Repairing Door Wiring Looms
As vehicles age, wear and tare issues are all too common, especially for parts made from rubber, which are often subject to heat, stress and movement. In our WRX we’ve found that the door wiring looms have perished with age, and as a result the inner wires have become exposed.
Ideally we would love to replace the rubber tube with a new part, however this part is actually built into the OEM loom, and therefore can’t be replaced on its own. The OEM loom is also working fine, so we’re taking another solution, and using amalgamating tape.
Amalgamating tape is a non-tacky tape which can be wrapped around almost anything, and fuses onto itself to create a strong, waterproof, insulated layer.
Parts Required:
- Amalgamating Tape
- Cleaning Products / Degreaser
Damaged Door Wiring Looms
Before we start, we need to clean the loom, and we’ve also used this opportunity to ensure the door jam is degreased and clean. Next, pull the rubber seals out from the door and body, and if you find a connector, unplug it. This will allow you to straighten up the loom as shown, making it easier to work on.
Wiring Loom Prepped and Ready
To apply the amalgamating tape, simply start at one end of the loom and perform one wrap of the tape, ensuring a light stretch on the tape. This will hold the tape in position.
Applying The Amalgamating Tape
Slowly move down the loom, tightly wrapping each turn of the amalgamating tape, ensuring even spacing between each spiral. For the best results overlap half the previous turn.
Once you’ve reached the end apply an extra wrap with less tension. This will ensure the tape sticks without peeling back.
Nearly Finished
Once you’re finished, the loom is ready to reinstall straight away. Simply reconnect the loom and push the rubber grommets back into position. The end result looks great, and now we have a sealed, waterproof loom once again.
