Splicing with Different Wires - Is it okay?

tcw1018 · 02-09-2002, 03:05 PM

I had a wire break(oil pressure sending unit to guage). Not enough length to twist them back together so I put in a length of copper wire I had in the house (Doorbell wire solid copper). The existing copper wire is "multi strand". My pressure guage is acting strange. Is what I did acceptable or do I need a single continuous length of wire from guage to sending unit? Can I replace my "patch" with a like wire (multi strand) and be better off? Perhaps wires have varying capacity and I am messing things up with this doorbell wire. Thanks for any help.

Brian993 · Brian993's Garage

I am confused! What do you have to member names here or has someone else run into the same problem as you? Why not replace it with the same guage wire? I'm sure it wont be to difficult to locate. Save the door bell wire for your next door bell install.

tcw1018 · 02-09-2002, 03:23 PM

Don't have a clue what you mean about two different member names? It could be possible - I only have a "junior member" badge (aka - stupid idiot?).

Yeah, I'll go the "find the same guage wire" route, probably won't be to difficult to find - I was simply in the middle of something I had to finish and ---- tried (evidently) the wrong thing.

Thnx - Ill check on the two member thing.

RoninLB · 02-09-2002, 03:31 PM

tcw...I think[some times] that BigB was refering to is that solid wires don't belong in your 911. If you remove the terminal from sender with key on and ground the sender wire then your gauge should completely read full/max. If it does the gauge and wires are OK.

R22tech · R22tech's Garage

Your low voltage wire should have been fine, but not ideal. How did you make the connections? You know you could use multiple low voltage wire(doorbell wire) and then use wire nuts, preferably the ceramic high temp kind, to make the connections if you need it fixed NOW.

tcw1018 · 02-09-2002, 03:42 PM

Thanks Ron, The sender is brand new. I bought it thinking the one I had was broken. As it turned out, I had a broken wire.
Tried to fix the wire and... the quage works but at idle it reads 90 psi and when I throttle - it pegs to max.

So, I have earned the "Junior Member" badge because I did a stupid idiot thing by buying a $70 part I didn't need and by using doorbell wire.

I will correct my idiotic ways and get the proper guage wire and HOPEFULLY - my pressure guage woes are over.

TW

tcw1018 · 02-09-2002, 03:46 PM

R22tech - were neighbors. - I hale from Roswell GA myself. Just recently moved to woodstock.

I twisted the wires - no nuts to use.

I am hopeful I can correct this thing by re-doing my work correctly.

TW - thx

Superman · 02-09-2002, 05:03 PM

That's the spirit. I've got a couple of wire repairs to do as well, and I'll solder them then apply shrink tube.

Th doorbell wire should work just fine right now and I surely doubt it could cause a gauge to read funny. If your new gauge reads funny, I'll bet it's different from your old one. The wire is not going to cause the gauge to read too high, unless a connection is bad I suppose. If it just reads too high, I'd suspect the new sending unit.