Best way to connect wires

[changeinminds]

Ok, ive just started to wire my towbar and it wasnt long before I got stuck so I searched the forum and am now concerned that the scotchlocks I was going to use are not the best thing to use so what should I use to connect the wires together, and how should I wire them behind the panel. Also jsut realised that my fog lights dont seem to be working ????

Any help guys, I have very little experience with this stuff, but you got to start somewhere.

Cheers Leonne

[Grizz]

Personally, I would solder all electrical connections, especially if they are going to be exposed to the elements. Remove some of the rubber coating without cutting the wire, twist the two wires together and solder the connection. The solder will pass along the wire and slightly melt the rest of the rubber sheath creating a water proof connection, this can then be covered with electrical tape. If you are connecting a few wires together it is good practice not to do them all next to each other as there is a possibility of this creating too much heat in that area. I don't use Scotchlocks as I've had bad experiences with them in the past, both corrosion and melting seem to be common problems.

[changeinminds]

Personally, I would solder all electrical connections, especially if they are going to be exposed to the elements. Remove some of the rubber coating without cutting the wire, twist the two wires together and solder the connection. The solder will pass along the wire and slightly melt the rest of the rubber sheath creating a water proof connection, this can then be covered with electrical tape. If you are connecting a few wires together it is good practice not to do them all next to each other as there is a possibility of this creating too much heat in that area. I don't use Scotchlocks as I've had bad experiences with them in the past, both corrosion and melting seem to be common problems.

Thanks Grizz, trouyble is I dont have a soldering Iron or solder, How much are these and could I get what Ineed form B&Q?

[Grizz]

I would go to Maplin or Halfords, you should be able to everything you need, including tape for £30-£50. The more you spend the better the soldering iron, its really up to you. Remember when soldering the secret to it is to get the wire as hot as the soldering iron itself, that way the solder will melt along the wire creating a good strong bond.

Good luck

[changeinminds]

thanks will give it a go.

[Doone]

There are a couple of other suggestions that may be useful here and here. If you do get stuck there's a factsheet on fitting towbars, in the members area here.

[Trouble at t'Mill]

Hi changeinminds.

If you have never soldered before - and it sounds as tho' you haven't - you need to read, understand and follow the (hopefully) supplied instructions very carefully. When done properly, the solder melts and gets drawn into and along the wire strands by capillary action - it should leave a smooth, almost shiny coating over the whole joint. Done incorrectly it will look like a series of metallic bird-droppings sitting randomly on the wire. (The main causes of it not working are: NOT allowing the wire to heat up to the required temp before applying the solder, NOT keeping the soldering iron tip in proper contact with the wire or long enough or allowing it to move about too much, heating up the wire TOO much - causing the wire to oxidise with the heat - before applying the solder, or trying to CARRY the molten solder to the wire on the actual iron tip (the flux in the solder will have burned off in seconds, rendering the solder incapable of making a proper join - it's amazing how common that one is...)

As mentioned above, stagger the joins so that when you bundle all the wires together for a final neat taping (after having wrapped them individually, of course), the joins are NOT adjacent to eachother. Two reasons why that is not good idea: the bundle would be unnecessarily bulky at that point, and also any stray wire ends which might be sticking out sideways from the soldered joint might make contact with a nearby joint.

[changeinminds]

Hi trouble at t'mill,
Thanks for the tips, what if the soldering iron does not seem to be heating the wire hot enough to melt the solder, that is what seems to be happening and maybe the soldering Iron I just got (cheap one from lidl) is not good enough to do the job.
It sais in the instruction to pulse the iron so it doesn't get to hot???

Does anyone know also how I know which wire is the tail light and which the break light???

[scanner]

Instead of wrapping the wires with ordinary electrical tape get some shrink fit tubing from Maplins when you get the solder and soldering iron.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... &U=strat15
Slide a piece around twice the diameter and at least twice the length the bare wires will be after you've joined them over one of the wires before you solder them together - make sure you do it BEFORE- I've lost count of the number of times I remembered it AFTER I'd finished the join (and they are always the bestest, neatest joints) and had to undo everything and start again

And either get some "amalgamating" tape to do the wrapping (it does what is says on the roll and "melts" together to keep out moisture)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=4099
or even better some big shrink fit tube and slide a length big enough to cover the whole joint over ALL the wires before you do anything else.

PS
The Lidl iron should be OK do a few tests just heat the wire and touch the wire NOT the tip of the iron with the solder and it should instantly melt and run into the wires and as said go smooth and shiny NOT dull and gritty.


All you need to do with the shrink fit tube is heat it with a hair dryer (each wire first, then the cover piece over the whole lot) so it shrinks tightly around each wire and then the whole joint to form a water tight seal.

[changeinminds]

Thanks scanner, I looked at those shrink fit tubing in halfords, but didnt get them .
its not heating the wires enough to melt the solder I dont know why this is not working.

I think this is going to be a learning curve as its not going as planned

[hogggman]

hi all,
i work in a classic car parts company and we use loads of heat shrink tubing.rather than someone shelling out for some if they only want a bit,i`d be glad to send some free of chharge if anyone wants to drop me a pm.
thanks
jamie

[mikexgough]

hi all,
i work in a classic car parts company and we use loads of heat shrink tubing.rather than someone shelling out for some if they only want a bit,i`d be glad to send some free of chharge if anyone wants to drop me a pm.
thanks
jamie

Streuth Jamie...... that's a open offer..... ..... the queue has already started....

[hogggman]

hi mike,
it`s the very least i can do after all the help/parts/bits and bobs i`ve had from folk on here.
jamie

[changeinminds]

Thanks for the pointers, I wired up the tow bar and after travelling for 90 mins yesterday to pick up my new trailer I was delighted to find that the wiring was successful .

So we're alomost ready now for our first family camping experience this weekend, It should be fun