Automotive wiring can be a daunting task. Sometimes what can be perceived as a super simple installation can turn into a nightmare when performed by an untrained person just trying to help out. This article is not about teaching you how to wire a vehicle, but rather give you some examples of things to be on the lookout for.
Bad automotive wiring can result in a variety of issues including: flickering lights, sudden power loss, intermittent electrical component failures, burning smells, difficulty starting the engine, blown fuses, malfunctioning electrical systems, and in severe cases, huge fireballs that look like something out of MadMax. Some example are listed below, but anything that even remotely looks like these should be on the no-fly list-
- Twisting bare wires together = shorts = fires = sad Jeeper...GUARANTEED
- T-Taps (I HATE these things!!!) This will most certainly corrode at which point the wires will break causing everything that was hooked to it to fail. On top of that if you're super unlucky the bare wires left over will fall onto a ground and pop a fuse or start a fire.
- Wire nutz- Come on man! You're not hooking up a ceiling fan in grammy's bedroom! These absolutely have zero place in an automobile.
- Wire jammed into fuse- You'd think we wouldn't have to talk about this, but here we are. I know JoJo had his stereo in his '83 Camaro wired like that for years, but let me assure NONE of us have JoJo luck.
- Whatever this is- NO! I mean they don't even remotely look alike!!!
- And last but not least, cheap subpar crimpers.
I know not everyone does wiring on their Jeep everyday, but your really get what you pay for for. They will damage connector insulation, damage conductors while stripping, and may even injure you. Invest in a decent set of crimpers such as the Klein Tools Crimping and Cutting Tool for Connectors and Klein Tools Klein-Kurve Wire Stripper Wire available at Lowe's or any other big box store. You won't regret the purchase.
So, the point I'm trying to make here is be aware of what is happening with your Jeep and don't let any random person that shows up at a wrenching party in a parking lot work on your rig without watching what's going on. a little bit of education goes a long way. Most importantly don't stop helping each other out, because it's part of what makes us Jeepers. However let's all be honest with ourselves about our limitations.
JEEP ON!!!!!!
Eli