75ZT Community

I've had conversations with a few people over the years about connecting wires to the cars harness and how to do it. This often comes about beacsue of adding the wiring for a towbar.

There are connectors about known as Scotchlocks. Personally I don't like these because there is a risk they will dmage the existing wiring, and if used outside the car promote water getting under the sleeving and causing corrosion.

As I was doing some work today which involved rewiring the towing electrics on one of my cars I thought I'd share some pictures.

1. The damage caused to one of the cars wires by a scotchlock. They don't always do this but you have to get the correct size for the wire if you don't want it to do this. And how many places sell a variety of sizes?


2. My preffered method. The splice provides the electrical connection but also gives some support to the wire. If you strip a harness down, you will find many similar splices inside it.


3. Heatshrink sleeving. Additional support as well as insulation. In a damper environment I would use adhesive lined heatshrink, but it's best to make the splice in a dry area.

Scotchloks are the spawn of the devil. They weren't even satisfactory when I used them on my model railway wiring and that stays at room temperature and humidity and is never moved or subject to vibration.

I detest using them on cars but sometimes they are the only solution if a "quick fix" is needed.

good tip Duncan, i will be wiring up a towbar socket at some point today and will use crimps !

Nice info in the wiring but why would you have to sign, print and date it :

takestock wrote::confused: Nice info in the wiring but why would you have to sign, print and date it :

Quality Control ?

Perfect job Duncan, I do totally agree.

As a long term Ford Galaxy owner I know all about crimp and heat shrinking wires, this is something that a Galaxy owner must do on a regular basis (and you don't need Scotchlocks to do the damage either).

But I do luv the Galaxy so its well worth it.................

Ok time for my next numptie question

What kit does one need for a connection such as Duncans and where is a good source of the stuff

ta

Ragman wrote:Ok numptie question

Are you directing that at me ? if so! is it in the form of funny ha! ha! or something else ?

Have amended post, for clarity, I'm the numptie asking yet another dumb question

Ragman wrote:Have amended post, for clarity, I'm the numptie asking yet another dumb question

Ha! Ha! thats good then Colin, cheers!

What I use to do that of what Duncan has done is to just use any normal size spade connector terminals and just cut the ends of and use the body of the terminal and crimp the wire with as Duncan has shown.

You can get the terminals cheaper on ebay as Halfords are tremendously expensive for these type of terminals connectors.

Just use these and cut ends of and outer colour shell. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280757199380?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp4712.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D280757199380%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1

I once built a kit car and used thec wiring harness from a Ford Sierra. It had to be lengthened in many places and I soldered on over 450 bullets - it was so exciting.

Paul

Yes, I do the same for splices, cut the ends off a terminal. You can get purpose made splices but to be honest they are more fiddly so I don't bother.

It's also worth investing in a pair of the crimping pliers for uninsulated terminals to form the shapes of the crimp nicely.

takestock wrote::confused: Nice info in the wiring but why would you have to sign, print and date it :

Ah, but you notice I haven't signed it!


It just goes to show what junk I have in the boot of my cars. That's the delivery note for some windscreen trim clips for a Rover 45. (broken while searching for a water leak).