Time to get started on the body and dash wiring harnesses!
Laid them out to sort them into their groups. I started with the dash harness first as I will be using that completely. It all plugged back in to where is was before and even the same holes for the harness ties etc. Big advantage of using the donor firewall/floor and dash support.
Now the surgery begins on the body harness. Lots here I won't be using so have to un-tape it and take out one wire at a time in most cases and trace them back to their source. Can't just cut both ends and pull it out as often the factory had other wires spliced into it with something I do want to keep! I always left enough wire from a major junction plug just in case I made a mistake or want to tap into it later on for something else.
The inspector has arrived! Starting to tidy the wire back up into groups again as they were laid out in the donor. Working the bundles in from the ends towards the middle. Fortunately I had labeled everything as I was stripping the donor in the first place. Also the unused plugs. I started with removing those first and often ended up at another set of used plugs. Nothing was plugged in or attached to the harness along the whole way. Most likely for things like optional DVD player and satellite radio etc.
The coiled up wire is some of what I removed. All the wiring for the rear doors, tailgate etc. I also rolled up and bundled all the airbag sensor and bag wiring together. I should have checked to see if the engine would start and drive without the airbag module connected before I started stripping the donor. I have left all the sensors connected and will plug into the module to start with. If it starts and runs I can then just unplug it all and remove it. Hopefully I don't have to plug in all the airbags as well to get it to run! Would have to use simulators in that case.
Dash harness all in but still a lot of sorting once things are in their new places. I have for instance put the factory amplifier in the dash where the passenger airbag used to be. The wiring for it used to extend all the way to the back of the Jeep and was mounted under the D pillar trim by the rear hatch.
I found a good spot for the park assist and transfercase, (FDCM), modules that were mounted under the back seat. I am mounting them where the rear DVD player went on some optioned up models from mine in the back of the console. Rear cover clips in over it and you won't know it is there.
I have shortened and extended harnesses for things as I have them mounted in their final position. Unfortunately that big thick loop of wire is all extra length I don't need! Can't say I am looking forward to cutting one wire at a time and shortening the whole thing. This is extra because the harness used to run down each side of the cabin by the door sills and crossover under the back seat area. I have run it all under the console instead as my door seal is flush with the floor height and it now also doesn't cross over as far back. Tempting to pull the excess back under the dash somewhere and loop it or under the seats on the floor. Another thing that worries me is this is all run on a CAN-bus system with twisted pairs of wires running the data. I don't know if shortening those wires such a great deal will affect the resistance too much and cause errors? I just don't know enough about this and this is all a big learning curve for me. Has cutting out the rear doors and hatch wiring even affected it? If anyone knows more about this, please chime in.
2006 Jeep WH Grand Cherokee
Sargent Gutsy
SOLD 06 Limited G/C QuadraDrive II Lovells 2"Lift +30 rims 265/70/17 Imported Saguaro Bar Stedi
