How do wiring harnesses work

If it functions poorly, it will be the source of a myriad problems, big and small. Therefore, it's never a good idea to cut corners when purchasing a wiring harness. You want to invest in a carefully designed harness with high quality materials, and we're going to explain why.

We're also going to explain what some of the basic components are in each harness, so that you can make sure to get a harness that meets your needs. There are a variety of parts and components in automotive wiring harnesses, each of which has a specific purpose. A r elay is used in automotive wiring for high-load circuits where a simple switch would be burned out at least over time. Think of a relay as an electrically actuated switch, designed specifically for high current circuits.

Instead of using an ignition switch to actuate a vehicle's starter, for example, an ignition switch is designed to actuate a relay, which then sends current to the starter. Basically, relays use a low current signal usually from a switch to actuate a much more powerful current. If the relay burns out, it's easy and cheap to replace. For example, a 5 amp 5A fuse is designed to burn out if it carries more than 5 amps of current. Additionally, the contacts within wire harness connectors have a finite life span.

If contacts are not designed for the number of mating cycles required, they can lose their springiness over time, causing the connector to fail prematurely. Most wire harnesses use a crimping technique to adjoin wires to connectors or terminals. Crimping involves the use of a specialized tool to create a gas-tight fusion between the two parts.

However, if the incorrect technique is applied, loose crimps can allow moisture to penetrate the joint and cause corrosion. As a result, wire harnesses can experience short circuits, open circuits or total electrical failure. Strain relief is another issue common in low-quality wire harness connectors.

Strain relief is a design feature that allows for the transfer of force in any direction to enhance the mechanical strength of the connection. The overmolding material used to protect the connector will also significantly influence the life span of a wire harness system. These tools are some of our favorite toys.

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Our wire sizes are gauged correctly to carry the load for each individual circuit. If your vehicle is pretty basic and you only need to add a circuit or two, these harnesses are expandable. Depending on what the circuit is that you need to add, we can usually tell you how to add the circuit so that you can get by with the 12 or 18 circuit harness.

No, they are color coded. If you use color code just as OEM manufacturers do; after you cover your wires with loom or tape you can still see the color by looking at the ends. If you rely on printed wires either all black or color without a color code system when the print wears off you cannot identify the wire.