Everything You Need to Know About Automotive Harness Tape

· automotive

Wires are found everywhere, in our appliances, devices and vehicles since electricity is something we can't go without nowadays. Wires have been incorporated in vehicles for a long time now, despite that not being the case in the early days of automotive history. But because current runs through wires, it's important to keep them safe as well as other components in your vehicle from any hazards.

This is where car loom tape or also known as fleece wire harness tape comes into play. While manufacturers wrap wire harnesses with their own electrical tape, it's never a bad thing to add some extra safety. With fleece tape you can also wrap wire harnesses that have no electrical tape on them to keep them safe from any moving parts and other external factors such as heat and moisture.

What Makes a Good Automotive Harness Tape

wiring with harness tape in the engine bay

Insulation

The most important factor you need to keep in mind when looking for fleece wire harness tape is the level of insulation it can offer. This is where one material is able to provide the best type of insulation – PVC. You can also use vinyl, polyester or fleece automotive harness tape when it comes to wrapping wire harnesses near high-temperature areas in the engine bay. The insulation level of the tape goes for the adhesive too as a stronger adhesive tend to withstand heat better since they have better insulation.

Abrasion Resistance

Another important factor with automotive wire harness tapes that is worth considering is abrasion resistance. The more resistant a car loom tape is to abrasion the better the protection it will be able to provide when it comes to scraping and bumping into engine bay components. The level of abrasion resistance on an auto wire harness tape is labelled with a letter.

These letters range from A to F. A wire harness tape with the letter “A” on it means it has no resistance whatsoever. But if you happen to come across a wire harness tape with the letter “F” on it, you have got yourself a tape with extremely high abrasion resistance. This is because a class “F” tape is able to survive 15,000 strokes while class “A” wire harness tape is able to withstand less than 100. The best abrasion-resistant harness tape would be a cloth polyester one which is extremely tough and durable.

Chemical Resistance

Although chemical resistance might not seem like an important factor when it comes to fleece wire harness tape, it can be crucial in certain instances. When it comes to wire harnesses placed near oil passages and the presence of coolant you should look for wire harness tape that is laminated or treated.

Usually, automotive harness tape that has a smooth and secure foil-like surface will provide the necessary protection. A fleece tape with chemical and contaminants resistance can also be waterproof and/ or flame-retardant but this depends on the coating on the backing. Usually polyester and PVC are able to withstand all this as well as corrosive substances. 

wrapping wires with harness tape

How to Wrap a Wiring Harness

1. When wrapping a wiring harness make sure that you're using the right type of tape depending on the location of the harness. To start wrapping the wire harness you should place one hand on the beginning of the harness and start wrapping the tape around it from the top.

2. Use light tension here so that you better overlap each layer you add as you go. This will ensure that the wire harness is fully covered by the tape and that nothing gets exposed even when put to the test.  As you go on you should stretch out the tape more to keep it wrapper around tight, light tension should be present only at the beginning. Repeat this until you reach the end of the harness or a split.

3. When you come to the end or a split you should pull on the tape tightly and pull the tape apart. The last piece that's left hanging should be woven around the wire harness so that you make a knot around it by using your thumb to anchor the tape first. Any excess tape should be removed and you should continue wrapping the wire harness until the end in case it was a split in question, otherwise you're done.

wrapping wires with harness tape

Conclusion

Any wire harness be it in a car or in your household requires to be protected despite the wires themselves having a protective sheath. That sheath is to keep you safe from the wires rather than the wires from external factors. This is where automotive wire harness tape comes into play. Not every auto wire harness tape is the same though so make sure you get the correct one before you start wrapping things up. So, make sure you get the best harness tape you can so that it keeps all of your vehicle's electronics working without any interruptions from heat, abrasion, and chemicals for a long time.a