Just about anyone with basic mechanical skills can splice in a new harness connector. However doing it so it fits properly and looks good is an entirely different thing. On this coolant temperature sensor harness replacement I started by removing the factory tape the finishes the split loom installation.
The split loom needs to be pulled back far enough so that enough wire is exposed to complete the replacement. On this one I took the loom completely off.
I cut and spliced one wire at a time. I prefer using un-insulated splice or butt connectors that have brazed seam that will not split apart.
I also use dual wall heat shrink tubing with a 3:1 shrink ratio and a meltable sealing liner. Also notice that the joints are staggered to prevent a knot of splice joints that cannot be made into a smooth harness. A little heat from a small butane torch. The flame is set very low and I always make sure there is nothing flammable around. A heat gun can be used as well a a small lighter.
I slid the split loom back into position except for the last inch or so.
To start the process of finishing the end, I wrap the wires a couple of times with tape. The tape is positioned where the end of the loom will be.
I pull the roll of tape out and hold it straight where the slit is in the split loom. I then slide the split loom fully into position around the tape as shown below.
Then I finish with a couple of more wraps around the outside of the split loom.
A nice neat wiring harness repair that will last a long time.
It also looks like a factory harness when completed.
The repaired harness plugged back into the coolant temperature sensor.
Soldering is meant to seal and strengthen an already good mechanical connection. It is a very poor way to join two pieces of wire together. Solder takes a flexible piece of wire and turns it into a rigid wire that will break much easier with vibration. The butt connector will also cause a flexibility issue and that is why I use the heat shrink tubing. Not only does it seal the connection from moisture, it also provides a method of strain relief for vibration resistance. Using non insulated butt connectors with heat shrink tubing, that I can control the length of, is the best over all splicing procedure for me. There are a multitude of other reasons as well. Maybe I should do a more detailed post on the subject. What do you think?
any reason you prefer butt connectors to soldering?