# How to repair engine wiring harness



## Torquewrench (Mar 14, 2004)

This is harness connecting to the exhaust-side camshaft position sensor, located in the engine bay towards the nose of the car, passenger side, top-front of the engine.

As you can see the rubber boot is cracked, exposing the wiring. This is part of the engine wiring harness, so replacement would be very expensive ($275 parts, ?? hrs if I could even do it, I don't even want to think about labor). So I'd like to repair it. Anyone ever replaced a boot like this or made repairs? What materials did you use?

Thanks,

Phil/TW


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## ajfB004 (Mar 19, 2006)

My wife had an old C Class MB that we had to replace the engine wire harness. Give up on the DIY idea and have a mechanic do it. That thing is like a spider web through the entire engine bay and is hell to install. If you ae in DC we had ours done at Ft Washington Auto on Rt 210 s. Head 210 s to Swann Creek rd and the garage is back behind the Wendy's on the right.


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## Torquewrench (Mar 14, 2004)

*Really don't want to replace EWH*

Replacing the engine harness is definitely the course of last resort. The wires are working fine now, I just want to protect them and provide strain relief in the way the disintegrated rubber boot is supposed to.

What do people use? Electrical tape? Any particular kind? Since this is near to heat would a section of inner-tube affixed with epoxy be a better choice? Anyone had luck getting a replacement boot (or generic replacement), slicing it and installing it with wire ties and electrical tape? Just looking for ideas.

Thanks,

Phil/TW


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## davesnothear (Jun 30, 2006)

Other than using high temperture heat shrink tubing, I would rec'd 3M's Scotch 69 Glass Tape. From their website: Scotch***174; 69 Glass Cloth Tape is a 7 mil woven glass cloth tape with a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive sold on a 1 inch core, and is ideal for electrical maintenance applications. UL Recognized 200***176;C. Scotch***174; 69 Glass Cloth Tape is edge-tear resistant conformable, high-temperature flame resistant adhesive; for use as a coil cover, anchor, for banding and core, layer and crossover insulation. Recommended for use with Scotch***174; 77 Electric Arc-Proofing Tape. 

You can pick this tape up from ESKC at 816-931-0250.


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## davesnothear (Jun 30, 2006)

Let me try that again: Scotch***174; 69 Glass Cloth Tape is a 7 mil woven glass cloth tape with a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive sold on a 1 inch core, and is ideal for electrical maintenance applications. UL Recognized 200***176;C. Scotch***174; 69 Glass Cloth Tape is edge-tear resistant conformable, high-temperature flame resistant adhesive; for use as a coil cover, anchor, for banding and core, layer and crossover insulation. Recommended for use with Scotch***174; 77 Electric Arc-Proofing Tape.


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## Torquewrench (Mar 14, 2004)

*How to use it*

Looking at 3Ms website and the data sheets, the way you would use these two products is as follows

Scotch 77 is a thin rubber insulating tape with no adhesive. It is wrapped half-lapped and well-stretched around the wiring. Then use Scotch 69 tape, which is adhesive, to band the start and finish of the wraps. The band should have two complete revolutions minimum.

Here are links to the two data sheets. The majority of the instructions are on the 77 data sheet.

Scotch 77 data sheet $11.56 at RSHughes.com

Scotch 69 data sheet $10.14 at RSHughes.com

Article on tape technique

This is probably a very good solution, but I might just use a quality electrical tape, such as 3M Super 33+. The major shortcoming of the Super 33+ is that it's only rated for 105C (221F) continuous duty, and I'm willing to bet the engine compartment sees temperatures far higher than that.


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