Wire Question ?

[steve5B]

  I was wondering if anyone could answer this question, I am in the process of building the inside of my bus and I cut the wire

(about the size of a dime) that supplied the power to the overhead lights for every seat and possibly the overhead speakers too.

Inside of that main wire, there are several wires different colors.  Could those be used for anything else, and are thy 12V ?


  Steve 5B......

[Melbo]

What kind of bus ??

could be 12 or 24 volt and maybe yes used for other things.

Melbo

[steve5B]

    Melbo,

  It's a 1976 MCI-5B.

  Steve 5B...

[Lin]

I'm a little confused.  Are you saying that you cut into an enclosed group of wiring that was the width of a dime that contained several color coded wires?  Or is that the wires are the thickness of a dime?  If they are not in use and appear to be in good condition, I would say you can use them for whatever you want providing they are an adequate gauge for the task.  Finding good pre-run wiring is a joyful event.

[PCC]

Yes, many things are operated, in a coach, by multiple wires in a single sheath.

If you have slack, use it to splice each wire, I always solder mine so they do not come apart, then insulate each one with heat shrink, and heat shrink the entire cable over the splices.

That is how I would do the repair.

Keith
PCC

[steve5B]

    Hi Lin,

    The wire I mentioned (cluster) has several wires , I guess you could say they are in a sheath.  I thought when I cut it in half
 
   is was one that powered the Clarence lights. I was wrong, in this cluster only two of them had power to the lights above the

  seats the ones below what was the over head storage rack. 


  Steve 5B....

[John316]

Steve,

Here is how I often start troubleshooting. Start the bus up, turn on all lights, and get out see what works/what doesn't. If the bus doesn't fire up, you really cut a bad wire . I doubt it though.

God bless,

John

[busshawg]

I cut mine, removed them, except for in the ceiling above the driver. At this point the wires are there but are cut at both ends, completely non funtional, simply because I haven't pulled the ceiling apart at this point yet.    My bus was stripped right down throughout the rest of the bus, so I ran new wire. However there is no reason why you would not be able to use this wire, I simply just wanted to know where every wire ran, and ran my wires so I can have some sort of access to them without having to pull the headliner out of the bus to trouble shoot if there was a problem. Have fun

Grant