How to connect these cables?

[takedown8]

This is a shot in the dark, but hopefully some of you with electrical skills will be able to help me.

I have 4 of these cables (small, internal audio/power cables) that I want to connect end to end to make one long cable. What is the easiest way to do that? Are there male-male bare pins that will connect them or a male-male cable or do I have to solder them together? (I'd prefer not since I don't know how to do that).

Thanks in advance!

 

[pvr]

Cut 1 connector off from each cable and join the cable together in one of two following:

- Solder (best solution)
- Electrical blocks - the ones with screws in them so you can join the cables without soldering them.

Example of the latter: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=42654

 

[cj10jeeper]

Impossible to tell exactly the internal shape of the pins from these pictures but I would simply cut ends of 2 of them and insert a new pair of cables the length required, solder together and use heat shrink wrap to protect the joins. Clipping so many together leaves you the risk of poor circuit or them falling apart once installed.

Soldering at this level is really easy and will take but a few minutes and cost just a few $$ for a soldering iron and solder. heat shrink about another $1 per metre.

 

[takedown8]

cj10jeeper! Just the man I was looking for!

I'm trying to do the paddleshifter steering wheel retrofit, and I bought four or five of these 24" cables to connect the slip ring to the steptronic wiring in the gear selector area.

Is that how you did it? Did you solder a few of these wires together?

 

[cj10jeeper]

Ah that's what you are doing then.

Def did not join lots of cables like that as it's way too likely to fall apart with movement of the column, vibration, etc.

I used a few inches of a twisted pair of pc cables just to get the connector to fit on the back of the new steering wheel mount. I then ran a pair of cables to the selector shaft. Then spliced in the new cables to the original selector cables and zip tied the new cable all the way from column to selctor along existing cables. All joints covered with heat shrink where possible, else electrical tape.

There is a detailed write up somewhere on the board.

Best learn to solder and using a non electric, or old style non earthed to reduce the risk of any voltage in your ECU circuits.

 

[takedown8]

I think I'll just take my current cable (in the pic above) which is about 45cm long and take it to an electric supply shop and have them solder in an extension to make the cable long enough to reach from the steering column down to the gear selector. That should work right? How long do you think I need? About 1.5 metres all together?

What I'm still not sure about though is whether or not I need a new slip ring (piece behind the steering wheel). I'm not sure if mine has the pins for the paddleshifter wire or not. Mine is a 2005 with MF buttons, so I'm hoping that it has the pins for the shifters as well.

 

[cj10jeeper]

I think I'll just take my current cable (in the pic above) which is about 45cm long and take it to an electric supply shop and have them solder in an extension to make the cable long enough to reach from the steering column down to the gear selector. That should work right? How long do you think I need? About 1.5 metres all together?

What I'm still not sure about though is whether or not I need a new slip ring (piece behind the steering wheel). I'm not sure if mine has the pins for the paddleshifter wire or not. Mine is a 2005 with MF buttons, so I'm hoping that it has the pins for the shifters as well.

That's your call but frankly you still need to solder it at the shifter end as there is limited room so if following that route I'd strip down the column cover and around the shifter and go to an autoelectrician to do it. No idea on the lead length as I just started witha couple of metres and traced my way through.

You should be able to see if you have the correct connector on the mount by looking on the rear of it, with a mirror if necessary. I suspect you do not have it as only replacements come with it and those fitted OEM to SMG's, but I may be wrong