as to why my driver's dipped beam fuses every time I hit a lump in the road... after chasing the cable back from the bulb into the main loom behind the engine and finding no faults (well, finding lots of poor joints and fixing them without sorting the problem) I decided the dash had to come out.
http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/nailed_barnacle/kit%20wiring/ A few thoughts for aspiring builders (or modifiers of existing wiring): - it is not sufficient merely to twist the wires together and tape them - dripping solder onto a joint doesn't do much either - and if it's a fat wire you'll need a *big* soldering iron - chopping the ends off a cable and leaving it exposed is an ideal way to short things out - so is removing scotchloks without insulating the remainder - if you're providing new connectors to e.g. a radio, it makes life much simpler if you run everything through the same hole in the dash; that way, you can remove parts without having to cut the wires - try and keep the wires the same thickness where you can, particularly where butt-joints are involved - don't make a rats-nest: keep the wires bundled and taped together. It's infinitely easier to manage a loom when it's in one piece - if you don't need a particular wire, pull the damned thing out. At the least, clip it short, insulate the end, and tape it back into the loom; don't leave it dangling - picking up earths and power feeds by poking a wire into a convenient spade connector and holding it in by friction is not an acceptable way of ensuring reliability - document changes from the standard loom <--- this one is *really* important I still don't know if I've sorted the issue - I haven't come across any wire in the right colour that looks damaged - but so far I've only fixed half the wires. There are two multi-connectors in the passenger footwell that seem to have no reason to be there; I think one might have been a theft-alarm (I found ultrasonic sensors not connected to anything) but I have no idea what the other might have been, save that it had thirty-amp cables going to it. I also found a huge live bus-bar - both these are in this pic: http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/nailed_barnacle/kit%20wiring/?action=view¤t=pc300156a.jpg along with a bundle of 25A fuses, the use of which I have no idea. Ah well, it's only minus four outside... Neil --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Quantum Owners Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/quantumowners?hl=en IMPORTANT NOTE: All information presented herewith is provided on an "As Is" basis, without warranty or the implication thereof. Neither the Quantum Owners Club nor the individuals associated with the Quantum Owners Club or in the preparation of the above information shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained within this or related message(s). -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
