Wiring question

[boywonder]

I've searched on here and didn't find what I would consider a definitive answer. I'm currently addressing the wiring mess that is my car and trying to draw up a game plan to better wire the car. The GCR states: "Wires and connectors in the engine wiring harness may be modified or replaced." So two questions: 1) does that also mean removal 2) what about wires elsewhere in the car belonging to things that no longer are in the car, (like the radio/speakers for example)? I'm not looking to shed a few pounds, I could lose more by just hitting the gym more frequently, but want to pare down the extraneous wiring to make trouble shooting easier. The wiring is nearly as old as I am, and certainly more brittle.

Thanks for any advice.

[JoshS]

If it doesn't say you can, then you can't. So, you can't remove wiring in the engine harness. You can modify (repair) or replace old wiring. (And please, peanut gallery, give up the "replace with air" argument.)

As far as stuff inside the car, well, if it doesn't say you can, then you can't.

There is no allowance for inside wiring in general, so in general, it has to stay. But it does say, "Audio systems may be removed in their entirety." This phrase is commonly interpreted to mean that wiring related to the audio system may be removed along with the speakers, etc.

[dickita15]

You really have to go through the book line by line. some wires such as ignition, radio, anything emissions, dome lights have wording that helps you. most do not.

[boywonder]

That's pretty much what I figured, but thanks for the clarification.

[joeg]

What's wrong with "replaced by air"?

If the bundle has wires that no longer do anything...

[Dano77]

just peel everything you wont use out of the harness and tape/secure it out of the way of stuff you use. trouble shooting is a lot easier when you dont have 5 green wires in a loom. Make it as neat and out of the way as possable and you done. By no means roll up the entire harness and stuff it under the battery tray

[Z3_GoCar]

What's wrong with "replaced by air"?

If the bundle has wires that no longer do anything...

Of all the cars that could use removing excess wiring, our Z3's come with a real bundle of snakes for such a little car. Standard are power windows, door locks, seats, seat heaters, power tops, brake wear sensors, cruise control, and a seperate chassis computer for traction control, ABS, crash detection to unlock the doors turn the hazzards on and disconnect the battery, and a kill relay. In addion we're prewired for alarms and hands free cell phones, heated mirrors, and windshield washer nozzles. Seriously, I wish I'd been the one to strip the car, then some of these wire's wouldn't be missing. As it is I'll be lucky to get the big stuff back to legel, before I worry about a new electrical system that the salvage yards just cut in half to get the good stuff out quickly.