[4K] Making an Engine Wiring Harness (89-94 4g63)

This video is a good start to finish example of what to expect if you're considering starting from scratch on your engine harness. Nobody has this Elantra chassis anymore, but its engine controls, ECU and wiring harness are all from a 1990 DSM, specifically a Plymouth Laser if it matters, and the engine closely resembles a turbocharged 4g63.

My documentation, some of my notes and resources worth sharing, and some free public-facing posts with extra footage are now on my Patreon page. Free. There's other public-facing content there for those who don't know. Whether you're looking for more content, wiring help, or you wish to contribute...

...please visit www.patreon.com/jafromobile.

I could have made this about 15 minutes shorter, but felt it was necessary to include my most important mistakes and troubleshooting. It's a more realistic and accurate example this way.

I can't stress enough how you should take notes. Take notes about your notes, take pictures if you can (you have a phone), and pay attention to every detail on this job.

I've done a lot of electrical repairs over the years, enough to understand what I'm doing, and the basics of how to complete a circuit, what things are, and what they do... but I've never attempted a job this big before where my wiring was the actual component itself. IT WAS WORTH IT! So many people talk about needing to do this, but few of them ever take the leap. I know I dreaded it, but just like most other big jobs once finished, you walk away with a wealth of knowledge about your car, and a satisfying dosage of confidence and satisfaction. This is not your "I changed my own oil" level of satisfaction. This is different. It's a whole lot bigger than that.

I have a pretty strong suspicion that there are people out there who would use this as reference material. I'd advise against that unless you want results like mine (which frankly aren't too bad...). If you don't have a '89-'94 DSM, then my reference material won't be very helpful to you because my circuitry isn't like yours. You may notice that I'm using a newer schematic than the harness I'm working on, and this can be problematic. Get the electrical service manual for the specific year or production of car you're working on if it exists, and use that. They're easy to find with any search engine. Or you could check eBay, they get bought and sold all the time. There are also web subscription services like AllData that can help you find the information you need. Don't do this for the first time without the electrical service manual and your detailed notes that you made yourself.

I'm not a professional mechanic or electrician. If you prefer instruction from professionals, I suggest you visit High Performance Academy here on YouTube. They give a pretty size-able sample of gold away for free, but if you want access to the gold mine, then you have to pay to dig. They're possibly some of the most experienced professional automotive instructors here on YouTube, having set World Records with a couple of EVOs and customer cars, so they know a thing or two. Their videos play out like classroom instruction with alternating lab days. They do live streamed demonstrations of their lessons on their in-house dyno and hold Q&A's. I've never bought their classes, but if anyone has a problem with what they get here for free, don't downvote, just go there. If you didn't find what you need there for free, then buy their training. I'm nice enough to point you in the right direction. This is my unsolicited endorsement of them. They don't know I'm posting this here, I just care enough that I want YOU to find what you're looking for.

FAIL at 21:26. I was more focused on the shot than on getting the pin in the right hole.