Grand Wagonner Witing Harness Question

My '84 Grand Wagoneer has a burnt switch block behind the headlight switch. The fire scorched the switch, but also melted the female wire connector with seven (7) wires that attaches to the male spade ends on the switch.

My problem is that this plug and its associated wires is part of the greater wiring harness that connects to a trunk of bound wires that connects to another trnk of wires, etc.

Can I splice these wire in order to wire a new plug?

My parts supplier says we can order the wired-up plug from the Jeep dealer, but I don't know where to splice it into the harness, which is tightly bound with electrical tape.

Any and all help will be appreciated!

Randall Brink snipped-for-privacy@mac.com

Reply to
randallbrink
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Sometimes they call it a plug with the pigtails. It could be a replacement like that wit a foot or so of wire seeing as those switches melt down a lot or it could be a harness replacement part.

But either way, you can just cut out the old plug and solder in the new wires and plug.

Just FYI, it is a GM headlight switch that all the full sized GMs use. You could likely just go to a wrecker and cut your own plug with pigtails out of a GM van or something.

I put a new one in and the sucker melted down within 5 years so I put a rocker switch in and a relay. I have amazingly white headlights now. I still use the stock switch for the running lights, that part didn't melt down.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: N>
Reply to
Mike Romain

Yes. I've done a couple of plugs that way over the years. It works fine. If you can't get a new plug, a salvage yard will have one. You can also crimp new female connectors onto the old plug's wires, and eliminate the plug altogether, if worse comes to worse.

Follow each wire to the point where it disappears into the harness. Use a pair of side cutters or sharp-ended scissors to carefully snip the tape lengthwise along the harness until you expose enough of each wire to strip and make the splice. Cut each wire of the old plug as you get ready to splice it-don't cut them all off first, as the color codes of some of the new harness' wires may be different from the original.

Dan

Proud owner of a '77 Cherokee Chief that still makes all the daily rounds.

Reply to
Hootowl

One suggestion. When you splice in the new connector, make each wire a different length. Then when you solder and tape each wire, then tape the complete cable you won't end up with a big lump at the splices.

Dick

Reply to
Dick

I think my soldered splice may have failed, which is why I now do not have headlights after the splicing of all of the block switches is complete.

Randall Brink

Reply to
randallbrink

The way I make a foolproof splice is to first cut the wires to the proper length, leaving about 3/4" extra so they overlap, Strip each wire 3/4". Slip a piece of shrink sleeving over one of the wires. Make it about 1-1/2" long. Then overlap the wires and twist them around each other until they are mechanically tight. You never use solder for a mechanical connection. Flow solder over the wires by heating the joint from below, and flow the solder on the top until it melts completely into the wires. Let cool. Move the shrink sleeving over the joint and heat with a hair dryer or ? After all the wires are done, wrap over all the joints with a good quality of plastic electrical tape with at least two wraps. More if the wires will be subjected to abrasion. Remember to stagger the joints so you don't end up with a big lump in one place.

Dick

Reply to
Dick

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