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Anyone know much about electrics?
Got my bike rack out yesterday ready to head to Wales, looks like I've dragged the cable 200 miles down the m6 as it's shredded an inch of it to pieces, so check Thule it's a £110 repair they take the light fittings out and then swap a new one in.
So being a bit daft thought I can bodge it cheaper, cut cable twisted the 4 cores in colour order together and electrical taped it back up. All good!
Now I've ordered a better fix an inline ip68 connector which makes it nice and waterproof but I can't get one till Wednesday, so does anyone reckon my bodge will do for road trip? Or better to hold fire for the connector?
I could get a junction box and connect that way and then tape up?
Im gutted my bikes won't go in the back of the car it's just not big enough!
What car and how bike are the bikes? I've had 3 bikes with wheels off in a Micra (3 versions previous to current model - the first Snoopy one) with just a tarp to collect the mud.
So how small is the car, how many bikes and people need to be moved as a temporary basis until the right connector arrives?
Tie it over your board
or just get another cable and fully wire it in.
buy some tie wraps to hold the cable up
It'll be fine.
Presume you put tape around each core to insulate them from each other, then around the whole thing? If there's a chance of rain I'd maybe put some waterproof tape around on top.
If it were me, I'd not bother with the connector, I'd just shrink wrap each wire, then one big bit over the whole lot.
Do you have a soldering iron and know how to use it?
That and some heatshrink would get you a fairly robust repair.
You can bodge around not having a soldering iron but Having used the real thing helps to improvise.
If you don't/can't solder then taking your twisted joints and potting them in something like hot melt glue (glue gun) or arraldite should stop them coming apart.
To be honest for a short drive then simply Make sure the joint is well supported on both sides (zip ties) and it won't come out if well made.
I'd say your repair is better than the connector. The connector in mine was a real weak point. I rewired the whole thing in one run to get rid of it. I'd go for soldered joints and decent tape or heatshrink for a permanent solution but your current (pun intended) fix will be fine if we'll taped.
Going to try maplin tomorrow to see if they have the inline connector if not will tape it some more. Only heading to llandegla so not too big a trip.
Closer look at the rack looks like two of the cable clips have broke leading it to then drag, not too bad considering I've had the rack 6 years.
£5 soldering iron and just rewire the whole thing.
Some chocolate block connectors and a roll of electrical tape will see a good enough Heath Robinson temporary repair, then solder and heat shrink for a more permanent fix later on.
2nd vote for choc block, should be pennies from maplin. Assuming you have enough cable spare stick whole lot into a sandwich bag and zip-tie / tape the neck for waterproofing.