Painless wiring harness

[SuperBuickGuy]

Just a heads up. They don't mention in their instructions, but if you're using a 3 wire GM alternator you need to put a resistor in the line from the ignition switch to the alternator. GM says minimum 10 ohm 6 watt.... I did call cusstomer service today for Painless, first he suggested I needed a diode, then said "well, we include that with our kit" ... no, they don't....

Someday I'll review Painless wiring - needless to say, they won't get top marks for their cusstomer service either.

[Loren]

I've liked the two Painless harnesses I've put in my cars although that would be some time back. The did throw in a fat little diode...but my charging system wiring was based on the instructions that came with the alternator or factory diagrams.

If there's a lesson I've taken from any wiring stuff I've bought, it's that they are a buyer-beware deal. There's material there and instructions but it's up to you to figure out if you're getting it right as you go along.

I would be extremely wary of buying any harness that was above my level of understanding and ability to confirm each and every detail, which is kind-of a bad deal as part of what we're paying them for is for us to not have to learn their job first before being able to use their system. Oh well, what to do...I don't know a soul who's good enough with auto electric to be able to (accurately) diagnose anything like a problem, it's always up to me and then whatever I learned last time is of no help on the next thing.

[anotheridiot]

we went with that cheaper American Autowire system. Not impressed with that either. very poor quality of the sockets and terminals.

As far as the painless though, I though just about everyone was using a one wire alternator and dumping the regulator.

[squirrel]

hey, you met me....

I agree that you need to be smarter than what you're working on. I have installed one (or two?) painless harness, it worked ok, there were a few problems, and it was not quite what I was expecting to get. It was also 20 years ago, I don't know what they're doing these days. I did chase some improperly crimped (by them) headlight terminals for a few years.

wiring is a bitch.

[SuperBuickGuy]

The did throw in a fat little diode...but my charging system wiring was based on the instructions that came with the alternator or factory diagrams.

Not a diode - it's a resistor. Diode prevents power from back feeding, resistor resists current flow thereby reducing current flow - current can flow either way in a resistor. for the other readers, the regulator works when there is a step in the voltage, when there is no step it thinks the alternator needs to charge at 100% 100% of the time.... which burns up alternators - more specifically, it burns up rectifiers.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I agree that you need to be smarter than what you're working on. I have installed one (or two?) painless harness, it worked ok, there were a few problems, and it was not quite what I was expecting to get. It was also 20 years ago, I don't know what they're doing these days. I did chase some improperly crimped (by them) headlight terminals for a few years.

wiring is a bitch.

If that was only the case - my failure was in the presumption that they knew what they were doing. As they didn't say to put it in, I figured they'd put a resistor in the wire.... nope.

my other issue with Painless is they only like one wire size, which is awesome for weight savings, shipping costs, and material cost but not so great for carrying load without resistance.

Specifically my issue with this "waterproof" wiring harness is the fuse box is waterproof, nothing else is.

[squirrel]

I think you might not have the resistor's function in the 10si alternator quite right....that is only the "exciter" wire, which tells the alternator that you want it to charge now. The wire that it regulates voltage to is the red wire, which should be wired to the battery (separate from the large terminal, but most aftermarket harnesses don't do it that way).

A diode is sometimes needed in the exciter wire, to keep the alternator from sending power to the ignition system, and having the engine run after you turn off the key. This is usually only a problem with an MSD ignition, or similar.

Most of the GM vehicles were originally wired with a resistor wire, in series with the idiot light. There are many other ways to wire, which work, more or less.

[SuperBuickGuy]

As I'm not exactly sure how diodes and exciter wires are related to my PSA to put a resister in the switched-power line.... I'll add this

[milner351]

I used a rebel wire kit, very inexpensive compared to painless, a couple issues similar to what you mentioned, but overall straight forward, and they didn't skimp on wire length or gauge.

One of the seminars at Ididit a couple years ago was put on by American autowire they spent some time trying to sell us their favorite crimping tool and tell us the problems with soldered joints. Overall, I was pretty impressed with their stuff, and at the time, their kits included switches (headlight sw., brite sw., etc) - which was a significant difference from other kits.

Matt used a Ron Francis kit in the 41, that was pretty nice as well.

I've suspected this before, this confirms my suspicion that painless isn't worth the premium price they command for their stuff.

[anotheridiot]

I used a rebel wire kit, very inexpensive compared to painless, a couple issues similar to what you mentioned, but overall straight forward, and they didn't skimp on wire length or gauge.

One of the seminars at Ididit a couple years ago was put on by American autowire they spent some time trying to sell us their favorite crimping tool and tell us the problems with soldered joints. Overall, I was pretty impressed with their stuff, and at the time, their kits included switches (headlight sw., brite sw., etc) - which was a significant difference from other kits.

Matt used a Ron Francis kit in the 41, that was pretty nice as well.

I've suspected this before, this confirms my suspicion that painless isn't worth the premium price they command for their stuff.

The metal for their terminals just seemed extremely soft and since the quick connect is the same soft allow, it just seemed to be a problem. I pretty much soldered over each crimped terminal I could. The one I didnt are the ones I have problems with. Mainly, the brown tail light wire that constantly loses on the tail light circuits. Ended up just getting the modern waterproof pin sockets from McMaster Carr.

[Loren]

Not a diode - it's a resistor.

No I mean diode, you mentioned your kit didn't have one. I didn't know what it was for and used it for something else.

I'm trying to remember what I did about the resistor in the El Camino...?...I must have put one in 'cause it worked well. The Chall uses an oldie-style regulator box.

[SuperBuickGuy]

No I mean diode, you mentioned your kit didn't have one. I didn't know what it was for and used it for something else.

I'm trying to remember what I did about the resistor in the El Camino...?...I must have put one in 'cause it worked well. The Chall uses an oldie-style regulator box.

it works for awhile, I've been driving this thing for 6 months before it went smokey. It came with neither a diode or a resistor - whether it was supposed to be in the box? I dunno. The directions only talked about a diode - and from what I've seen, the only reason you'd need the diode is if the system could backfeed to the coil.

[SuperBuickGuy]

The metal for their terminals just seemed extremely soft and since the quick connect is the same soft allow, it just seemed to be a problem. I pretty much soldered over each crimped terminal I could. The one I didnt are the ones I have problems with. Mainly, the brown tail light wire that constantly loses on the tail light circuits. Ended up just getting the modern waterproof pin sockets from McMaster Carr.

Haven't had that issue, but I do have a tail light issue where the LEDs will stay on - it's more a grounding issue with them, though. I've not pulled them apart, but I suspect the way the circuit is designed it can hold power in them because if you let it go long enough, they will eventually go out.... weird - but not enough of an issue to where I'm ready to fix it (and I think the fix is going to be replace them with something from the US).