Jesus Eunos Vega

So im tired of trying to solve the electrical problems like why my windows, sunroof or healights dont turn on. I too out the whole harness and its too much. And i really dont need anything but headlights turn signals and brake lights since my motor is carbed amd is going on switchs. The point is, i need help simplyfing my electricals. Anybody done this? I saw on nopistons.com a guy who made his own but that thing looked like a old *** computer lol. Cant i just run everything on switches? Thank you

clokker

iTrader: (2)

You want to delete your bezel and all the stock switches?

Jesus Eunos Vega

Yea just leave the brakes how they are just have three switches, headlights, headlight motors, and turn signals.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

So, no wipers, no nothing else?
What are the aesthetic concerns?

Jesus Eunos Vega

Nope, everything is gone. I removed ac, heater, wipers. Everything. She is not going to be driven much. Mainly to tracks. So i just need lights. Im going to wire aftermarket guages

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Well, without doing a lot of schematic checking, my first approach would be to look at the left side of a early Miata combo switch...it has lights and turn signal controls on the one stalk and runs a system with pop up lights.

Jesus Eunos Vega

Yea i had a 90&93. They have 3 relays by the clutch master. i also saw a universal turn signal flasher on amazon thats ment for bikes, can i use that?

clokker

iTrader: (2)

I don't know, maybe.
Link?

pfsantos

iTrader: (1)

People are way too quick to always blame the harness. A lot of times, the problems are connections and switches, not the wiring itself. In some high heat areas, ok, wiring deteriorates, but that's an exception.

In your case (track car) you may not need most of it, but it's not doing any harm either. But it's your car.

But my advice isn't really for you specifically.

Just posting this for the eager younger ones so they don't hack up their car and then regret it.

Jesus Eunos Vega

Well i got the car as a shell with nothing but suspencion on it. Wich is why i juust want to do it from scrach. I got a messed up harness for free wich is why i want to work with it. And new wires would be better to use than old 30yr old lol.

cBigganz

What you're trying to accomplish is not a simple task. The best way to do it is label every connector that is in use while removing the harness and identifying those that are not. Then trace the wires on the connectors you're removing and depin them at their source.

I've been working on my harness for a couple months, it takes a lot of time and thought to do right.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Actually, it's quite a simple task...he had NO harness and he wants to make a very rudimentary one out of a stock wire loom.

The wires will be useful because you'll have correct color coding (which makes life tremendously simpler, trust me).
You can get new bulb connectors from any box store, so all you really need to figure out is how to control it all.
You could just toggle everything manually but it would be more elegant to use a real OEM switch Like the aforementioned Miata switch).

Either way works, it's mostly a question of aesthetics.

cBigganz

All depends on how integrated he wants to keep it. To achieve desired results without cutting anything, reusing connectors and keeping everything color coded it will take time and some planning.

If the question is "can I hack up an old wiring harness to save money on supplies" then the answer is yes. Just make sure you have a basic understanding of 12v electrical. It's still going to take time.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Oh, I assume he'd be cutting quite a bit, just using the harness as a supply of the coded colors he needed.

Jesus Eunos Vega

Okay so you are saying to just trace down what i need, separate what i dont need and just cut that off? What about relays what can i use? I was thinking of using toggle switches since im already doing that for the fuel pump, fan, ect.

cBigganz

Simply put, yes. However, there could be splices in the loom so you should trace the connectors you wish to keep to their source and properly terminate the rest. Cutting wires and leaving them hanging around is asking for trouble.

You can use any relay that will support the circuit load.

Jesus Eunos Vega

Okay thanks guys. I think i know enough to get started. Ill be back if i get stuck somewere though lol.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

I'm pretty sure you don't actually, so I'm assuming you will be back.

Your best starting point is the stock wiring schematic.
Ignore wire colors and connectors, what you're interested in is where power comes from, where it goes and how it's controlled.
Mazda makes it pretty simple by isolating subsystems (like lighting) so you're only looking at the relevant connections and components.

Once you understand how Mazda did it, then you can decide how you want to do it.

Jesus Eunos Vega

Lol well yea, my idea was to follow the headlight harness to were it goes connected and just cut pretty much what isnt connected. I did get a couple of diagrams to compare and make sure i dont cut something i need.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

That approach pretty much commits you to using the stock switches.

My point about the stock schematic was not to protect you from carelessly cutting something away, but to understand how/why the system works now, so you could design your own setup with different switchgear.

For instance...the stock headlight switch contains the retractor relay.
Prune the harness carefully as you can and it won't matter unless you use the stock switch because the lights won't raise.

Jesus Eunos Vega

Yea i noticed that. I think i am going to use the miata relays. Since its on the the side next to the clutch master

clokker

iTrader: (2)

I don't know what this means.

Jesus Eunos Vega

You say that the headlight retractor relay is on the switch right? Well the miata has the relay in the engine bay. It has one relay for the headlights amd another for the retractors. I was thinking of adapting those to the fc. Also at the switch technically they dont all work together. If ypu remove the cap you can see that it s two metal peices making contact at the same time(headlight & motors). I remeber this since on my old miata, the meral contacts on the switch got rust and i had to sand them out.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

The relay arrangement/location is actually irrelevant, the real question is what sort of switchgear.

Jesus Eunos Vega

Well some ppl use toggle switches on the miatas. Im going to look at my friends miata and see how its wired. I dont want to getbover confident