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Keep it clean, neat and secure. Follow existing cable runs where possible.
If your just starting with electricals and you have a mini then you have much to do. One of the biggest problems and hardest to find intermittent problems with cars period is poor (or good for a live wire) earth. Electricity doesn't flow where you want without good earth.
Buy a can of battery terminal paint/sealer make sure it's the DRYing sort (like OE) as the other is messy and painful, next buy something to clean back metal - steel wool,S/S pot scower, wire brush, wet and dry 120. Start with your battery, remove the post clamps, clean clamps and posts, then place your battery on charge (using a modern charger to avoid cooking the battery) leave battery disconnected. The battery strap to the body needs inspection. I cleaned away the mastic, rubbed all surfaces back to shinny metal, then re clamped and painted. Move to the front of the car and identify the power cable mount coming from the battery, remove and clean, reassemble and paint. Follow this process all the way through your system till you come to the point where you want to add in your tac power then follow the supplier instructions, they should say to connect to the ignition circuit which is only live when the car4 is ON, never attach to your charge circuit and always use a fuse (existing or new). To earth the Tac use an existing OE point, undo, clean, assemble, paint. Once finished you then reconnect the battery and paint the terminals. Now go clean and reseal all the earth points you can find.
Other -
Electricians tape/pvc tape is no good in a hot zone as the glue fails. if it not in the engine bay or against the bulkhead/firewall it should be ok Use heat shrink on joins.
NEVER use a screw/self-tapper as an earth or anything, you'd just guarantee problems for you and the poor sod who runs over them as they fall out.
Any electrical lead that you find where the cable is sloppy as it enters its end connector is most likely a sign of deterioration by vibration. You'll find a few of these as you go through your car, make sure you secure the cable to an element close by or heat shrink the cable/terminal or both.
Clean the distributor rotor button back to shiny and remove the white crusty stuff from the distributor cap terminals.
Doing an electrical clean and secure on a mini is as important as changing the oil. Youll have a higher and smoother reving engine, a radio that doesnt crackle as much, a taco that doesnt jump, lights that work well etc.
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