Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

General

All electrical connections must be kept clean and tight. Loose or corroded connections may cause a discharged battery, difficult starting, dim lamps and possible damage to the generator and regulator. Wires must be replaced it insulation becomes burned, cracked, or deteriorated.

Always use rosin flux solder to splice a wire or repair one that is frayed or broken, and use insulating tape to cover all splices or bare wires.

When replacing wire, it is important that the correct size wire be used as shown on applicable wiring diagrams or in parts books. Each harness or wire must be held securely in place to prevent chafing or damage to the insulation due to vibration.

Wire size in a circuit is determined by the amount of current, the length of the circuit, and the voltage drop allowed. Wire size is specified using the metric gage. The metric gage describes the wire size directly in a cross section area measured in square millimeters.