Hey Noah,
Nice electrical upgrades! Very sweet looking.
Now - I really appreciate your comments and to your points...
A bit harsh? Yep. I thought I should back off on a family forum instead of letting loose with what I really thought.
My remarks were in no way toward owners who decide to replace their harnesses -- that's a personal decision and I applaud everyone who takes the time to "learn" their vessels and make those kinds of decisions. They were about Seaward and CD marketing a product that is substandard. Yes, I said it -- WAY substandard for marine use.
Also, I was speaking of only the harness upgrade kits and non-compliant engine panels -- the absurdly undersized battery cables and distribution panel are another issue.
That on the table, I believe that your comments make my case!
Your pics appear to be of the cable end, not the remainder of the harness? At least I think I see the solenoid fuse, so I believe that's the case.
I am wondering -- when you replaced -- did you use the CD harness? If not, why not?
You said you didn't use the terminal strip -- what did you do for wire termination on both ends (panel/engine) and at the Gummy Bears connectors?
I'll talk 'generically' because I don't know for sure the condition of your harness beyond your pic. The vast majority of harnesses are perfectly serviceable between the Gummy Bears. However, the SW/Cd upgrades do not correct issues on the wire ends outside the harness extension -- only at the point of the Gummy Bear plugs. The longer harness that they tout -- is only to facilitate installing the stupid, stupid terminal strip -- and they even state that the longer harness is because some are too short to install their strips.
Agree or disagree?
The upgrade does nothing to correct the non-compliant panel and protect the harness from over-current, and it's very easy to do that 90% of the way, which is better than doing nothing. The upgrade kit should address that, instead of selling two $3.95 terminal strips and four 25-cent NON-MARINE-GRADE ring terminals ($9.00 retail) for $32 boat bucks. That's unconscionable, IMHO, when it doesn't address the wiring issues. Or a $156 harness that's worth less than $50 retail -- and it still leaves the non-compliant situation after you're done -- and can make the situation worse. They supply it with no sheath/wire protection, knowing that an owner is not going to strap the harness down every 18" so it complies. Once again, CD/SW should know better better and it's just wrong, wrong, wrong to give owners a false sense that they are addressing the issues while they have their hands in there emptying our pockets.
The kit can make the situation worse -- it opens up 8 x 2 x 2 wire ends to potential corrosion, and for corrosion to travel up the conductors. Not to mention possible corrosion on the strip itself. Not to mention a strip that involves putting strain on the wire connections themselves. Would you install a terminal strip using ring terminals such that it could be strained by the harness? I bet not, yet that's what SW/CD wants owners to do. That's HOW THEY show it installed! That in itself is non compliant.
Agree or disagree?
SW/CD touts a harness that doesn't address known issues at the wire ends themselves -- if they were looking out for owners, they would sell a harness that has proper, complaint, marine grade wire termination installed to match what's needed at each panel gauge and engine component, and include a heavy Alt B+ post to solenoid B post cable, a heavy Alt B- post to bell housing cable, and compliant overcurrent protection at the solenoid for the panel power feed. As it is the harness is unprotected and can burn (corrected on the B series engines.) Again, the kit and/or longer harness that CD/Sw touts does absolutely nothing to correct those issues.
Agree or disagree?
The termination at the engine components and panel are non-marine grade, open-end terminals, on untinned wire, and are out of sight/out of mind. They are as, or maybe more of, a problem than are the Gummy Bear connectors, and the touted fix from CD/SW does nothing to address that. But it can leave owners with a false sense that they have corrected the wiring issues. It simply does not! in fact, that is a false sense of security because the kit is not state-of-the-art and is not proper marine wire connection or termination.
Agree or disagree?
If you had a mechanic work on Jete' who sold you on the need to replace your harness wires -- and,
1. Installed the new wires using open end, non-heat shrink, non-marine-grade "stake-on" terminals,
2. Left bare copper wire ends open to corrosion,
3. Kept original, corroded, open-end, non-marine-grade "stake-on" terminals in place -- and spliced on the new wires to those pigtails.
4. Left terminal strips hanging in the air -- subject to strain (non-compliant!!!),
5. Installed an under-sized charging cable and and
6. Left a corroded, questionable ground on the equipment
7. Installed no over-current protection (ABYC required!!!)
8. Installed the harness with no physical protection/conduit, nor tied it down every 18" (non-compliant!!!)
Would you say that person was a craftsman .... or a butcher?
And that the materials installed hit the mark for marine use .... or fell well below your expectations?
When you boil away CD's/SW's hype, marketing, and BS about the "upgrade kit," and assess it by the numbers -- the 8 items above are exactly what it does. That's simply wrong, wrong, wrong.
Agree or disagree?
Noah, I am interested in further thoughts on this and whether you disagree with any of the specific points I make.
Cheers,
Ken
Author
Topic: Strange starting/electrical problem WIRING HARNESS FIRE HAZARD (Read 33945 times)