easier to
blame another than to face reality), but secretly they wish they could grow a pair and be the messenger !!!
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snowy2
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| posted on 29/4/12 at 03:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Hector.Brocklebank
I fully agree with you, but maybe it might be prudent to inform the non-professional, who is thinking of undertaking their own wiring, of some of the
higher quality, more acceptable types of consumables that are available, instead of only (correctly) advising against those horrible cheapo style
scotch locks.
Again i could have advised the use of the better quality ones.....except i am also tracing faults on our fleet of new (2 year old) hgv trailers which
use these connectors frequently for the LED side lights, and after replacing the INOP side lights i have checked some of them and found them to be OK,
it was the connectors that were faulty....... (not all of them, but enough)
My advice stands.
Besides i offer this article as a helpful aide to the hobby i have been involved with for over 20 years now and i have noticed that electrics are the
most frequently quoted "problem". i am not affiliated with any company and have no axe to grind, nor do i feel i should give any extra
advise on alternative connection devices when those i recommend are easy to get, cheap to buy and reliable in use.
Again why would you use these "snap" connectors? they are primarily to save time in commercial applications, over a week they can make a
considerable time saving and the connections will last as least as long as the warranty. We are building cars for our selves and we expect the best
job we are capable of. If electrics are not your strong point your fault finding isn't going to be any better. You don't need to save time
in your build (an hour or so in a build of several hundred hours is no saving at all.) so why not do it properly and save the potential problems for
the commercial operators and their time saving dodges.
Dont get me wrong, i not having a pop i like the banter, and a healthy debate can lead to a better understanding of the issues.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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Hector.Brocklebank
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| posted on 29/4/12 at 03:51 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
Again why would you use these "snap" connectors? they are primarily to save time in commercial applications, over a week they can make a
considerable time saving and the connections will last as least as long as the warranty. We are building cars for our selves and we expect the best
job we are capable of. If electrics are not your strong point your fault finding isn't going to be any better. You don't need to save time
in your build (an hour or so in a build of several hundred hours is no saving at all.) so why not do it properly and save the potential problems for
the commercial operators and their time saving dodges.
Dont get me wrong, i not having a pop i like the banter, and a healthy debate can lead to a better understanding of the issues.
Again I agree a healthy debate to push the understanding greatly is a good thing, my thoughts on this, for the non-professional, that the scotchloc
type of connection might be a "easy solution" as opposed to a non insulated crimped joint, or a soldered and covered in heat shrink
one.
Mind you I now await the debate on the +/-, for and against a soldered joint as opposed to a crimped joint !!!!! 
Some people can never handle the truth and always try to shoot the messenger instead of taking an honest look in the mirror (its always easier to
blame another than to face reality), but secretly they wish they could grow a pair and be the messenger !!!
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snowy2
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| posted on 29/4/12 at 03:57 PM |
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I use some soldered connections on my car, however i don't recommend soldering for those who have never done it as its easy to get it wrong (or
at least a poor joint that will fail) also for some applications in cars they are a liability as they are prone to cracking due to the vibration.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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snowy2
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| posted on 1/5/12 at 07:24 AM |
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I have just rewired my own car after an extensive winter rebuild and some (read almost everything) modifications, i used the method described above,
the dash was rewired in an afternoon sat in my front room comfortable and warm.....
the rest of the car was done in most of the following afternoon. If you don't like the idea of the "chock" blocks finish the wiring
and then replace them with proper terminals. That said in 4 years since the first time i did the job and over 20,000 miles i never suffered any
problems as a result of using them (they did not work loose) they did allow me to modify my wiring as i altered various things (like fitting an
electric fan)
and here is the fuse box,
once the loom is all wrapped it will look nice and tidy
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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snowy2
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| posted on 9/5/12 at 07:26 AM |
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Just keeping it current. Chris has said he will make the post a sticky.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 9/5/12 at 09:30 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
Just keeping it current. Chris has said he will make the post a sticky.
Why ? this is such a simple issue the forum is clogged up with stickies already really time we had a clearance and they were all culled.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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snowy2
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| posted on 9/5/12 at 10:11 AM |
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Apparently several folks have asked and besides folks don't do searches. if its not on page one they ask the question again. Your right it is
simple, but a lot of builders really struggle with electrics.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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Peteff
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| posted on 9/5/12 at 12:13 PM |
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Save the .pdf to your drive and read it when you want to, job done.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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snowy2
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| posted on 17/5/12 at 08:22 PM |
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Has anyone here used this method? ....other than me that is, i know of one or two for sure, but some feed back will help me make it simpler if it
needs it.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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snowy2
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| posted on 5/7/12 at 04:59 AM |
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Just putting this in a more visible place ;-)
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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snowy2
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| posted on 25/11/12 at 05:51 PM |
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just putting this at the front of the list for easier finding...
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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RK
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| posted on 21/4/13 at 01:40 AM |
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Old post, I know. I know what to do, but the execution looks like crap, and it all falls apart in no time. I need a professional rewire, but
don't know where to turn where I live.
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snowy2
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| posted on 21/4/13 at 07:55 AM |
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Its as tidy as you need to make it as for falling apart in no time, my current car has done 22000 miles with no problems (over 4 years) the first car
i did using this system back in 1989 (and its still on the road) still has the wiring loom in place (the new owner claims never to have touched it as
he doesn't understand electrics...) it had done 18000 miles when he bought it in 1991, it gets used most summers and he uses it quite a bit.
For the article i left it "rough" looking to show how easy it could be to put together, it takes half an hour to wrap the loom in proper
self amalgamating loom tape.
as for using "chock" blocks in part of the loom it was always the intention of mine to replace them with "proper" connectors
but if i am honest they are the least troubling part of the loom in use, they tend to be the bullet connectors, which is why i don't recommend
using them.
if your building a car wiring up your car is part of the build process and a fair few builders need an easy way to do it. if your building something
like a Westfied where every thing arrives in a box ready to "go" can you really say you have built the car or just assembled it? My good
friend has a Mk3 Cortina he stripped and restored but he doesn't claim he has been building a car.
So this article was offered up for those who are looking to say they built their car from scratch and want to do as much themselves as they can. It
also has the practical benefit of saving you a hundred pounds or so.
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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hootsno1
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| posted on 21/4/13 at 10:48 AM |
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Hi guys hope you dont mind me butting in here but Eddie99 on here, will have a very good quality looms at stoneligh this year, to work with Sierra
stalks and come with relays and fuse box all wired in all.
You will need to do is lay the loom in you car cut the tail ends to length connect your lights and secure the loom and off you go.
Im away this weekend but will be home monday night and will put on a picture of the loom that i have for my car if anyone is interested
If a little hammer won't fix it get a bigger hammer
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snowy2
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| posted on 26/4/14 at 06:18 AM |
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This question has come up again and i thought it would help to move it to the front of the posts lists again to help some find it again
sometimes you are the pigeon, most of the time the statue.
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Rosco86
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| posted on 30/9/15 at 07:35 PM |
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Perfect, just subscribing
My Build Thread
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