# Building a factory look relay harness



## suburbangeorge (Apr 24, 2004)

Don't know when I'll finish this, there are lots of pictures.
Came across an early Hella light grill for a MKI at Pick n Pull. Installed, this looks a lot like an 88 and up Cabriolet grill but it's just the center section. You reuse your main headlight trims:








Also wanted to use this box for my relays:
























This box came on Saabs when they first offered anti-lock brakes. I'm guessing that they needed relays for the brakes, had no space in the existing fuse/relay box, didn't want to re-design the main box so they added this guy untill they re-designed the whole car. If you want one and can't find it, I can get you one for $30 shipped.
When I was finished, I wanted my new harness to look like it was a factory item, at least at first glance. These parts are available off of MKI and MKII donor cars if you have access to a self serve wrecking yard like Pick n Pull:








On the left are various sizes of sheathing. On the right are one, two and three connector plugs. There is also a six connector, which I will show later, that I used to group my grounds.
These are end views of the male and female sides of a two connector plug showing the ends of the connectors and the release slots:
















The connectors have a little barb, stamped into it's side, which sticks out at an angle and snaps into the plug:








A flat blade micro screwdriver, inserted into the release slot and turned 90 degrees will bend the barb flat to the connector allowing the connector to be pulled out of the plug.








These connectors, with the barb, are available at the dealer, at better auto parts stores and here: http://www.britishwiring.com/BW.htm I looked on their site and they don't sell the kind of crimper which makes factory style crimps where two tabs crimp onto the stripped wire and a second two tabs crimps onto the insulation above the stripped part. I'll have to go back to the store where I bought it and get info. It was pretty cheap, $20 - $25.
The connectors in the relay box release the same way except that there is a barb on both sides of the connector. At the time that I did this work, I could not find these new so I removed some carefully for reuse. It was impossible to get clean crimps on used connectors so after crimping, I soldered them.
























Here's an example of how I converted the end of the center light harness to use these plugs:
















Notice the crimping that I was talking about on the new connectors.








I wanted to find an existing hole(s) so I rebent the mounting plate and used this location. It would have been nice over by the battery but there didn't seem to be room.
















Speaking of the battery, This is a Passat B3 battery cable. Excellent piece. You tighten a bolt which draws up a tapered clamp rather than pinching the clamp on the post. Also has several tapped holes to connect accessory wiring. All brass and stainless steel construction. Haven't gotten around to changing the ground cable but I will.








If you look to the left(front) of the battery, you can see the plug and harness for the driver's side center light. Partly hidden behind the harness is the six connector ground plug that I noted earlier.
Same view but close up. Note the brown ground wires:








Different view of same:








Picked up the signal for high and low beams by removing the connectors from the passenger's side headlight plug and inserting them in this plug:








Wiring in progress. Note the six connector ground plug:








I made up the harness without the sheath then slipped it over the wiring. The way that the factory does it is to slide the largest size over the whole thing making slits where wiring branches off. Pull the branch wiring through the slit, slide a smaller sheath over the branch wiring and slide that sheath into the slit. The factory uses some sort of glue to seal the joint. I used Scotch Super 33+ electrical tape which is the only electrical tape worth owning. 
Couple of other views of the finished harness. Note the bright colored VW locating clip used in existing hole:
















Lights work!!!








This was fun but I'm not sure that I'd do it again. It took me one nine hour day and another four or five the next day. That still doesn't include time to source materials and tools. Still have a little work to do. High beam indicator light comes on with low beams.
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## suburbangeorge (Apr 24, 2004)

Here's another source for the connectors in bulk http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380245291842&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT Click on his "other items" for all sorts of VW specific fasteners.


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## ellocolindo (Jan 15, 2010)

:wave: opcorn: :thumbup::thumbup:

great info man. i am subscribing to this thread so i have it at hand when i finnaly decide to rebuild my lightnight system with e-codes and leveling motors fo r my passat ...eace:


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## mk2_20v (Apr 7, 2011)

just an fyi on the indicator being on with low beams.switch the trigger on the relay simple fix that made me :banghead: on my first harness


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## suburbangeorge (Apr 24, 2004)

Never posted a pictue of he tool before but here it is


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