Wiring best practices: Equipment Asset Tracker
To prevent chafing, run the harness cable through a pass-through hole, using existing holes to pass the cable through rather than drilling a new one. If drilling is necessary, always check before you drill to verify you are not drilling into anything unintended behind the drilling surface. Insert a grommet, that is the right size and type for the hole, into the newly drilled hole to protect the wire and seal with all-weather silicone as necessary.
Because the device and its wires will usually be exposed to the elements, heat-shrink butt connectors and ring terminals should be used instead of splicing wires. These connectors are preferred instead of splicing, even when wires will not be exposed to the elements, as being much better at preventing air and moisture from reaching wires and causing corrosion.
Heat-shrink butt connector:
Heat-shrink ring terminal:
In addition, create a drip loop to prevent moisture from running down the length of the wire toward devices and connections.
If for some reason using butt connectors and ring connectors is not practical, and if wires will not be exposed to the elements (for example, wires lying internally within the asset’s cab) any splicing should be done by using the standard “poke and wrap” technique.
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Remove approximately one inch (25mm) of wire insulation.
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Split the wire in half making an oval and push the wire to be terminated through that hole.
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Press the wire back together then wrap the excess newly inserted wire tightly around it.
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Wrap the new splice with Super 33 or better electrical tape.
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Apply two wire ties to the splice. The first goes over the splice and the other approximately one inch down the line of splice.