On Wed, 05 May 2021 13:10:37 -0400, micky posted for all of us to digest...


The wires in my Toyota are much thinner than the wires in any of my
American cars were. I've had GM and Chryslers built from 1950 to 1995,
and Toyotas from 2000 and 2005.

I'm not saying they are too thin, just thinner. Do you know why?

I see two poassible reasons.

1) Increased efforts to save money and help the environment, by using
thinner and thus cheaper wire. Perhaps wires in American cars are
thinnner now too??

2) Japan and the Japanese domestic auto industry after WWII was short of
money and had to economize any way it could. Thinner, cheaper wires
were one way, and now, even though they are making plenty money, they
see no reason to change.


It matters only when I'm trying to splice wires, and I have to be more
careful not to cut the wires while stripping the insulation. But the
wires are so thin that there have been connections I don't try to make,
because, where it's difficult to reach a wire, up under the dashboard,
for example, that makes it even more likely I'll cut the wire and makes
it harder to repair it.

Did you ever consider that much of what a car operates on is computer
controlled? The wire sizes are set for load by the SAE which any manufacturer
would seemingly not violate.

If you have trouble cutting the wire while stripping insulation you are using a
notch size too small, cheap stripper or a knife. The trick is to start with a
bigger wire size and if that doesn't work go one size smaller. Let the stripper
do the work. Wire gauge is opposite of size i.e. 22 gauge is smaller than 18
gauge.

If you have the green crusties then you have water ingress.

Put the wire back in the loom when done making sure it is as close to the
location as it was. Some situations may require the loom/wire be relocated due
to manufacturers defect /-(

--
Tekkie