DIYEFI.org Forum

I love the color coding schema. I'm working on something similar with my order. If I keep it logical, then I don't have to remember all the colors, just the convention and I'm golden!

I'm noticing that the sheilded, two conductor tefzel is pretty easy to get ahold of. I'd like to use that for VR sensors if nothing else. Finding good quality, temp stable sheilded wire has been like pulling teeth!

I was thinking of a similar scheme :-) I bet it worked well. Intuitive things are always the best!

Also, while I guess I'm not entirely opposed to single color wiring, it's worth it to me to have unique colors for everything I can. Makes changes much easier, tracking problems much easier, etc. At any point in the wire you know what you have. The only way I'd ever consider a single color solution was if the wire was print labeled every couple inches. But that's just me. I've done it enough times with less-than-enough colors that I will never do it again.

Teflon is nice, and I did look into it. But it's significantly more expensive than the Cross-Linked Polyethelyne wires (~4 or 5 times more expensive). And I'm poor!

Both PTFE and XLPE are suitable for high temp engine compartments, a place that the melty PVC has no business IMO. Plus, most of the PVC stuff I've dealt with has been pretty coarse, unflexible, disgusting wire. When buying XLPE (and PTFE) you can ensure you get a finer, more flexible, higher quality wire. Parts-Store-PVC is a crap-shoot at best. For what it's worth, most OEMs use XLPE for vehicle wiring, so I have to assume it's at least up to the task.

I've decided to buy a few (or 10...) thousand feet of XLPE, mostly GXL wire, in a number of colors/stripe combinations. It will be worth it in the long run for me. It's something I've been telling myself for years I should do!

Received via pm :

anon wrote:The guy really knows his stuff. http://www.polevolt.co.uk/

This person also reiterated my lack of concern for temperatures in the engine bay. If they are high, you have ventilation issues. Subbies get pretty warm, but most stuff that isnt packed with emissions crap isn't too bad.

Admin.

You're right about temp not being particularly high in the air. But the components can be. And where PVC will melt and possibly cause issues in less than ideal conditions. XLPE has the benefit of accounting for the less-than-perfect.

In some installs you can't help but run wires in areas where cheap wire will get very soft and subject to damage, even the OEM locations for wires are often areas where PVC will give up the ghost.

I've seen enough ghetto engine compartment wiring in my last job working in a small car stereo shop to know the limits of cheap wire. It's simply not something I want to ever even have to think about anymore on any installs I do.

My opinion. You guys can use whatever you want and I'll keep all my sexy sexy GXL wire to myself! mwhahahah!

GartnerProspect wrote:I've seen enough ghetto engine compartment wiring in my last job working in a small car stereo shop to know the limits of cheap wire.

LOL, ain't that the truth!

Usually it results in this though :

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... 0_7977.jpg

I had cheap nasty PVC wires in my truck pre engine swap for a few years and they were fine until I pulled the bonnet off and left it under that ozone hole above NZ for a while, the UV ruined them in a few months, but engine heat hadn't done jack in years. If you know what you are doing, then you have the power to intelligently make the compromises you need/want to I guess. And if you don't know, you won't know, and won't care :-)

Admin.

LOL.

I've seen a few of those too

PVC can work. It has worked for me just fine for years.

But you know, I kinda like having goodies that the average joe and the average shop down the street doesn't have. Sets me apart.

And personally, I feel better when people I know, who may not be quite as proficient with wiring as some of us may be, have some quality wire to work with. I don't have to think to myself, "Man, I hope he doesn't have that bundle of injector wires sitting right on top of the head..." or such things!

Since nobody wants this:
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... 0_7977.jpg !