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Does anyone have any experience with the little label makers that print out wire labels?

Mostly, I'm interested in how the labels hold up as far as heat, humidity, etc. in an automotive environment. The label makers I've been looking at seem to be mostly marketed for network wiring closets, etc.

The wires in my old Beetle were all white, with numbers printed every inch or so down the wire. You just followed "56" or "32" as needed. I don't remember if it was the '68 or the '70, but when I went looking for numbered wire, I found wiring diagrams for those cars showing colored wires.

Plan B is still to just wire it all in whatever color is cheapest, identifying the wires by their connector pins. I've managed to transplant two EFI systems that way; my wife labeled the entire harness for me with masking tape, but A) there weren't any "taupe" or "vermilion" wires in the schematic, and B) about 10% of the wires in the harness and schematic didn't match up anyway.

The best way is to use the heat-shrink sleeves. They work well and should hold up to anything but exhaust heat. But then you need the printer, and the expensive sleeves. The other (cheaper) option is just to use different coloured heat shrink for each wire at the end, and write down which is which on your wiring diagram. You can also cut them into bands and use them to mark (one with has three bands. The next has four. etc). I didn't label much on my car; I just bought several different colours of wires and that is good enough for such a simple car. I also suggest using trailer wire in some places. It great for running several wires to a single location (lights, dash etc). It makes for a very tidy install.

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We use the heat shrink sleeves and handheld printer for wire labels at work. They would probably hold up OK in a car, as long as they're out of the sun. They do get dirty easy though, so make sure your hands are clean when putting them on. These are the brand we use, but I'm not sure which exact style they are. If you don't want to buy a printer, you can write on them with an acid pen and it will be just as durable, just not as neat.
http://www.bradycanada.ca/en-ca/product ... e-sleeves#

They also have some good info about labels on the website.
http://www.bradycanada.ca/en-ca/feature ... ire-marker

For my car I bought a Painless Performance universal wiring harness. It had the fuse panel already terminated and all the wires were marked with a circuit number and description every foot or two, as well as being color coded. And the booklet has a list in the back of where each wire should go. I looked at buying wire and doing my own harness, but decided against it when I found out how much good quality wire costs in small quantities and enough different colors to be able to trace it all out later.
Kristian

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I grabbed an entire wiring harness from an old Ford Taurus SHO when I put one of those engines in my Dune buggy. Since a lot of my engines wires had to be extended, I just used the same wire from the scrap harness. This kept the color code the same as factory and made it easy to trouble shoot. When I couldn't find enough Light Green with Pink tracer, I just get close with something from the wire rack that was close and made a note on my wiring diagram. Worked very well and was locost.

Tom

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Sometimes, I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

My short term memory is absolutely horrible and so is my short term memory.

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I label network cables by writing on them with a Sharpie. But an 18ga wire is too small for that.

I'm used to going connector-to-connector with the meter or test light since I can't see color; labeling the wires would be mostly a matter of convenience, and to prevent whining from people who think there's a difference between identical mudcolor wires.

Part of the beauty of writing on the heat shrink ones with a fine pen is writing on them while they're flat and shrinking them onto the wire after. That way the writing shrinks too. The ones we use at work are really easy because they're on a backer sheet and easy to hold while writing on them.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
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I ended up with a load of numerical/alphabetical cable markers from a job lot at an auction. There are two types, one type just clips on the wire and the other you feed on prior to crimping the end on. I would imagine they are cheap from an electrical wholesaler.

Bob

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Mancave http://s1116.photobucket.com/user/mypic ... ow/mancave

You've sold me! Any particular type of shrink tubing?


BTW, I occasionally check Michael Covington's blog, and it turned out he'd posted some stuff about wiring since I'd last looked: http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/mic ... index.html

I guess labels make a lot more sense when you can't see colours......

If it were me, I would just buy some clear heat-shrink for $1/meter, cut it and tuck a small label under before shrinking it to the wire. Will probably be more durable than the labels too. I've never tried it, but I can't see why it wouldn't work well. I have a few clear connectors at work, I can try if you like? If it works, I might even start labeling my stuff

Cheers.

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I ended up driving directly past work so stopped in and tried: It works great.
The only clear tube I had was on butt-connectors so it looks a little funny. I just wrote IGN+ on paper (could print it too. I'd probably go that route if pre-planning a wiring job), cut it out small, slid heat-shrink over 16ga wire and slid paper in. Heatgun and end result is a very clearly labeled wire for ~$0.03 per label. The clear will yellow over time, but will probably be many years before it's not legible. I'd leave more length than I did to prevent water intrusion, I just didn't have the room with the connector.

Cheers.

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Cheap and workable... and that's $50 to $150 I can spend on something else. Thanks!

4MM Dual-Wall Adhesive Lined 4:1 Heat Shrink Tubing ROHS Waterproof

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4MM-52MM-Dual-W ... QA8HRZjEBg

2 meters for $6. I'm going to try this one first, I think.

edit: Came in yesterday. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.

I would look into whether the adhesive type will still be nice and clear when shrunk. The connector I used is non-adhesive except where the blue rings are. You can still see the writing even through the blue glue, so you will probably be fine with clear adhesive.

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I have a six-foot piece on the way to experiment with. I was mostly sold on the claimed 4:1 shrink and the idea the adhesive might help seal the paper from moisture. I'll shrink some labels to some scrap wire and wrap it around some convenient place in the truck and see how it holds up in underhood and near-the-back-bumper environments.

A little known fact: Scotch Tape (you know the stuff you buy at Walmart to tape down wrapping paper?) is heat shrinkable. One size fits all. It could get your cost to < 0.01 per label. The adhesive might also help fight against water intrusion. I haven't used it for wire labels but have used it for heat shrinking. If you get the 3M stuff, it might not yellow over time.

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Chuck.

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I've tried that one before; it gets old and crackly over time, and the adhesive just turns to goo when it encounters oil.