Un-tangle the Snakes - part I

 So time to do something reasonably major; sort out the damn wiring behind the aux panel!

After my quickshift was repaired, which required the aux panel to come off, my horn stopped working - damn wiring AGAIN! 

So I'm going to do 2 things; re-design the circuit to hopefully simplify it and use some more professional plugs and crimping techniques. I've spent some research time on YouTube, investigating good crimping techniques and I've bought some DT-type plugs, which are waterproof (not that I need that) and have an excellent clamping method. But the idea is to rationalise the 3 plugs I currently have to undo to get the aux panel off, down to 1 larger DT plug.

Obviously, with wiring, this could go horribly wrong but I'm sick and tired of something stopping working every time I so much as look at the aux panel.

Included in this rewire, I'm installing a front and rear camera system (same as the one I have on my motorbike). This has a 3-fold purpose; as a dash cam in case I have an accident, as a reversing camera but mostly so I always have my drives recorded, so I can always make a video if something unexpectedly good happens. At the moment, I have to fit my camera and then turn it on at the right time - as the battery only lasts an hour, I regularly find I think I've recorded something but then find out the battery died 5 minutes in and I've got nothing.

First thing tonight, though, was to test out my LP pump. Someone on the forum had a similar starting problem that I have and it turned out his LP pump had died, so the HP pump was having to suck the petrol all the way from the tank. Seemed like a possible cause of my problem but, after pulling the pipe off the swirl pot and turning the pumps on, petrol came out, so the LP pump is working - damn. I spent some time cleaning the filter which had some paper strands in it (like a mouse has made a nest in my tank?!), so maybe that will help? Unlikely...

While I had the rear panel over the diff off, I made a start on the rear camera. After some thought, I decided to attach it to the top of the number plate light, so I drilled a couple of small holes in the top of the unit and then, scarily, a hole in the rear panel for the wire:

A grommet and that's done - not too intrusive:

The wire will go through the tunnel up to the dash and the main 3-inch screen. I have yet to decide where to put the front camera or the display screen - that's for next time. It has to be integrated into my new wiring, as it needs an ignition-switched power supply.