How TO: Wiring, Re-Wiring, Custom Wiring, Electrics

[hummingbird]

Attention All Wiring Gurus

Hi Everyone,

I thought I'd start a 'How To' thread about Wiring, Re-Wiring, Custom Wiring, Electrics.

When I first popped open my headlight (to start customising the bike), wires were a mess and I thought to myself 'WTF do I do here'. From then on, I only discovered one electrical gadget after the other that I am oblivious to what's inside and what it does. I'm sure there's others out there that feel the same way.

I know NOTHING about wiring. Hopefully the Wiring Gurus on PSB (you know who you are) can add to this thread and teach everyone a thing or two about wiring and perhaps post some sources for learning more about wiring.


Here's a Kick Start:

Beginner's FAQs
http://www.btinternet.com/~jhpart/bkwirec.htm


Electrical Hardware
Lights
Switches
Regulators
Relays
Brushes
Alternator Stator
Fuses
Wire Terminals
Battery
Wires
Cables
Spark Plug

Electrical Hardware - Miscellaneous
Mounting Screws
Heat Shrink Wrapping
Electrical Tape
Connectors

Electrical Tools
Wire Crimp
Alligator Pliers
Soldering Iron - 180 - 250 C depending on Soldering Wire
Soldering Wire - 2mm, 60/40 tin/lead


Online Retailers
www.jaycar.com.au
www.tandy.com.au
www.dicksmithelectronics.com.au
www.Alanco.com.au

Specialist Online Relailers
http://www.mikesxs.net/products-2.html?category_id=x

Wiring Diagrams
www.google.com

Owner Manuals
www.carlsalter.com/motorcycle-manuals.asp
http://www.cmsnl.com/yamaha-exciter-...811/partslist/
http://www.files.pioneerx.co.uk/inde...orbike%20Files


Cheers,
Damo

p.s. Two Dollar Shops can be VERY surprising when it comes to cheap tools from China. At the end of the day is the stuff they have at Bunnings, just re-branded.

[PaulMac]

Good start is to make sure you're not colour blind.........

[hummingbird]

Please don't turn this thread into a 'How To Fix blah blah blah' but rather a general thread about wiring covering the basics and necessities, so we can save the niches for 'Member Projects'.

[PaulMac]

As a car mechanic, I spent quite a few years fitting LPG to cars. This involved fitting quite a bit of additional wiring to the car as well as patching the LPG computer into the OEM computer. You must be able to tell the difference between the various colours and you are wise to have a wiring schematic of what you are working on so you can splice the additional wire into the right place. I just wired in a DG8 gear indicator into my FZ6. This involved locating the ECU and with the bike wiring schematic, I located key on 12 volts, ground, speedo and tacho signals at the ECU plug.

For the actual wiring, I would always recommend hard wiring any wiring joint or splice and using heat shrink to seal the new joint. The joint must be properly "tinned" when soldering, meaning the solder should flow completely through the whole joint to ensure good conductivity. Scotch locks are a recipe for intermittent faults and should never be used if you're after a reliable ride.

You must ensure that wires aren't left bare - especially power wires. Wiring harnesses need to be secured to prevent possible chafing and rubbing through the insulation. But if wiring crosses between two moving parts, eg frame to swing arm then you also need to ensure that there is enough flexibility in your custom harness to cope with this without breaking.

When it comes time to add connectors to the ends of the bare wires, I'd suggest some proper crimping tools to get a solid reliable connection.

[Hitman]

Quote " Scotch locks are a recipe for intermittent faults and should never be used "

+1

I`ve been an autosparky for too many years and found a lot of DIY repairs/installations fail due to these

[Nath]

god those things are fugging shite.

[brethren22]

good call Hummingbird!

can we start with something simple like wiring?

what thickness and type of core is recommended and why? i'm asking here, not giving advice

[polonY]

good call Hummingbird!

can we start with something simple like wiring?

what thickness and type of core is recommended and why? i'm asking here, not giving advice

Thicker the wire, the lower the resistance. Resistance is not particularly important for general vehicle wiring, but moresore for car audio. That is when you go for the expensive oxygen-free copper core with gold connectors. A solid gold plated connection will also offer lower resistance than a soldered joint. Thicker wire can also handle a greater current before melting. I wouldn't worry too much about which type of core you are using, but copper is really difficult to solder with.

When choosing a thickness of wire, you need to think about the sort of current the device will be drawing. Most electronics that you install will specifically state their current draw at 12v. The wire you choose will be specifically rated up to a certain current, use that as your guide.

If you are working with a globe, for example, you may need to work out it's current draw, as globes are generally rated in watts(power). Current(Amps) = Power(Watts) / Volts, so a 50 watt globe draws a current of 4.2amps at 12v. Again, use this figure to help choose your thickness of wire. The thicker the better, but it is a real PITA when you have done extensive electrical mods to a vehicle with massive wire throughout.

Knowing the current of a circuit also allows you to decide what sort of fuse you are going to install. I would install a 5A fuse in a 4.2A circuit.

[brethren22]

^that's really useful info Polony! thanks

[Dano]

Also, as an addition. If you need to make up a loom try to use wire that has more strands of copper that are tinner in diameter than using the same size wire which has a few thicker strands.
Not only is the wire more flexible (read easier to run) it will also resist internal breakages in the harsh environment of vehicles.

[xsnoiz]

If you crimp wires, try and fill the joint with solder as well. It'll give you a much better connection than a straight interference joint. With the larger (4GA and up) ring terminals, I like to run a small rattail file into the crimping area, and remove some of the gold plating give give the solder a greater surface area to key into. Personally, I avoid crimps were possible - a solder joint done properly is 100 times better.

[darkfibre]

There is pros and cons for soldering Vs crimp.
Personally I like non insulated 'roll over' crimps, and hate the insulated 'squash' crimps.

A good crimp connection is better than a poor solder join, and a good solder join is better than a poor crimp connection.

Both work well when done properly, and everyone seems to have a preference, normally because one type failed for them in the past.

When I wired up some off road race vehicles, the owners insisted in soldered connections because he had crimp joins fail.
Another wiring job on a rally car had the performance shop insist on crimp joins because they had solder connections fracture in areas of high vibration.

If you don't have a high quality crimp tool to suit the terminals you are using - then solder them.
My favorite crimp tool is 15 years old (utilux). I bought a spare crimp tool last week because it looked reasonable (and was cheap). Just did some test crimps with it, and it is now in the bin

[smeghead]

Use cables ties as necessary, for large bundles the reusable Velcro type are good if away from high heat.

When attaching to something that moves if there looks to be a chance that the wire will endure a lot of vibration or movement then I relieve the stress by tying the wire off to the item that is moving; the movement is then transferred away from the joint/crimp to the flexible part of the wire.

[not faz]

Thicker the wire, the lower the resistance. Resistance is not particularly important for general vehicle wiring, but moresore for car audio. That is when you go for the expensive oxygen-free copper core with gold connectors.

You should probably research OFC cable. Difference in resistance = fark all! In fact if you were to have completely "oxygen free" cable you would probably be worse off.

I wouldn't worry too much about which type of core you are using, but copper is really difficult to solder with.

What! Really? No, I don't think so, . . . . wait . . . no I'm still sure . . . No!

[Nero Diablo]

When selecting wire for various jobs it is also important to have a rough idea how much current each circuit carries so you know what current rating individual wires need to be the old V=I*R and W=V*I and Kirckofs ? law that the sum of the currents in a circuit = the total current out. Fuses are usually set at about double the max current of the circuit. Current ratings also have implications for components like relays switches and earths.

In the list of retailers you should probably add Alanco www.Alanco.com.au they are not cheap but carry a lot of specialist automotive connectors crimp tools lights and other stuff.

[smeghead]

If something decides not to work check for a bad earth first.

[xsnoiz]

Thicker the wire, the lower the resistance. Resistance is not particularly important for general vehicle wiring, but moresore for car audio. That is when you go for the expensive oxygen-free copper core with gold connectors. A solid gold plated connection will also offer lower resistance than a soldered joint. Thicker wire can also handle a greater current before melting. I wouldn't worry too much about which type of core you are using, but copper is really difficult to solder with.

The resistance difference between normal copper and OFC copper is typically less than 1% at room temperature.

The reason gold is used on connectors is because it doesn't corrode, and it's one of the few metals that apparently exhibits 'self welding' properties, so when two pieces of gold are brought into contact, they will weld to each other at the microscopic level, providing a continuous path for the electrons to flow.

[Mr_FJ]

I wouldn't worry too much about which type of core you are using, but copper is really difficult to solder with.

What! Really? No, I don't think so, . . . . wait . . . no I'm still sure . . . No!

Im with you Faz... Polony you must be doing something seriously wrong if you cant solder copper... It is probably the easiest thing to solder. Me suggests you stay away from wiring and things of the like !

Im an auto sparky by trade and I think I would have made a pretty awsome plumber as well (if I do say so myself). I put together some additional pipework in one of my cars for the water cooled turbo, mostly made from copper piping. Was a breeze bending and soldering all the pipework together. The only time copper is a pain in the arse to work with is when it is corroded.

Just on that, if you ever have 'green' copper wire or battery terminals, boiling water is the trick. Pour it over the affected area and it basically disolves. Of course dont melt anything in the process and dont burn yourself.

Also you might want to add this site http://pdftown.com/ to your links at the top Hummingbird, lots of manuals there.

Just another thing while I think of it.With soldering, when you have soldered a joint or something, when the solder has cooled down and set it should have a nice glossy/shinny finish. If it is dull or has a matt finish it means that has not set properly and is 'dry'. This becomes more important when you start to work with smaller items, like circuit boards etc. Usually if you have a 'dry' joint on a circuit board that component may not work, where as with automotive the item will generally work but the joint or bond will be a lot weaker and more prone to break.

Usually happens when you move the wire just that split second before it sets !!!

[firewrench]

Dirty corroded battery terminals are a job for Coca Cola. pour it on and watch it fizz, rinse with clean water, coat with petroleum jelly (not ky) and you're good to go.
When soldering wires to terminals, I like to tin the wire first, let it cool. Tin the terminal then put them together, heat till the solder flows and let cool. You use much less heat that way and lessen the risk of cooking your project. Little switches on motorcycles benefit from this process.

[unicycle]

Excellent solding tip FJ (and Firewench), never accept anything less than a clean shinny joint.
Anything less = weak and high resistance.

Plus, removing the flux that has cooked off during the heating process is a must if you want the the corrosion nasties at bay. I recommend isopropyl alcohol to clean as it leaves zero residue, but thats just what's handy for me.

If you are struggling with the join on your job (copper or not - jokes), try cleaning both surfaces with an eraser and then iso. Add flux to the areas you want the solder to run to, this will encorage a good join with minimal effort.

Always seal the job one way or another from outside contamints as these outsiders are the destroyers of good joins.
Contamination as a rule = corrosion.
Corrosion = more work.
More work = less beer time.

All this is a mad headache but faults always take longer to fix than sorting out your preparation first. A good join will last the life of the vehicle and you'll never need to touch it again, which means more beer... and riding time.

Ps. never drink drive, erm, solder kids