Speedway Motors Universal Wiring Harness

Started by SoCalMiniFan, November 10, 2017, 06:56:18 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

SoCalMiniFan

I've been chasing electrical gremlins in Miss Mini for some time now.  I gave up on her high-beams and just made sure I was home before dark.  I am now aware though that the brake lights don't work along with some other things. 

My current non-functioning electronics include:
- No High Beams (they used to at least work if I flashed them but now nada)
- No Horn
- No Interior light
- No Brake lights

I recently hooked up a Tachometer and then things when really haywire, unplugged it and things went back to only 1/2 haywire!

My assumption is my fuse block is old and corroded and I have a bad ground somewhere but I've taken this as my opportunity to do do a full electrical overhaul.

I reached out to the MOASF crew and they were plenty helpful and after some suggestions I decided to go with a Speedway Motors 12-Circuit Universal wiring harness. 

This will allow me to get things fully running along with the addition of:

- 3rd brake light.  Reached out and got a Hella 39 from Daniel Stern Lighting (who by the way is SUPER helpful)
- Converting my turn signals into switchable Hazards.
- Upgraded to Cibie Headlights.
- A radio!  Picked out a simple 4 speaker, in-dash head unit that's Bluetooth capable.

My horn will now be with a relay so that will help it not sound like a dying frog and more like the air-horn that it is.

The wiring kit came yesterday and I pulled it all out and went through it.  I'm really impressed with it and think with a little pre-planning and patience I'll be able to get it all into my car in a timely fashion.  All the wiring is good quality and of appropriate thickness.  The directions seem pretty straight forward.  This harness is based off a GM model but it can be adapted for really any car. 

I went this route because my car is not original and the current wiring has been hacked into, it's ugly and really a 2-fuse system isn't going to work for me with what I hope to get out of this project.  Also the $149.00 price-tag for the harness was pretty enticing.

Here are some photos of the kit.
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

tmsmini

#1
Just be sure to document everything. If the wires are not pre-labeled, I have a labeller you can borrow.
It has helped me out to have the individual wires labelled as my cars have some intentional modifications. We started with standard harnesses though.
Terry
PS: As John mentioned below if you use the bullets,I have the crimper as well.

John Gervais

Nice!  It's nice to have relays and extra fuses.

The Hella lamp is great - got mine at Daniel Stern as well, but mounted mine tight against the glass on a pair of 'feet' screwed through the rear shelf so that I can later remove the rear window without disturbing the lamp.  I gave my Cibie headlight trims to Dimitri in Greece many years ago, and threw away the headlights when I upgraded to Wipac Quadoptics.  The Bluetooth is a definite must-have - what stereo did you get?  (My Bluetooth-unit is from Alpine, the front speakers are 3½" Polk, the rear 6 x9 are Clarion.)

Now you'll just need time, 'miles' of shrink wrap tubing, millions of connectors - both blade connectors and bullet connectors (I prefer non-insulated terminals and use both male/female silicone insulating boots as well as hard plastic housings for certain connectors), good quality crimping tools for blades and bullets, some sort of sleeving solution (I use PVC sleeves, high-temp 'fiber' sleeves as well as the spiral easy-fit type - depending upon where the wires will run), and some silicone grease.

I can highly recommend Vehicle Wiring Products (http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/), but I'm sure someone in the U.S. has some of the ancillary items.
- Pave the Bay -

BruceK

Six times more fuses!   ;D  The kit looks very nice.  And the price is incredible.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

jeff10049

That harness looks nice, another brand that's affordable I like to use is kwik wire. They print every few inches on every wire what it is. Can't tell if speedway dose or not.

Getting a new electrical harness in is so nice everything will just work. That and cutting out undoing all the past BS is a great feeling too.


BruceK

I think I'd enjoy the therapeutic aspect of soldering and shrinkwrapping every connector just to know it was done right.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

SoCalMiniFan

Quote from: tmsmini on November 10, 2017, 07:20:11 PM
Just be sure to document everything. If the wires are not pre-labeled

Every 6" on every wire and the fuse block is fully labeled too! 

Quote from: John Gervais on November 10, 2017, 07:25:00 PM
Nice!  It's nice to have relays and extra fuses.

The Hella lamp is great - got mine at Daniel Stern as well.


I saw your write up on your install which is what led me to the light!  I'll probably fabricate some feet for the same reason you did. 

For my stereo I got Pioneer 4x10's to be installed under the backseat kick panel and  Pioneer 4" for my dash,  the deck is an Alpine.  Should be nice and clean and sound decently. 

Quote from: BruceK on November 11, 2017, 02:14:28 PM
I think I'd enjoy the therapeutic aspect of soldering and shrinkwrapping every connector just to know it was done right.

I learned early on that soldering is quite therapeutic for me so long as I have a good soldering iron! At a previous job I had to do a lot of wiring and lighting of small architectural models and we shared soldering irons amongst the design team.  We had two amazing set-ups and two really crappy set-ups.  Your day would be filled with frustration all day if you got stuck with one of the crappy set-ups.  I ended up buying myself a nice soldering iron and it really makes a huge difference.


I'm hoping to get this project started this week.  I'll post photos and notes as I go.  This project will also include making my dashboard and the rear speaker board so some fun little things along the way.

"If it's not fun, why do it?"

SoCalMiniFan

It's been slow going on my wiring project but I plugged away some solid hours today. 

Got the fuse block placed and pulled all the wires in the general areas that they need to be.  Now each section will get trimmed to size, loomed, and wired.  I'm also making a custom Walnut gauge cluster and that's held me up a little.  I keep getting ideas and getting sidetracked, but I feel really good about today's progress. 

I'm also working on a blanking plate for the bulkhead behind the Carburetor and have to decide how I want to route the wiring through the bulkhead.  I also realize I need to add some grommets and stuff, this the start, lots of tidying up will take place still.

Here are some progress photos.
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

joakwin

#8
good wiring harness, I installed one of those into my mini about 6 years ago

I made mine work with mini dash switch, and the column controls and mini ign switch and metro cluster and mini wiper motor
I remember having to add a extra wire for the rear fog light

would have probably been less work to just install a chevy headlight switch vs going with the mini headlight switch

I remember the hazards being a pain in the butt at 1st but I was able to work it and figure it out

I ended up finding the pin out for the mini haz switch
D16z6 Automatic, 4 wheel disc brakes, deseamed shell

SoCalMiniFan

I'm plugging along one section at a time and taking my time. 

The 12-circuit harness has a few things I won't be using but I'll find a way to make use of the circuit down the road! 
- Electric Choke
- Electric Fan w/relay
- Power Antenna - though this seems useful possibly!

Things I need to figure out:
- Interior courtesy lights - need to add the wiring and splice in on a switchable constant
- Hazards: the wiring is there but my car is not set up for them so I'll need a switch and other ancillaries to accommodate.
- Grounding points.  Just a few universal ground locations for things like the fuel pump/sending unit, defroster in the rear and then something similar in the front.

I got all new clips and pins and connectors so I'm converting old Mini connectors to these universal ones, only exception is wiper motor and alternator.  The headlight switch I've just snipped the provided connectors and wired to the switches.

I'm also documenting things as I go because lord knows I'm going to be the only one that knows what's going on with the wiring and I'd hate for someone down the way to be stuck trying to figure out what I did. Though every single wire is labeled every 6" as to what it is!

Yesterday I spent sometime working on the gauge cluster.  It's from some scrap walnut I had laying around from another project.  It needs some tweaking but it will house Speedo, Tach, Temp, Oil Pressure.
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

SoCalMiniFan

Today is the day! 

After my morning coffee I'm headed out to hook up the final rear section of the harness to all tails/fuel/etc. Then roll the car off the lawn to get the fuel pump wired/grounded and front directionals hooked up, the ground is too soft to jack up in place and I'm just not small enough to navigate without a few more inches of work space.  I have a ground block in the dash I need to double check and THEN... I might just be able to turn Miss Mini over. 

Aesthetically I need to wrap some wires, clean up the dash, tidy up under the bonnet but I might be able to spin her around the hood later today!

This winter's weather really pro-longed this project along with my several dash redesigns and other little nuances that popped up since January. 

71.gif
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

MiniDave

 4.gif

Can't wait to see the final design of the dash.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jeff10049

what are you using to for wire loom/protection? I never really cared for the standard split loom but it works. I was looking a product called techflex a braided looking stuff.
It seems nicer looking than standard split loom they also make a split version of it.I still haven't decided what to use on my next harness.
Also looking forward to the dash.

SoCalMiniFan

Quote from: jeff10049 on April 08, 2018, 11:48:34 AM
what are you using to for wire loom/protection? I never really cared for the standard split loom but it works. I was looking a product called techflex a braided looking stuff.
It seems nicer looking than standard split loom they also make a split version of it.I still haven't decided what to use on my next harness.
Also looking forward to the dash.

I found split loom but in a braided/woven style.  I'll include it with pictures later today.  I first tried a solid weaved loom but because I had to keep moving wires and relocating things it became really hard to work with. The Split weave loom I can put on last, make look pretty, and have freedom to adjust anything if needed.

I had some success yesterday in that ALL connections are done, wires clipped, grounds grounded. Unfortunately I went to connect the battery cables I had spark city trying to attach them so I need to trace down whats causing that before proceeding. 

I have a few ideas, the easiest one being I need to check all my switches to make sure everything is in the OFF position.  The other is perhaps issues with my Alternator.

I put in a big beefy 105amp Alternator and I had a friend help on that section but even after connecting it we looked at each other and said "I guess that's right".  But I'm pretty sure I have a wire wrong. 

For fact of ease I might swap in my original 45amp alternator for the time being.

2 meetings today but I'll putz around on the car today between them.
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

SoCalMiniFan

Fired up my car a few days ago.  Got a solid 14.6 at the battery which makes me feel good about the alternator doing its job.

My car is so good, a little choke and first crank she purred like a kitten after not being started for almost 5 months.

Right now:
Key goes in:
1st click - Ign. light comes on,
2nd click - Fuel Pump engages, accessories (i.e; Heat, Wipers) work.
3rd is crank over to start.

I have a few things that I need to address but seems like the new wiring harness has things mostly dialed in. 

My lights work mostly. 

Issues:
When I flick my directionals on they come on individually R/L respectively but they don't blink, just stay solid.  The dash light comes on to remind me my blinkers are on.

My high-beams work but the indicator light on the dash doesn't come on.

My horn doesn't work.  I got one blip out of it randomly and now it's silent.

Lastly I was poking around the engine bay and I heard a high pitch hum.  It seems that car off, keys out, my alternator is still pulling from the battery, ultimately this will drain it so I've been keeping it disconnected when I'm not using it.

And... just because I don't remember can the blinkers go on without the key in?

Pictures are of the dash with space left for a future Smith's Tach and the cool Split mesh wire-loom stuff I'm using.
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

MiniDave

#15
For your turn signal circuit - the power goes to the flasher, from the flasher to the T/S switch, then when you move the switch the power goes to the bulbs. The draw of the bulb heats a bimetallic strip in the flasher which interrupts the power to the switch, the strip cools and the contacts make again, lighting the bulbs.......repeat.....till you cancel the switch. Key needs to be on for blinkers to work.

Horn circuit....power goes to the horn, ground wire goes up to the horn button, when you push the button it makes the ground connection and the horn blows. So make sure you have a good ground connection......

The alternator should not hum when the key is off...... you have a wiring issue there, possibly in the ign switch.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jeff10049

if the alternator has a sense and a field wire they might be reversed. the field should be key on power sense and charge line are constant power from the battery.
What type alternator is it?

SoCalMiniFan

Quote from: jeff10049 on April 19, 2018, 11:43:22 PM
if the alternator has a sense and a field wire they might be reversed. the field should be key on power sense and charge line are constant power from the battery.
What type alternator is it?

I'm using a 105amp GM style CS-130 alternator.  I hunted down a diagram from 123ignitions so I'm going to double check my wires in accordance to that, when I get a free moment which seem to keep disappearing just when I want them most!

"If it's not fun, why do it?"

SoCalMiniFan

Alternator is all sorted out.  Reading between 13.6-14.7 when running and stays steady with all lights on, heat on, etc.  Hum from radiator has gone away with the disconnection of a wire labeled "Alternator Power" which I'm assuming is a constant branched out of the fuse block.  The wiring harness allows for multiple wiring situations and I have mine powered with a 4g line from the battery post on the solenoid with a 120amp in-line fuse, then my Charge Light wired up to the wire on the Speedo along with what the harness has labeled as "Excitor", this was a HUGE head scratcher for me but I wired that up to the white wire out of the charge light and low and behold it works, and then I followed a wiring diagram from 123Ignitions that I stumbled upon to help diagnose the "hum" issue!

Will figure out the other minor issues I'm having, I believe it all comes down to a miscellaneous ground wire that isn't doing it's job. I'll attack with  test light later today.

"If it's not fun, why do it?"

jeff10049

#19
nice, The cs130 only needs two connections to work the battery line and either the L terminal if you're using a charging light through the light to keyed ignition.



SoCalMiniFan

Quote from: jeff10049 on April 21, 2018, 11:53:16 AM
nice, The cs130 only needs two connections to work the battery line and either the L terminal if you're using a charging light through the light to keyed ignition.

That's how I have it connected now and it is doing it's job.  Because the harness is "universal" it had a few options and then I added the cs130 to really just make things interesting on my end.  I'm already finding things to be better off then they were prior to the rewire.  Bright headlights, Strong horn, great power on start up.

I also found out my lack of blinking directionals and no horn. I took apart my the column stalk and examined it.  I didn't originally suspect that being the cause of my issues but upon further inspection all sorts of things were going on with it. The first thing I noticed was when I flip the stalk forward the two metal tabs don't make contact to turn on my high-beams so I bent the little tab up a little and wa-la stalk moves forward high-beams come on, indicator light on dash works. Issue #1 fixed.

The internal wires for the horn are corroded within the stalk, when I ground a test light and then tap the horn making it act as the horn switch, the horn works.  Instead of messing with this 40+ old stalk I ordered a new one from 7ent along with a few other small items to get my monies worth on the $14.95 s/h and it should be here in a day or two.  Hopefully that will alleviate the issues I'm having.

The Honey-Do list is getting backed up by my Mini adventure, such is life with a Mini.
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

SoCalMiniFan

ALL DONE!

Everything works.

Theres a few things I need to dial in like my courtesy lights, I need to splice them into a constant. My rear window defrost just needs the long wire run to the rear, its all hooked up at the switch. My high beams don't flash when I tap the stalk back but they fully work when I push the stalk forward, this is minor. I need to hook my gauge lights up to the dimmer switch though I might just hook them up to an accessory wire, on when the car is on and maybe install a switch for them.  I have a couple of wires that are accessory on's that I'm not utilizing and I can easily hook a switch into one of them.

Gave the girl an oil change today, sucked out the questionable damper oil and topped off with some legit SU Carb oil.  Tomorrow I'll give her a bath and cruise her around town.

This project took me significantly longer then I had anticipated.  I hit bumps in the road, I got busy with work, it rained, was bitter cold on some days and I don't have have a garage.

I could confidently say if I had to do this job again I could slam it out in a few weekends now or guide someone rather quickly through the project.  Amazing how much easier something is the 2nd time around!

The Mini is sorted for now and my wife was quick to toss the next thing on my plate.  400lbs of packages showed up on our doorstep today that include all new front end suspension parts, a big brake conversion kit for our '81 VW Westfalia, and all new 16" wheels w/tires to finish him off.  The engine conversion is locked in to happen starting June 1st with a projected time frame of 4-6weeks for completion.  I just sent out the Subaru engine for its rebuild this week. 
"If it's not fun, why do it?"

jeff10049

 4.gif  Great to have things working again.

Where did you find that split loom?

Looking forward to updates on the VW thats a cool project as well.

SoCalMiniFan

Quote from: jeff10049 on May 04, 2018, 10:08:09 PM
4.gif  Great to have things working again.

Where did you find that split loom?

Looking forward to updates on the VW thats a cool project as well.

Amazon for the Split Loom.
"If it's not fun, why do it?"