Electrical Wiring Car Harness

Electrical Wiring Car Harness

Cars are filled with stuff that can make or break performance. The engine needs to be fed the proper amounts of air, fuel, and spark. The suspension and brakes must be in tip-top shape. The wheels and tires, transmission, cooling system, gauges—even the seats—must all function properly. With all those things to worry about, many enthusiasts overlook the electrical wiring system. A lousy wiring job will keep your electrical accessories from operating at full potential—and that means subpar performance. Many people are intimidated by the prospect of wiring a vehicle. But a proper wiring job doesn’t have to be a scary task—we’ve put together a few tips to help make the job a little bit smoother. Round Up The Right Tools The proper tools will make your wiring job a whole lot easier. Start with a quality set of wire strippers. Wire strippers generally include a group of holes to fit most wire gauges. This allows you to strip the insulation off your wires without accidentally cutting into the wire conductors. A good wire crimper is necessary when you install solderless connectors. Most quality crimpers have two or three sections on the nose to fit various lug sizes. You can even get crimpers with wire cutting and wire stripping sections. A soldering iron is a must for splicing wires or securing oversized connectors that cannot be crimped. You will need solder designed specifically for electronics and wiring . It has a midly activated rosin core flux to clean the wire as it is being heated, removing oxidation and light corrosion. That allows you to solder with less heat, making the connections stronger with less electrical resistance. Here are some other items that should be in your electrical toolbox: A wire brush for removing heavy corrosion, oil, or grease before soldering A volt/ohm meter to measure voltage and resistance levels in your circuits A test light to test for power within a circuit Shrink tubing to insulate connections from outside elements. The tubing slides over the connector or solder joint and permanently shrinks when heated Gauge Your Wiring Needs A factory wiring harness includes the necessary wiring for standard electrical components like windshield wipers, horn, headlights, etc. However, when you add electrical or electronic components to your vehicle, like high-end audio or racing electronics, you need to choose the proper wire on your own. There are three factors to consider: size, material, and color. Wire size is measured by gauge—the smaller the gauge number, the larger the wire. The gauge you need depends on the current draw of the accessory and the wire length between the accessory and the power source. In general, the larger the current draw, the larger gauge wire you need to properly power the accessory. One factor to consider with long lengths of wire is voltage drop. The longer the wire, the greater the voltage drop. You can offset voltage drop by increasing the size of the wire. As a rule of thumb, try to maintain a less than .5% voltage drop to assure maximum performance. Wire material is usually aluminum or copper. For automotive purposes, we recommend stranded copper wire for the greatest flexibility and conductivity. Wire color may not seem important at first glance, but it becomes crucial when you try to trace a faulty circuit down the road. To keep yourself from tearing your hair out, color-code your wire by accessory. It will help you keep track of which wire goes where during installation and troubleshooting.