Posted By : Chris Taylor,
26-May-2006, 01:42pm
Not sure if you can buy "half" a wiring loom, but the job need not be anywhere near as complicated as you think. If the only damage is that shown
in your photos, you will find that the wiring loom is in two parts, split in the front passenger footwell. If the wiring in the bulkhead section is
unaffected, you can simply undo all the bullet connectors that connect the "rear" loom and replace just the rear half. Although it may be a bit of
a fiddle to get the loom round the back of the seats and fuel tank (take the tank out) all the connections are pretty straightforward, being to the
rear lights and fuel gauge sender unit. Just make sure the colour codes on the wires match the original loom, and wire it all up. You can either
make notes of the colour of wires on vbery terminal, or possibly leave the old loom in situ with the new one alongside and remove the old and
connect the new, one terminal at a time. (And hope you have no wires left over at the end!).
The Lucas colour coded wiring is almost foolproof, and none of the terminals should give any grief. The bullet connectors can be given a heftier
pull with a pair of pliers, but try to grip the bullet, not the wire to prevent things coming uncrimped.
Obviously the battery should be disconnected while you do all this.
You may just find there are some extra wires in the loom near the back of the passenger seat. Don't worry if there are, as these are probably for a
Vitesse interior light which is at the top of the left hand rear door pillar.
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Posted By : Jason Chinn,
26-May-2006, 02:02pm
I can reccommend Autosparks for all your wiring needs, I had the good fortune to chat to a guy there, I think he's the boss (thin chap with a
beard - name could have been Chris?) - anyway, he was able to tell me the exact colours and wire lengths needed to rewire my Herald boot area.
I bought one of his Lucas crimping tools and I have to say it was a revelation - I even went back and bought the connecting tool - like a pair
of pliers that pushes the lucar connectors together into the sleeve. Now I can make perfect lucas bullet joins everytime. Anyway, they sell all
your wiring needs and as they make the looms on site you can specify things like extra wires for auxiliary lights, alternator wiring, rear
battery etc if you want. I'm sure they could make you up say an underdash harness. In fact you might even consider buying complete loom and
only using the bit you need - might be cheaper than a bespoke solution?
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Posted By : Dan Owen, 26-May-2006,
02:49pm
Just my thoughts..! The electrics on a Herald are about as simple as you are going to get-I was always scared of car electrics when dealing
with more modern machinery but IF the Herald required a rewire I wouldn't bother with a new loom. Rather, I would buy however many metres
of the different colured wires and go from scratch. This way any accessories-which you're going to have unless the car is as it left the
factory (can't be many of those?)-can be incorporated neatly. Plus you can leave that little extra slack in the wires-an inch or two is
probably enough- to connect everything up EASILY which I find a standard loom (in my experience) just doesn't allow.
Anytime you're fitting any extras, take some time over it, draw a diagram of the supplementary wiring, look at the diagram for the car and
use some different-coloured wires (not old mains cable!!!!!!!!!!) and keep your drawings safe, give them to the new owner if you sell the
car! It really does make all the difference between a bodge and a professional style job and gives much less trouble in the long run.
