Can a Wiring Harness be Repaired or Overhauled?

A common question asked of InterConnect Wiring is, “Can InterConnect repair or overhaul a wiring harnesses?” The short answer to this question is “Yes we can!” The long answer is that in many cases it is less expensive to produce a new wiring harness instead of repairing or overhauling an old one.

Typical wiring harnesses are made up of the following component parts: (1) connectors, (2) backshells, (3) wire, (4) splices, (5) terminals, (6) contacts, (7) shrink tubing, and (8) braid or string tie to hold the bundle of wires together.

The question of whether to repair or overhaul a wiring harness can be determined by answering the following six questions.

1. Is the wiring harness an injection molded wiring harness?
   a. Yes – Do not repair or overall. In most cases it is less expensive to purchase a new one.
   b. No – Go to question 2.




2. Are the connectors damaged or corroded?
   a. Yes – Damaged or corroded connectors need to be replaced. Go to question 3.
   b. No – Go to question 3.




3. Are the backshells damaged or corroded?
   a. Yes – Damaged or corroded backshells need to be replaced. Go to question 4.
   b. No – Go to question 4.




4.  Are the wires damaged or need to be replaced?
   a. Yes – Damaged wires need to be replaced. Go to question 5.
   b. No – Go to question 5.




5. Are other component parts (such as contacts, splices, and terminals) damaged or need to be replaced?
   a. Yes – Damaged component parts need to be replaced. Go to question 6.
   b. No – Go to question 6.




6. How many of Questions 2 to 5 was answered “Yes”?
   a. 1 or 2 – Repair or overhaul the wiring harness by replacing the damaged components and testing the wiring harness afterwards.
   b. 3 or 4 – Replace the wiring harness with a new one. In most cases it is less expensive to produce a new one instead of repairing or overhauling on old one. The reason is that it typically takes more time to remove damaged components and replace them with new ones instead of simply building a new wiring harness. The common term for this is BER which stand for “Beyond Economical Repair”.

As you found out, it is a fairly easy evaluation to decide to repair or overhaul a wiring harness or simply replace it. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, then download Checklist or Process Sheet for Repairing Wiring Harnesses.