Technical Hatch wiring cables

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Technical Hatch wiring cables

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What's your reasoning behind that?

The most obvious advantage I can think of is that it would make it easier to replace the critical part of the cable should that prove necessary in the future.

In the past I've tended to solder permanent wiring repairs, and use removable crimp connectors on anything I might need to take apart again.

Not my reasoning so much as what I've gleaned from working with solder in electronics and also from the very experienced gentleman who did some custom work on my ute some years ago. He usually rebuilds Toyota FJ40 Landcruisers up from wrecks for off-road competition and refuses to consider soldered joints because of their tendency to fail in that (admittedly extreme) environment due to vibration and fatigue. He was very persuasive...

Don't misinterpret me, I'm not suggesting it's wrong to use solder - just better to use crimping.:cool:
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Problem with the fiats is the loom wires are that small the crimp will likely sever the cable i had problems with my grande puntos "professionally" installed towbar as the standard Blue 3m Scotch locks were too big to make a sound secure connection to the rear lighting harness wires.

I ended up stripping some wire off the rear loom doing a twist and solder joint then wrapping in self amalgamating insulation tape to support the joint never had any problems after that ...

yes soldering can leave the repaired section brittle but its not a issue if the joint is fully supported . :)

I'd also wrap in cloth loom tape after heat shrinking to prevent the wires chafing on any sharp bits of trim or bodywork panels and again add more support
 
So shall I solder the cables together or use crimp connectors????

If you use a metal cored heatshrink sleeve and a bit of ingenuity :idea: you could do both, I'm thinking something like this.

My suggestion is to loose fit the splice over the cable, slide it out of the way, securely twist the ends of the wires together and solder. Slide the splice back so that the soldered part is wholly inside the metal sleeve, then without crimping, apply heat to shrink the splice firmly down onto the outer sleeve of the cable.

The metal core of the splice will protect the transition between the soldered and unsoldered parts from breaking, and you will also have the better electrical integrity of the soldered connection.

Choose the right type of cable and you'll have a fix that's better than new.
 
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Well i just ended up using crimp connectors, lets see how long this lasts
 
Did you cut through the rubber tubing to get to the wires underneath, if so how hard was it to roll up the rubber tubing over the crimped connectors ?

I wouldn't expect the crimped connectors to be anywhere near the rubber tubing - you need to splice in new pieces of cable, and each wire will have two connectors, one on each side of the outer sleeve.

You need to splice into ALL the wires, not just the ones that have been damaged.

Have a look at the picture of the aftermarket repair kit in the link I posted earlier and you will see the sort of thing I'm talking about.

That kit isn't cheap - but it comes with all the connectors, you do get a new rubber boot and it's likely the easiest way of fixing it if you plan on doing it yourself.

Bodging the severed wires back together won't last long - there are folks here who've had that done and are now on their second or third repair. Done properly, it should be fixed for life.
 

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which is why i suggested keeping any joints away from the hinged area the heat shrink should support the join..

remember things like the heated rear screen has a much higher load than the boot catch wiring or the number plate lights... so wire must be load specific

Would you know the amp load on the wire for heated screen ? I am considering doing this myself, but may just get the repair loom from Germany. Don't worry digging the information, I will look up the fuse ratings a bit later.

EDIT : 30A, here is a previous post https://www.fiatforum.com/500/313588-30a-heated-rear-window-fuse-blowing.html?p=3130353
 
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Would you know the amp load on the wire for heated screen ? I am considering doing this myself, but may just get the repair loom from Germany. Don't worry digging the information, I will look up the fuse ratings a bit later.

EDIT : 30A, here is a previous post https://www.fiatforum.com/500/313588-30a-heated-rear-window-fuse-blowing.html?p=3130353

Posting a question & then answering it yourself - love it :).

If you do get that German loom repair kit, do let us know how you get on - I'm thinking you could just cut everything in the middle (it even has a patch for the rear screenwash hose), attach the repair kit & feed both ends back into the respective bits of bodywork. If so, that would likely make it the easiest way of fixing this all-too-common problem.
 
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Makes sense to cut it where the wires are broken, splice and push back.

If I do it, I will be calling you anxiously with sweat dripping and fancy wire cutters in other hand... which colour first, got 20 seconds left, which colour !! :)
 
After making a trip to halfords and Maplins I opted for the loom from Germany.

There are 7 thickness of cables (14 cables and the water hose) the cables are very flexible and should last. I may just use the existing rubber housing and so not to cut the water hose, but lets see which one is more flexible.
jrkitching thanks for the link :)

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What are coloured bits on the ends of the wires in "ze German kit", bullet connectors?
As an aside, in one of the many threads on this topic there is a list of items that Fiat recommend using with their official repair kit, they advise the use of heat shrink solder connectors, in three different sizes I think.
 
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What are coloured bits on the ends of the wires in "ze German kit", bullet connectors?
As an aside, in one of the many threads on this topic there is a list of items that Fiat recommend using with their official repair kit, they advise the use of heat shrink solder connectors, in three different sizes I think.

the coloured bits in "ze German kit" are nano machines that accelerate dark matter, here is a pic.

The plastic covering is quite hard and looks like it can't be crimped, can you buy the male inserts with variable thickness ?

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Odd, although from memory crimps can have rather hard plastic. Were there no instructions?

Could they be solder buckets?

Could be connectors, possibly "bullet" type?
 
Could be connectors, possibly "bullet" type?

Looks like it to me, the colour denotes the size.

Google "Insulated Male Crimp Bullet Connector" and you'll find loads of them, colour coded by size to match the repair kit. You can get them off the shelf at Maplins & most likely any car parts outlet.
 
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