Vectra wiring loom question

[pompey-pimp]

On my Vectra C pre-facelift Elite estate the rear interior light had somehow fallen out and snapped the wiring ribbon that goes into it (my 4 year old likes to play in the car, but she never touched it )

Anyway got a new light and attempted to split the ribbon so I could solder on extra bits of wire but it's so thin it just splits and tears.

My question is, do I need a whole new ribbon which includes everything e.g rain sensor, front interior light etc or is the ribbon in parts so I can buy and fit a single ribbon up to the light fitting?

Thought I would ask here before ripping the roof lining off.

[lofty]

Complete new cable (includes everything bar the auto dimming mirror cable).

Are you sure you cant solder it? I've soldered one before without any problems.

[pompey-pimp]

When I try to peel back the cable in the roof opening it just splits and is getting smaller.

How did you split the cable to show the copper?

[Mike1.9CDTI]

staple it together then insulate the staples so it cant short to the roof

[andy.l]

staple it together then insulate the staples so it cant short to the roof

as mentioned above most of the time it works

further back on the harness were the main join is its stapelled together
anyway but in a kind of different way more like crimped from when the
harnesses are first made so you can try that and then insulate it up with
electrical tape or even heat shrink.

[Z80]

This kind of flat cable can't be soldered, as it's instantly destroyed by heat.

If the tracks are cut by a fissure, you can repair them with special silver based glue you can find in electronics supplies stores. (*)

If the end is dented, then cut it straight and try to insert it back in the connector.

If you shortened it too much, however, you're in trouble. Maybe the best thing to do would be to get rid of the damn thing and use either computer flat cable if you still can find some sold by lengths, or just any multi-wires cable, such as network, serial or even phone cable. Thinking about it the very best choice would probably phone flat cable with an RJ-12 plug crimped on the light end, and soldered on the front loom end, then an RJ-12 socket crimped to another small length of phone flat cable soldered to the roof light contacts.

This is what I'll probably do with mine. The heat we have here has made the transparent plastic being as fragile as crystal, and the light once fell off my itself. I could find a used replacement one on eBay, but I still have some bad contacts from the flat cable, so replacing it completely sounds a better solution than trying to fiddle with it.



(*) I always have some silver glue handy since the 80's... As I you may notice from my nickname, my first computers were Sinclair ZX-81, then SX Spectrums (yes, several of them, with ZX-1 for networking, modems and microdrives, then an MGT+D)... I even bought a used Sinclair QL later on. People aware of these British beloved wonders all know their keyboards, and especially keyboard membranes and connectors, were their weak point.

[Leemarksmith]

I still think vauxhall should have taped the loom on the roof itself and not the roof liner... Such a pain in the arse

[DTi Elite]

I recently damaged mine when I took the interior light out , managed to cut it with scissors to split the tracks , then used the soldering iron to melt the plastic covering away & solder wires to it .
then fitted the wires into the plug & all works fine

[Tadpole]

This kind of flat cable can't be soldered, as it's instantly destroyed by heat.

It can be done & I have (somewhere on the forum) pictures to prove it thanks to Mr Dean (Plasma) ............

[Z80]

OK,thanks for the advice, I may try soon, then.

I still think vauxhall should have taped the loom on the roof itself and not the roof liner... Such a pain in the arse

Thank you for the warning...

My ceiling fabric fell off, I'll have to glue some new on, and will have to take the whole ceiling out to get rid of the foam lining that's been destroyed by the ambiant heat.

I'll be careful with the loom, then.