Just Replaced The Engine Harness

[Cp1]

This thread is to underline the more forgotten about components of our cars that most of us (me included) pass up because of the prohibitive cost or perceived value.

Yep as the title says i went out and splurged and bought a brand spankin' new engine harness which makes all the harnesses in my car new within the last few months and i have to say it is a thing of beauty! No crispyness anywhere and all the clips look the right color too! not to mention you can actually tell the color of the wires by looking at them, imagine that. IMO it is well worth the $800 smackers simply due to the fact that your harness on your car is only 15 years old and take a look at the condition. If you replace it with a new one and get another 15 years thats only $53.33 a year in maintenance costs spread out, and that alone is more than worth it.

I mean Most of you guys dont honestly think a $4000 rebuild will last like it should if everything that connects it is in disrepair do you???



Some ball-park costs for you to think about (assuming that these items last as long as they have already.

---------------------------------UPFRONT Spread out (15 years)
Main Engine Emission Harness-----$800.00--------$53.33
Battery/Alt/Starter Harness-------$500.00--------$33.33
Coil pack Harness-----------------$80.00---------$5.33
Water Temp Sensor---------------$50.00---------$3.33
Fuel Injector Cleaning and Test----$70.00---------$4.66
Vacuum Hose replacement---------$120.00---------$8.00
Fuel Filter (every 3 Years @ $25)---$125.00--------$8.33
Plug Wires (every 3 years @ $35)--$175.00---------$11.66

So sure some of these things might seem like big ticket items but really given the age and the wear and tear on these things YOU as the current owner get the very unfavorable job as shelling out to replace them, we dont need any more Parting out Ads on the forums because someone "cant afford" to maintain a vehicle for less than $150 a year. thats peanuts really to what you are GOING TO spend in gasoline to fill it this year.

So please dont neglect your dream car and it wont leave you sitting on the side of the road, Or with a bill from a mechanic that spent 10+ hours diagnosing a broken wire!!!

[TehMonkay]

500 more would've gotten you an e6x

[RCCAZ 1]

Cp1

Great post and well worth the mention. People should always include the cost of new harnesses in their rebuild, especially if they've never been replaced. I've seen too many mishaps or problems with new motors where harness replacement was passed up.

[Cp1]

500 more would've gotten you an e6x

not quite sure i understand what that is?

[a7xh7]

cool post :)

[Cp1]

cool post :)
Thank you, ive just seen too many start to collect dust and then be parted out simply because the owner couldnt "afford" to maintain them, i know that reading this might not persuade everyone but hopefully it will make the supposed "high cost of maintenance" a little more realistic and at less than $150 -$200 per year who can say thats too much? . After all you wouldnt put new hardwood floors in your house before you fix a leaky roof would you?

[RCCAZ 1]

...After all you wouldnt put new hardwood floors in your house before you fix a leaky roof would you?

Ahhhh.... unfortunately, some here would. ;)

[IR Performance]

Nice to see that some people take the right steps to do things right. There are 3 main reasons these harnesses go bad: 1. excessive heat. A vented hood and fan mod helps a great deal. 2. Poor quality wiring with no heat shielding to begin with. I would take the time and wrap a new harness with something like the silver harness tape available from DEI. 3. Oil and other fluids spilling onto the wiring and deteriorating them. Fix your leaks!

[cewrx7r1]

I bought my FD in June 1992. I always opened the hood for cool down when I got home.
Even so the original engine harness was crap when I rebuilt in 1999. Don't forget that the stock ecu did not turn the radiator fans on until over 100C and the crowed engine bay had poor air flow. I replaced both the engine and coil pack harnesses.

Since then I have had all the cooling/air flow/ecu mods to make the engine bay happy.
The newer harnesses were also made of better material. They are still in greater shape today at age 9 years that the originals were at 7.

The other main harness you missed was for the cooling fan relays. Mine got water in them when the car was being painted back in 2003.
Back then Mazda still had the cooling system recal kit for about $75. It had the little black box (behind the ecu), a couple of small hoses and two harnesses. This was a great deal!

This is what is on the label: N3A1-18-SEO, Fan Recall Kit