There is a lot of wiring going on in your average newer built hot rod, what with EFI and electric everything and all that. But even if you have an older, or more traditional, ride there are still plenty of wiring connection to make when it comes to switches, lights, etc. And when something doesn’t work right, especially intermittently, it is annoying as hell. What people sometimes ignore is that nearly all electrical issues in a vehicle revolve around a poor connection of some kind. It is pretty rare that a headlight switch, lights, ignition, or other components just fail on their own.
Connections are where failures happen, just like in plumbing where leaks only happen at joints/connections. So it stands to reason that if you get the connections right you’ll have electrical that works for a very long time.
In the video below you will find out just how to properly crimp and install open barrel connections. And before one of you smarts off about soldering these connections, I’ll remind you that in most cars built in the 1960s or later there are little or no soldered connections. The factory didn’t use them. And they didn’t use them because they aren’t good in the kind of environment that a cars electrical system lives in. Clearly, I’m not talking about soldered circuit boards and such. I am talking about the terminal ends and connectors on wiring.
Watch the video below and let us know if it helped you learn something about properly terminating wires.
Video Description:
In this video, I cover Crimping 101 and show how to make professional automotive wire crimps using open barrel (W-style) terminals without expensive specialty tools. We start with wire selection, breaking down the differences between primary wire (GPT) and TXL cross-link wire, why wire diameter matters, and how temperature ratings affect automotive, marine, and trailer wiring.
I then walk through proper wire stripping, terminal prep, and how to correctly crimp both the conductor and strain relief for strong, reliable connections. We also cover budget-friendly crimp tools, what makes a good open barrel crimp die, and how to handle sealed connectors like Weatherpack-style terminals. This video is ideal for anyone building or repairing automotive wiring harnesses the right way.
