Colored wires replacement

[NeedSpace]

I want to replace some wires in my dash as some of them are fried. See white and green wire top center below. I can replace with new wire but I would like to keep the color. Later down the road, I don't want to say "what the heck is this black wire for" as I replace all wires with my only color wire or, thinking long term, the next caretaker of my car.

I would also prefer not a hack job and cover with electrical tape. Is there a place to purchase a pile of colored wires so I can properly replace? What do other people do? Is there any standard accepted protocol?

I would appreciate any recommendations and suggestions on what you have done...

[E Sully]

YnZ's Yesterdays Parts

[TBone78SC]

I rebuilt the whole front wiring harness. PO thought the best way to fix an intermittent short was to change an 8 amp fuse with a 25 amp fuse. Ouch. Bought a lot of correctly sized and colored wire from Rhode Island Wiring Service.

[TBone78SC]

Also, FWIW, don't use an adhesive tape to wrap the harness, find the non-adhesive stretchable kind. Much cleaner and makes future changes infinitely easier.

[schumicat]

eagleday.com

they have most wire colors used in German cars as well as OEM type connectors

[NeedSpace]

Originally Posted by E Sully

YnZ's Yesterdays Parts

Wow, yesterdays parts has everything! Perfect!

Also, TBone, thanks for the recommendation on the tape. I have a bunch of that stuff I got for christmas a while ago, now I I know to use it on! Bonus, my stuff is clear which will make it easier to see what is what.

[dicklague]

companies like Summit Racing have lots of wire in various colors and gauges.

Make sure you use the same size as original.

If you splice a wire, it is a good idea to solder them and cover with shrink tubing. You can get shrink tubing in the same color as the wire. A simple heatgun will set the tubing.

I know some people don't like soldering, but is is the best way to splice wires and heat shrink tubing is much much better than tape.

[HawgRyder]

Thumbs up on the soldering...but be advised...don't let the solder go any further up the wire than the connection itself.
If the soldered length is too long...you will have a brittle area subject to breakage.
Bob

[blucille]

Oh, dick you are opening a can of worms that keeps getting opened around here.

I'm in neither camp, but I'll voice what others have said, and insert my opinions a bit

Some say that even the most carefully soldered connection will be brittle and work harden, my feedback is the soldered connection is typically a very short piece of a longer wire, it is easy to support the final soldered connection, and the shrink tubing will help to keep the joint from flexing excessively.

I actually like crimping, if and only if it is done with a proper tool, ratcheting is my pick, with correct dies for the correctly sized crimp connector, I like the varieties that include shrink tubing on the crimp, again, this will help keep the stress off the joint.

My feeling is that there is a place for both, but in a difficult environment like a car, I'd certainly go the extra precaution of shrink tubing any connection, and for those that are exposed to the elements, I'd seek out a silicone gel filled connection. It's a belt and suspenders approach, but good insurance.

[donporfi]

I think that the problem is getting the wire with the correct trace color. Yesterdayparts has some with trace color but I think they do not have all the trace colors .
I am having the same problem I want to replace some wires but do not find the right trace color, so what I will do is to use a Beugler pinstripe tool to paint the trace line color. The only thing I want to know is what type of paint to use. What I will not be able to do is the ring type trace like the black/blue wire in your dash.

[NeedSpace]

Wow, that Beugler pinstripe tool is cool...$100 might be tough. I think I might trip a sharpie instead! Or how about model paints and a little paint brush?

[donporfi]

The model paint and paint brush sounds good.

[Cyclobob]

These guys are in the UK, but they ship Internationally nad have most colour combinations

VWP - thinwall cable

Bob