Apologies for double posting from 2cvGB but I got cracking on the wiring this weekend:

Settled for a 12 way 'busbar' type fuse box. You have one live feed in and then all your accessories coming off. This negates the need to 'jump' from connector to connector or splice into other live feeds, and means less wiring all round. You can literally just plug new stuff into it without worrying about the draw or finding a live feed as the box is supplied with heavy gauge wire direct from the battery.



Fitted an isolator (found one in the shed 2Chevrons!) and used battery leads to go between the battery - isolator - fuse box - starter - alternator.

I used 17amp wire to feed the light switch, ignition (temporarily) and wiper motor and installed a relay for the wiper motor.

In France, Joolz, stroking beard with one hand and with a bottle of fine liqueur in the other commented that the number of 'chocolate blocks' behind the dash was worrying. I agree:





A lot of that is gone now - there was a great deal of superfluous wiring (3 live's that weren't attacehd to anything, a random bit of yellow wire and an earth cable) and I've now taken seperate, fused feeds to the light switch, ignition and wiper motor (via a relay), plus cleaned all the earths so there's no need for earth cables connecting different parts of the bodywork

This was effectively my 'Stage1' rewire: I've installed a fuse box, fused everything and made sense of everything to the core parts of the electrical system.

Next I want to redo the headlight loom and put in relays for the headlamps. I then want to tackle the ignition and add a relayed fuse box that is only on with the ignition, so no major current goes through the switch. That and sorting out the feeds for the indicators should rid me of the last of the chocolate bocks that remain.

Out of interest - please try and explain this to me:

The original 2 fuses (seen here on the right before I binned the lot of it), well I did some testing and discovered that one fuse (left) was the ignition (inc indicators, coil) and the wiper motor and the other (right) was the sidelights... and get this... somebody had attached the main lights to it as well AND taken a cable through the loom back to the main lights... so if the fuse blew, the only thing that stopped working was the sidelights



why would you fuse JUST the sidelights???

This also brought to light that the sidelights AND the dash light are wired into the dash light terminal on the light switch as the unused terminal goes off when low/high beam is activated (the dash light terminal stay live as soon as the sidelights are switched). I'd like to rectify this as well.

I'm really pleased with what I've achieved this weekend and I swear she runs smoother, the lights are brighter and there's a noticeable improvement in the brightness and speed of the indicators.

One more thing... especially for dave411 I finally found the elusive grey/black/red box that controls the 'low charge' light on the dash. I 'think' mine is red (i'm colourblind) but either way it doesn't seem to work however it's been wired up... I'll deal with that in the future.

Cheers for your input everyone I feel safer knowing that everything is fused - it's quite a comfort!

Looks like you've been busy
When are you coming round for the toeboard repair section?

You could go full month and make a new looms - sounds like that one has had a few snips

I nearly text you actually, I could have done with an extra set of hands for some of it - I'll be back the 3rd - 5th if you want to come over for some special man time?

I've basically made a new loom in situ - I'm not binding it all together with electrical tape though, I prefer releasable cable ties and conduit. So far I'm really pleased, with the right tools, it's actually quite an enjoyable thing to do.