How To Replace A Car Wiring Connector Properly - Repair Headlight Wiring Pigtail Harness
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มี.ค. 2022
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How to replace a factory wiring connector on your car. This video shows how to replace a headlight connector with an OEM connector and pigtail harness. These methods can be used to properly replace almost any car electrical connector. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!
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*Links to items in video.* Plus extra options. Affordable products I use or which have great reviews. Clicking these links may help me out. :)
*New* Crimper & Butt Connectors - amzn.to/3IHYhso
Crimping Tool & Connectors - amzn.to/3IFvDs2
Ratcheting Crimping Tool - amzn.to/3wDYLNO
Heat Shrink Butt Connectors - amzn.to/3Nmm6cX
Basic Heat Shrink Tubing - amzn.to/3IEocBu
Adhesive Heat Shrink Tubing - amzn.to/3tHpfMO
Manual Wire Stripper - amzn.to/36vkYmH
Automatic Wire Stripper - amzn.to/3LdAHpd
Cheap Automatic Stripper - amzn.to/3DcjZDS
Diagonal Cutting Pliers - amzn.to/3JGBxdD
4 Piece Hook & Pick Set - amzn.to/3IE5NV9
Reliable Heat Gun - amzn.to/3JWZHB3
Utility Knife With Blades - amzn.to/36v37we
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You should pin this so its the top comment.
@@NickFrom1228 Why thank you! It was supposed to be, hah.
This video saved me between $250-$500 (estimate from the repair shop I had an appointment with). New connector cost $15 at autozone and the tools needed were about $20 all together at walmart. Easy to follow tutorial. Much appreciated!
That's awesome! Exactly why I made this video. Thanks so much for the comment.
Do you still make videos? @@802Garage great channel btw
Great tutorial, saving to my headlight folder and sharing to my dad to he can help me replace my wiring connector
Just saw this, but thanks a lot!
Excellent instructions!
The one thing I would do differently is simply a minor order of operations change; leaving the built-in heat shrink on the connectors unshrunk until all the wires have been crimped in. As shown in your video, your order works just fine, I can just see myself holding the connector at a weird angle and partially shrinking the unused side by accident, potentially forcing myself to start again. I imagine you can get more shrinking done with less lighter fluid that way, too.
Again, great instructions! Hopefully this ends up being what people come across when they're looking to learn how to do this!
Def a great idea! I ended up doing things in a bit of an awkward order for the sake of demonstration. I'm still not sure my favorite way to do everything. Appreciate the comment! 😁
I love how u Take your time to respond to everyone's questions and comments. It's very appreciative and you're video is very informative. Could my headlight being put back in the wrong way and not being locked into place be the cause of the connector melting? What is it just a very strong coincidence? This is why I always want to do everything myself. Because when other people do things and stuff gets messed up. I can't help but feel like it's something they did....
Thanks very much! It is possible that your headlight not being assembled or installed correctly caused the connector to burn up. It really depends on the style of bulb and assembly. If it was able to knock around and the connector came partially loose or if the connector was not fully installed, it could cause excess heat. This is because if the connector contacts are not fully mated, the current has to go through a smaller area which will add resistance and create heat. This can cycle into thermal breakdown. It's also possible something shorted causing the melt. I always advocate learning how to DIY as long as you are comfortable trying and do you research! If you post a pic to Instagram or something I could take a closer look. Could very well be coincidence, but most likely if a new headlight was installed and the connector burned up, something wasn't done quite right. Could be that the connector was forced and it actually bent a contact for example.
Thank you very much. Very detailed and articulate
FELLOW VERMONT BASED AUTO TH-camR, HELLO! love your content man. mine is motorcycle based but nice to know I'm not alone in our snowy corner
Hey that's awesome! I subbed back. Check out A Rural Vermonter too if you haven't. :D
@@802Garage will do!
Loved this and chock full of good information!
Hey I only just saw your comment, but thanks a lot! Either that or I replied before and it didn't go through, hahaha.
Great video man. Id really love to see more videos like this! Could definitely help grow the channel and im sure itll be fun in the end
Thanks a lot. Definitely more tutorial videos like this coming. I have many I just never edited. They're good for the channel long term. I also have the full V10 Impreza series coming of course. :)
@@802Garage god ive been anticipating that v10 series for so long im sure itll be awesome
@@samurboi8007 Hahaha me too! Hoping it will impress the algorithm as well. XD
Great video, and them shrink fittings are fantastic , The company I worked for Raychem invented thrink tubing .
Raychem makes really good stuff. When you're on a budget there are luckily all the clones hahaha. Thank you!
@@802Garage yes I worked with Electron Beams cross-linking the tubing and military products.
Helpful video. Good tools recommended.
Thanks a lot! I use these tools regularly.
Thanks man!
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Currently l'm in the same situation. I used to do the same but now I'm more confident after seeing your video.
Thanks for the comment! One wire at a time and it'll all be right. 😁
Great video! What gauge size wire did you end up using?
When possible, I pull the pins out of the connector and swap them to the new one. I work at a collision repair/body shop and I deal with this quite often. I don't like splicing wires unless I have to. Especially since newer vehicles have extremely thin wires and if you try to splice them the computer won't receive the correct voltage and can cause problems. Sometimes it works, but if you splice wires on a newer vehicle and it still doesn't work. That might be your problem
Great tip! Yeah CAN bus wires are especially finnicky. I have another video to edit about making new connectors from scratch which will include installing pins. I'll try to make a tutorial on what you recommended in the future too. In this case of course, the pins themselves were totally destroyed. Avoiding splices always best, but making sure the splice is waterproof is next best I'd think. :D
Good to nnow
Rats..... So then you don't recommend me, who is in no way, shape, or form a mechanic, attempting to splice my own wires for my headlight With no knowledge other than videos like this and reading on the internet...... I just watched a video where they pulled the pins out. That is definitely something. I may have been able to do it, but mine are basically melted, so it's definitely gonna have to be the wires 😵
Are you the new Chrisfix? 🤣
I can only hope! Hahaha. His vids could fund the projects of my dreams. ;)
Thanx man ❤
Welcome!
Great channel 👏 👍
Thank you! Plan to be a lot more active this year. You were first. :)
He's back!!!
Doing my best! Still have a lot more to edit.
Great video bud.
Thanks a lot! It's doing way better than I expected.
Not bad! Personally I would’ve soldered but you did a good job with those connecters… One thing I would recommend though is some dielectric grease on the connecter before you plug it in, that’ll save it corroding up.
Not a fan of solder in vehicles, but I know the debate will rage on. ;) Dielectric grease def a good idea. Thanks!
Dengan peralatan kerja yang lengkap pasti kerja jadi mudah
It's best to do the job with the right tools, but even with a cheap crimper and crimps that don't shrink, some heat shrink insulation can help water proof it. :)
Thank you! My mechanic wants $450! And he said the bumper has to come off. No thanks, I’m gonna try to do it myself
Even if the bumper has to come off, you can handle it. Just watch a tutorial and take it step by step.
Really want to see the 13b-rz build on here!
I have everything recorded and will upload the full series Soon™!
does it matter which color of wire goes first? Should i disconnect battery first? i have red, blue, and black wires on the old connector and new one which helps but im not sure if theres a certain order to do them in
It is always a good idea to disconnect the battery when working on anything electrical. Just unhook the ground connector and make sure it is tucked away from the battery terminals. In truth, as long as the key is off, it would be hard to mess anything up here. Still best practice! It does not matter which order you splice the wires in as long as the correct wires are spliced. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions. Shoot me a DM on Instagram if you need to.
A couple additions from someone whose been around the block a time or two...
1. There is a butt splice that has solder in-between the wires inside the heat shrinkable butt splice.
2. Something to remember when splicing multiple wires for a single connector is to stagger them. Make each splice about an inch away from the nearest splice. This’ll save you if the heat shrink ever wears down (causing a short) and will make the harness slimmer and closer to factory since you’re not cramming 3 butt splices next to one another.
These were probably some ocd things on my part, as the method shown obviously works, but they are tips nonetheless.
Thought I replied to this. Maybe it didn't go through. Yes the solder seal connectors work as well. For most applications I'd just boil it down to preference. Agreed on the staggering, especially if you need the harness to fit in a tight space. Thanks!
Nice video. However, I could not use it. Because my wires are different colors. All your wires were the same. That would make it easy. Lol. But thank you. I still give this video I thumbs up..
I'm sorry it wasn't more helpful for you. The only adjustment you have to make when your new connector has different colored wires, is you have to make sure you match the wires based on where they lead to in the connector. For example, if it's a three terminal connector, and the first terminal has a red wire on the original connector, but your new connector has a blue wire on the first terminal, you have to connect the blue wire on the new connector to the red wire on the car's harness. Match each wire to the corresponding wire based on position rather than color. Hope this helps.
is the v10 soombaroo done yet? or will you work on it soon?
Getting so close to driving, life has just been crazy. There are recent updates on TikTok/Instagram/Facebook. TH-cam needs to make Shorts 90 seconds and then I could post more here hahaha. The full build will be coming to TH-cam in long form though. 😁
@@802Garage youtube is bad enough. i don't go to that other filth. just quit your job and excommunicate everyone you know until it's running
On our 2003 Chevy Cavalier the burned socket has 3 wires: Black in the middle, Red and Green (Green is burned) on the sides. A new socket I bought has 3 wires - all Black. Does it matter which one goes on Red which one on Green, if I connect central Black wires together? Thank you for so useful and informative film.
Yes it matters. Generally you have to connect the wires in the same order they were before! So you must connect black from your harness to the middle black on the new socket, green to whichever side green was on in the original socket, and same for red. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks for the comment.
@@802Garage Thank you! I thought I need to go by orientation, but wasn't sure.
@@olenaerhardt7725 Yep spot on. Wire order is more important than color. Have a good year!
@@802Garage Thank you. Happy new Year!
Yo yo yo. Where did you get your channel name from?
PS I saw the license plate at the end of the video. I knew ya were from VT. That’s dope
Yep Vermont strong! Thanks for commenting. I assume you're in the area? I plan to host more meets in the future too.
Where is your videos about v10 swap? Is the project still going?
Yep very much still going. Honestly took a winter vacation of sorts and now trying to ramp back up. Definitely want the entire series to start releasing this spring. 😁
What if the connector has 2 wires while your car only has one? The part from the auto stores and everywhere online it has 2 wires, seems plug with one wire doesn't exist for some reason. Will it still work if I connect just one wire on the connector?
If it is the same connector and it clicks together then yes. It's just a single wire in a two wire connector. If it's a different connector entirely then it's just not as common and you'd have to find the right one, or you can replace both sides. If you need more help, tell me what connector it is on what car.
Ayo hes back
Yes indeed! Plan to actually release a lot more long form content here this year. Thanks as always. :D
@@802Garage wonderful to hear, looking forward to it!
@@samurboi8007 Really appreciate the support. 😌
one thing id have done different is staggered the splices so it looks neater under the heat shrink
Always an option! If I'm not space constrained, I like to do it this way because it just makes the process simpler for me. Thanks for the great comment. :)
I know about that technique and almost always forget about it until after it's too much work to go back and do that.
Definitely a good method, and sometimes even a vital one when the finished bundle needs to be fed through a small hole!
One good thing to go for is to stagger the wiring so the solderless connectors don't bulk up next to each other.
Hi there, I changed my light twice and each time it works for only 1-2 minutes (bulb isn't burnt however, but connector socket seems melted on one side, how could that happen?).
I think now nothing works and I have to change the connector, what could cuase the overheating ?
At 1:42 you mention blowing fuses does that mean light bulbs ?
Thanks
I would guess the issue is with your connector, but I can't be 100% sure. If you had a wiring issue like a short, it would blow the fuse for your headlights, located in the fuse box in your engine bay. That's what I was talking about when I mentioned a fuse. Technically, a headlight bulb works similar to a fuse, but obviously it is not supposed to blow, it is supposed to glow. I would examine the connector itself for any discoloration, especially black or dark brown spots on the connector, on the wiring, or on the contacts. The contacts should ideally be shiny metal and not corroded or burned looking. You can also smell the connector and if it smells like burning plastic or wiring, that's generally a bad sign. Check the wire leading to the connector for any brakes or damage or hot spots as well. The other main reason your bulbs could be blowing so quickly is if there is a ton of moisture in the headlight housing, but usually they would have to directly touch the water for it to be an issue. Since you aren't blowing a fuse, and it seems you only have the issue on one side of the car, I would say the connector is the likely culprit, but again I can't be certain.
@@802Garage Thanks alot for your insight. I will probably take it to my garage. Sucks but sometimes best let the experts do the changes. I had my car cleaned and I think the problem happened after. I wonder if that had anything to do with it ?
@@miguelh4750 It's definitely possible moisture is the culprit if they pressure washed the car. There's nothing wrong with pressure washing, but it might have exposed a problem that already existed like cracked wiring or a bad headlight seal. Best of luck.
From my experience electrical tape can get pretty nasty, ages badly and can't stand any heat. The alternative I found is dr25 sleeves, it's not cheap but it's a life changer when working on a wiring harness.
There are definitely better options than electrical tape. Thanks for the tip! That said, significant portions of factory harnesses are wrapped in the stuff and can last decades. Therefore, the key is to buy high quality electrical tape if you want it to last! Skip the Harbor Freight cheapo rolls, get a brand name.
Is there a reason you dont solder wires instead of crimping? I have a pigtail to attach and i keep seeing videos with crimp tools are they better than soldering?
The quick answer is for automotive applications, yes. Soldering has more room for error and the issues are less obvious. The two main problems are cold joints or inadequate solder and too much solder or hard brittle joints. With a correctly sized crimp and the correct crimping tool, such as what I showed in this video, it's much easier to get it right. Even this isn't professional level crimping, but the heat shrink butt connectors add water proofing and strain relief, ensuring the repair will last longer. With soldering you need heat shrink and silicone paste or glue lined heat shrink to accomplish similar protection. Hope that makes sense. If you look up crimping vs soldering for cars there are a lot of good videos out there by big names like High Performance Academy and Haltech. Wiring is a deep rabbit hole, but worth going down to get informed.
@@802Garage thanks for the fast answer
@@Jacob-rt6on Sure thing!
Please continue the v10 swap
I promise I will! I have everything filmed for you too I just have to edit it eventually. The car is almost driving I have just had many other things go on including the rotary swap BRZ build.
Intelligent & instructive, mes amis !
It SHOULD be obvious knowledge, but...the rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl) that is employed at 02:15 , should NOT be sipped during this repair...or at anytime !
Thanks so much as always for your support. You are of course right. That alcohol is for rubbing, I guess, not drinking. ;)
My need to have decent tools caused me to replace my 20 dollar multimeter with a 200 dollar plus one that even measures temperature, RPM and Dwell angles etc. But I'll probably only ever use it to test my wiring...but hey, you never know when you might need to check the temperature of your coffee or something, so good buy in my eyes. ;o)
I rather glue with metal to ensure connections.
For the sake of less time, crimping.
For if you have the time, solder.
Soldering is cool, but it requires a good amount of practice to do it properly. In this case, soldering will of course work fine, but there is no electrical advantage and it won't last longer. Overall for automotive work, crimps are what I and many others recommend. If you want to get super fancy, you can buy open barrel crimps and just use adhesive heat shrink tubing, but I feel these connectors are less intimidating. Thanks for the comment!
No. Only soldiering. Great filming
Hahaha nooo. The great debate continues. ;) Thank you though! At least I finally released a video.
Good advice! If anything as to how to do wiring and properly use of electric tape. Thanks. To tell the truth I came here after getting tired of Scotty Kilmer rants and looking for parodies. Something is wrong in this world. You deserve better.
Hahaha kind of amazing it led you to this video at least! Thanks for the kind words. Repair going strong after over two years now. Took me ages to get around to editing. 😂
Is there a new channel or something?
Nope I have just been focused on short form content on other platforms and very busy. Finished an entire build of a rotary swapped BRZ with some friends. That series will be coming to the channel very soon and then the full V10 Impreza build. Gonna be a big year, I just had to step away from TH-cam when the way I was grinding was not producing results. I am hoping my new approaches and mixed content will be a lot more successful. No plans of giving up. I do have a ton of more recent content on TikTok and Instagram, some on Facebook as well. :)
V10 subaru?
Lots of updates on TikTok. Full build coming to TH-cam soon. :)
I would have diagnosed the melted connector first. I've seen faulty driver modules. This problem might occur again if that's the actual problem.
Agreed always best to figure out why something failed before just fixing it. Beyond the scope of this video, but I do mention it. No driver for this headlight, just a simple relay. Usually when these older connectors fail it's because one of the contacts got bent or broken when installing a new bulb and isn't making good contact. That or corrosion on the wires. Only seen a couple fail out of numerous 25 year old cars so can't complain. Thanks for the helpful comment!
@@802Garage Thanks for the nice video. Very well done. I'm going to buy that crimper.
@@tonypitsacota2513 Awesome and thanks again! I just added another link for a different version that comes with a bunch of the butt connectors. Any of them seem to work quite well I've used my IWISS version tons of times now.
Pretty sure that headlight connector just burned up from lack of spring tension in the connectors over the years, causing more heat buildup from a bad connection at an item that's already known to be pretty darn warm.
@@MrTheHillfolk Yea I agree. But I had the same problem in a Ford Headlight driver module that had bad diodes which caused overcurrent, melting connector after connector and eventually the housing itself.
I figured you had a similar pedantic nature to me. If you're going to fix something, fix it properly. In the past six months, I've arguably spent as much on proper tools and ancillaries as I've spent on parts.
Hi 👋
Hiii Stella!
Hello
Oh heeey! 😁
Yo!!!!! Where the 802 at????? Hope you are ok.
I am indeed! Uploads coming Soon™ I have soo much to edit.
Canadian strippers are better than American in my experience
Why did this take me a second to get? I was like... What brand of tools is made in Canada? Hahaha.
Missing your videos, bud.
Thanks it means a lot! I'm actually going to try to work on the first part of the rotary BRZ swap tonight. So look out for that soon.
I've seen worse from professionals. Nothing you did was horrible and the repair looks like it will serve well for years. Things to think about are... FIRST Extract info from the old harness before cutting it off. It may not work but it isn't without informational value. Note pin position and color of wiring at pin location for performing the repair. If you need to pass a harness through an opening the harness cuts should be at different lengths to avoid bulking up the harness with three crimps at the same position. Shrinking should be done for all insulated butt connectors at the same time to reduce time spent on that step by picking up and putting down tools over and over.
All great tips! Agree with everything. In this case I was targeting people who will buy an aftermarket flying lead connector or connector with pigtail harness attached. I should have mentioned making sure you match up the correct wires more though. I have another tutorial to edit which shows how to make a connector with flying leads from scratch. I hammer home pin and wire position more in that one. This repair style is definitely targeted at the amateur and DIY crowd. Just intended to be leagues better than a bad solder job with electrical tape or a hardware store butt connector left to trap water and corrode to heck, hahaha. Thanks again!
The video is awesome, friend. We have launched the 4modes led headlight bulb, would you like to try it? We wanna send it for you to try. Please check your email, hope to hear from you, thanks.
Thanks very much. Will do!
@@802Garage Didn't see your reply, did you not see the email, friend? Maybe it's automatically entered into spam.
@@summerli2700 Found the email. I will reply when I have the time thank you.
@@802Garage Okay, look forward to your reply.