Page 1 of 1

Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 2:43 pm
by Owent2005
Afternoon all, hope everyone is well.

I’m in the process of getting rid of some of the electrical gremlins I have and after unwrapping some of the cabling I came across these. Are they legit connections or after market bodges? I will be tracing them but it does get a little awkward as they go through the grommet.
TIA.

Owen

Re: Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 3:08 pm
by Peter-S
Doesn't look original on the top picture.

On the second picture the black cable off the battery positive is original. The car won't start without it. Looks like someone has replaced it though and possibly taken a live feed for something else - fog lights, electric fan or some other accessory perhaps. Obviously you need to see what it is connected to before removing it.

Re: Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 8:27 pm
by Not_Anumber
That black wire from the battery is an unprotected live feed. Its best to make sure that anything that has been spliced into this wire is protected by an inline fuse. If there isnt one, put one in.
You seriously dont want unfused permanently live wires to be any longer than they absolutely have to be. If that wire rubs against any metal part of the car enough to wear through the insulation in a tiny area the whole wire will heat up right back to the battery, its insulation will burn away and would most likely ignite a few other things along the way. All it takes is for a wire to rub against a metal edge over time for that to happen.

Re: Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 9:05 pm
by Mc Tool
Hard to tell but if the connections are soldered under that insulating sleeve they are probly ok but I would have used heat shrink ...at least 2 layers. As not anumder says ..get a fuse in there . Find out where the other wire goes . The thing to do is to get an amp meter (multi meter ) and measure how much current is going thru under normal use and , say there is 10 amps then fit a 15 amp fuse. You may want to put a seperate fuse for each wire if they both draw 10amps each . If that were mine I would cut that join out and fit each wire to the battery with it own fuse. One wire is to the main power feed ,and also carries the feed back from the alt and that may feed up to 30a back to the battery if its flat. I have always looked at that skinny bit of wire with a suspicious eye. The reason it is the way it is so that the amp meter on the dash can read a charge or discharge. Personally I would run a fat wire from the alt to the battery thus bypassing the gauge in the dash .....but then its 40 years old and still working . I am going to take that gauge out and fit an oil temp gauge instead as I plan to make a whole new dash as I have to fit an electronic speedo as my trans has no speedo drive at all so I figured I will get a whole new set of matching gauges....roughly the same lay out.

Re: Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 8:09 am
by Owent2005
Thanks for the info guys,

The top picture is the permanent live from the battery (bottom picture) traced up to just below the windscreen before splitting into 4, could this be the power source for everything on the console/steering wheel?

Does anyone know where I can get better electrics schematic than Haynes?

Im still tracing the yellow from the bottom picture but am getting held up by all the additions!

Thanks,

Owen

Re: Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 1:44 pm
by Paul G
I think the yellows go to the headlights.

Re: Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 6:17 am
by ollyw
Hi.

Pic 1 as per the factory. I’ve taken a few apart and found those splices in exactly the same place and colour, so can only assume that’s the case.

The bottom pick is blatantly someone else’s doing

Re: Are these legit electrical connections?

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 5:43 pm
by Owent2005
Thanks for the replies,
Since those pictures were taken I’ve done a bit more tracing.
The yellow wire goes directly to the ammeter on the instrument cluster (not the multi plug connecting into the back of the instrument panel but direct to the gauge).
I’ve since found two more splices behind the dash like that in picture 1 so if they’re legit that makes me a little happier!
Incidentally the thinnest red in the splice also goes direct to the ammeter gauge, go figure!