WIRING CHEAT CODES
Wiring is one of the biggest hoodoos most car enthusiasts have. From tracing problems, to adding new functions to a vehicle, to the enormous task of rewiring an entire vehicle, the idea of diving into the forbidden spaghetti seems to put car fans off their lunch (not our legendary mate Davo, though CLICK HERE)
You want to avoid ending up with a wiring nightmare like the below? Read on to see how a little bit of planning, and a few minutes of extra work can make a huge difference to how easy it is to live with a project car.
TOOL UP
If you're diving into an older car which has already had a bunch of mods over the years, and you're not sure what's what you should get some hardware for your toolbox as this will have you ready to dive into any wiring job:
- A mid-range multimeter (CLICK HERE)
- A 12-volt test light (CLICK HERE)
- A heatshrink label maker (Google that one)
- A good-quality wire stripper and crimping tool (CLICK HERE)
- A crimper which can do Deutsch pins (CLICK HERE)
- A heat gun for heatshrink (CLICK HERE)
- Terminal pick set for removing wires from plugs (CLICK HERE)
You don't need to be buying the absolute Gucci-spec parts or consumables, but try not to buy totally entry-level equipment as the better-quality tools should work a little easier, especially in novice hands. If you can plan ahead for wiring tasks you can save money ordering supplies ahead of time.
KEEP A PLAN
At first glance, wiring looms are enormous pieces of terror spaghetti. However, looking at them on a wiring diagram, be it a professionally made one supplied with a quality ECU like a Haltech, or one you've mapped out yourself, makes everything much easier to trace.
Making your own wiring map to work out what's what on your car isn't difficult once you've printed out a wiring diagram for your exact make and model of car. It just takes some time, a torch, and a notepad and pen to write down all the non-factory wires, or to write down where factory wires change colour, or have been modified.
If you have an old, obscure car or you're rewiring your entire car from scratch, you can actually make your own wiring diagram fairly simply. I found a handy online page for designing your own wiring diagrams (CLICK HERE) and if you're inputting the data you know you can trust it a lot more than if you ask AI to whip you up a wiring diagram.
USE THE RIGHT FITTINGS
Using cheap wire, crimp terminals and plugs is attractive to get you out of a sticky situation but don't rely on them to last a long time. Those cheap white plugs can cure a random roadside breakdown, but i've seen them cause huge wiring issues (like on my mate's car, pictured above).
When the plug gets hot over time and allows the pins to walk in the hot, soft plastic, which builds resistance and fries the wire out - the thermo fan stopped working and his engine overheated super-fast. Using quality Deutsch plugs and Weatherpak waterproof plugs will save bulk headaches, as will properly sheathing wiring.
Similarly, on old school classic cars you should check resistance through the wiring, especially on the starter, ignition, and headlight circuits as these are prone to going hard over time, leading to failed wiring and - in worst case scenarios - a full-blown wiring fire.
LABEL EVERYTHING
When you're modding your car it's incredibly handy to whip a little heatshrink over custom lines or wiring sections with a label printed on it. You can buy specialty label makers which print on heatshrink and give a far more professional finish to a car - it's also massively handy for anyone working on the car (including you) to remember what that particular line or piece of wiring does...
If you're working on an old car it can be handy while you're checking the condition of the wiring, to label different wiring looms so you can tell at a glance what you're working on. Similarly, if your car has a lot of AN fluid lines, you can slip a quick label on so if you send the car to someone to work on later they know quickly and accurately what they're looking at.
