Mini wiring loom nightmare - rewiring and tiding 14Apr07
I noticed the other day that my post-rate on here has been lacking somewhat lately, as well as no posts about my Mini in a good while. So here’s another Mini post for you.
Since I’m putting a Weber on my new engine (as you know), I’ll need massive bulkhead modifications to accommodate for the metal Weber box which is required to fit one. And (as you know) I’ve made a good start on cutting out the bulkhead already, making room to fit the massive Weber and its ram-pipes. At the Brooklands Mini show I decided to buy a proper TIG welded (air-sealed) Weber box, ready to fit be welded straight into the bulkhead.
And since this new box is so large, compared to what I was expecting, I now need to modify the wiring loom quite a lot, behind my centre speedo. My wiring loom is already modified quite a lot since I moved my fuse box inside the car, mounted on my dashboard, and have added numerous auxiliary electronic devices wired into another fuse box, which I’ve done myself.
However, it was near-impossible to squeeze the mess of wires between the back of the speedo and the back of the Weber box, and above the heater. The space left is a small triangle shaped area measuring only a couple of inches in all directions, so defiantly impossible to fit all those wires into! So I decided to re-wire the front loom.
Now, when I say re-wire, I don’t mean tracing every single wire down and replacing it, I mean un-wrapping all of the tape on the cables, replacing all connections, and tidying where I can. Sounds like an easy job, but its not. There are SO many wires, its ridiculous. Long story short, if you’re going to attempt this, then seriously think twice, three times, four times, before starting such a job. Its a huge task to take on and I am beginning to think why I ever started, and where its going to end!
The photo above, taken on my phone, shows the mess of wires basically just going everywhere. Its very difficult trying to group wires together since almost every single individual wire goes to a different place somewhere else within the loom. Nightmare!
After starting this, and thinking a bit more about it, I also decided to remove my heater completely. I would have liked to have kept it, simply for just keeping the windows from misting up too much during the winter months, but I can’t keep it. Its too big, taking up too much space, and its heavy! Since my "Rally Mini" isn’t so much of a rally car anymore, but more of a fun/weekend/track car now, I can afford to remove unessential things like this.
By removing the heater, it gives me a whole load of space for the loom to sit. I am hoping to weld in a metal place which will be in place of the heater, going from the lower bulkhead/firewall to the switch panel giving somewhere for me to lay the loom onto. Watch this space for updates (and excuse the pun!!)
Ok, so I know asking for donations is really lame, but I'm trying to save up for an 
Pistol Pete Says:
30 Apr 2007
Found you by accident but glad I did, sounds like we have similar ideas and problems. I’m about to remove my heater and thinking of just replacing the whole of the loom while I’m at it but you’ve put me off a bit now! Dreading touching the loom anyway but I know it can be a source of headaches and break downs so something that should be looked at really.
It might be too late already but best advice I could give you is do one job (or should that be wire) at a time or you’ll get in a right mess…could be too late though!
Daze Says:
3 May 2007
Exactly - an old loom is usually the cause of those break downs on the side of the road!
Your advise is sound. I am doing one wire at a time at the moment and it seems to be working well. The loom is a lot tidier now than it is in the photo I took on this blog post. I have also bought a handful mutlipole/mutlipin connectors which is making life easier. The idea with the cable tie labels and bullet connectors worked (in theory) but didn’t improve the tidiness of the loom itself. The multi connectors are the way to go.
An update about all this coming soon anyway
Sam Says:
27 Jun 2008
Hey, mini madness eh? Just got myself one, always wanted one and so finally did! Friends and family alike told me they’re a bad first car because of the nightmares they cause but here I am anyway… Hit a deep pot-hole and something in the beast herself is messed up now so the ignition isnt responding and I can take the key out of the ignition and the engine stays running, like keeps trying to turn itself over, and to turn th car off I have to disconnect the battery, and when I reconnect it it’s like I’m firing the ignition, ugh… So anyway, gonna have to rewire the whole damn car, is it as much of a pain in the ass as I kinda expect it to be, and will I be able to do it myself do you reckon? Cheers, Sam