Need wiring help

bkathsalero · 10-27-2009, 09:29 PM

Okay so at my work we have a 2000 cadillac. Some jackass decide to break the window and steal the steero so it came to us from progressive for the body shop to fix the door and window and stereo. Heres the thing, when they stole the stereo they took the whole radio bezel including the heater control module and everything else. They didn't take it nicely, they cut every wire. So now there are 40+ wires like 8 of the same color cut and I have to figure out how they go back together tomorrow. It pays four hours but progressive won't pay to r/r the dash to install a new harness which would be way easier. My question is does anybody know the best way to figure this out. There are wires of the same color and gauge along with micro fiber wires. Can you solder micro fiber wires? What should I splice with? Butt connectors will make a f-ing mess. And the wires arn't split into groups which would also be nice, they all come out of the same harness all mixed up.

so any ideas would be awesome.

surreal_awakening · 10-27-2009, 10:09 PM

Eat the cost to R/R the dash. It sounds like the cost of doing that and replacing the harness will come out cheaper in the end compared to trying to fix 40+ wires, and to have them fixed reliably.

Ryan from Ohio · 10-27-2009, 10:12 PM

Well your first problem is wire identification.

You will need to buy a Haynes with a wiring schematic since its beyond just the radio wires.

The only reliable connection for factory wires like that will be soldered with shrink wrap.

4 hours to do all of them?

Good luck.

jayson_waltz · 10-27-2009, 10:35 PM

ain't no way in hell thats only a 4 hour job. even if you do figure out the wires, it will take a long time just flipping thru the manual to match them up, then transfer that to 40+ wires in the car? a full work day definitely.

AleroDrime · 10-28-2009, 02:19 AM

do typical shop bs and say theres no way to do it safely and reliably with out a new harness, either the owner or progressive will have to step up and pay

Blktrax · 10-28-2009, 01:02 PM

The question is what are you going to splice them into, you have to plug in tot eh connctors on ththe display and radio. Unless they sent you a harness and you can cut the ends off of.

But realistcly a job like that, It wouldnt be the first I'd tell my shop to go pack sand for 4 hours. Cause then youre going to be married to it for everything that doesnt work after that. Remeber thats just like our cars, Everything in the car runs though that harness, Im suprised if you can even get it started.

Needs a harness, they dont wanna pay, roll-backs will take it outta there cheap.

A57 · 10-28-2009, 11:11 PM

ok the caddy is some top of the line stuff in there and i would goto the dealership and have the parts counter get a diag of the HVAC system switches and the radio wireing and gofrom there.. i would have the ins adjuster look at the mess... they left for you to fix... oh fiber optic's wires CAN NOT BE SPLICE'D , butt connected ... it has to be ran new. dealer iteam only.
good luck...hope the best for you.

bkathsalero · 10-28-2009, 11:26 PM

I'm going to need it haha

broken__one · 10-28-2009, 11:47 PM

I have delt with pregrsive as well and they are cheep asses always trying to save a buck. Botom line is, the job needs to be done to factory specs., you can't repair micro fiber lines. Your production mgr needs to let the estimator know that progresive needs to replce the harness for a proper repair.

bkathsalero · 10-29-2009, 12:02 AM

yea, They have tried to tell them they don't listen. It's still on the body side of the shop, it's ending up in my hands on the mechanical side due to the fact that I have the most wiring experience at the shop, but I have never had to mess with microfiber, only when I was young and cut some wires, tried everything to get them to work again but I couldn't

Ryan from Ohio · 10-29-2009, 09:31 AM

I would tell the owner of the car the situation and let them bltch out the insurance company...