This is horrifying to me. Please help

[Nick5272]

Hey friends, I am getting to the point of taking out unnecessary wires and looking at this is just freaking terrifying for me. Can y’all give me some guidance on where to begin?

I’ve got a tone emitter, multimeter, soldering crap, wire crumpets and strippers etc. Just don’t know how to begin and am overwhelmed by this. All help appreciated.

Bus= 1991 Bluebird Flatnose

[musigenesis]

Just FYI "removing unnecessary wires" posts are almost always followed by "help my bus won't start" posts. It could be argued that removing unnecessary wires is itself an unnecessary task as your bus has been fine with all that for 30 years now. I've never touched anything in my electrical box and coincidentally I've never had trouble with my bus not starting (except for the first ten or so times thanks to a defective emergency exit door switch).

[TaliaDPerkins]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

(except for the first ten or so times thanks to a defective emergency exit door switch).

Right there with you on that one!

[fo4imtippin]

I started with the yellow box. You shouldn't need anything on that as it controls the wiggle lights and stop sign flashers.


I wasn't going to do the rest, but as I thinned them out, it go easier. Also bluebird printed numbers on every freaking wire and I have a diagram, I ended up not needing my toner.

[Dbacks2k4]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Just FYI "removing unnecessary wires" posts are almost always followed by "help my bus won't start" posts.

NAILED IT.

I'll be pulling back some wires as I remove original systems - such as the flasher lights and overhead dome lights but I'm not planning on going crazy with removing wires for the sake of removing wires. You're going to always have some wires going back for at minimum for clearance lamps, brake/turn/reverse signals, etc. The weight is negligible... I always laugh at the videos of the pile of wire and the guy going "look how much weight I removed from a bus capable of hauling 26,000 lbs!" and my build plan will have a wire-chase type of design at ceiling height anyway for adding my own electrical system and infotainment wiring. Basically why make your life harder than you need to?

If you are going to mess with any wires be sure to START the bus, RELEASE the brakes, and PUT IN GEAR after each cut to ensure you haven't hit an interlock. Most buses the interlock is tied just to the starter, but some interlocks especially with handicap doors/lifts can be tied to the brakes or transmission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7ETML8wqmo#t=10m53s

[Timeline]

Originally Posted by fo4imtippin

I started with the yellow box. You shouldn't need anything on that as it controls the wiggle lights and stop sign flashers.


I wasn't going to do the rest, but as I thinned them out, it go easier. Also bluebird printed numbers on every freaking wire and I have a diagram, I ended up not needing my toner.

Hi!
Wondering how you got the wiring diagram?
John

[fo4imtippin]

Originally Posted by Timeline

Hi!
Wondering how you got the wiring diagram?
John

Front seat of my bus had two binders when i picked it up. They actually have all the options i don't even have, so i would say they are fairly generic to the TC2000 of the time. Bluebird vantage has a lot of them as well.


I didn't even get it out until i got to things like windshield wipers and stuff. For most of the stuff in the panel, it will say something like 4011A on the wire, you can go to the other end like the air solenoid for the door and read the wire to ensure its the same. Then unhook it and pull it out. My bus had no interlocks, even the wheelchair door open was just a lightbulb on the switchplate.

[Iceni John]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Just FYI "removing unnecessary wires" posts are almost always followed by "help my bus won't start" posts. It could be argued that removing unnecessary wires is itself an unnecessary task as your bus has been fine with all that for 30 years now. I've never touched anything in my electrical box and coincidentally I've never had trouble with my bus not starting (except for the first ten or so times thanks to a defective emergency exit door switch).

I agree! Sooner or later you'll need some extra wires during the conversion process for things you can't even imagine right now, such as new interior lights or sound systems or extra gauges or whatever. Then you can just repurpose those wires that aren't needed now: it's a lot easier to reuse wires than to pull new wiring through chases or frame rails. If you repurpose wires, don't forget to amend your bus's electrical schematic, otherwise in ten or twenty years from now you or a new owner will be scratching your head wondering WTF does what!

John

[cadillackid]

I left all the school light wires in both busses.. and i have used a couple for various things where i wanted a wire that ran from my switch panel to the back of the bus or upper front bulkhead... I labelled them abd capped them off.. they have come in handy over the years!

[Timeline]

Originally Posted by fo4imtippin

Bluebird vantage has a lot of them as well.


I didn't even get it out until i got to things like windshield wipers and stuff. For most of the stuff in the panel, it will say something like 4011A on the wire, you can go to the other end like the air solenoid for the door and read the wire to ensure its the same. Then unhook it and pull it out. My bus had no interlocks, even the wheelchair door open was just a lightbulb on the switchplate.

Thanks for the reply!

[Timeline]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I left all the school light wires in both busses.. and i have used a couple for various things where i wanted a wire that ran from my switch panel to the back of the bus or upper front bulkhead... I labelled them abd capped them off.. they have come in handy over the years!

Thanks for that, will do the same!

[mmoore6856]

i ended up with a 5 gallon bucket of extra wire HOWEVER i have had extensive training in truck electrical systems and do not recommend you try what i did. if you can read and understand a schematic diagram do one wire a a time and start it

[mmoore6856]

and i am obd free

[rossvtaylor]

My suggestion, which parallels that of everyone else before me, is to not mess with it. And if you do, tread cautiously and (like Dbacks said) test your bus after every single wire.

The only exception would be any of the camera cables. Rip those things out! They are usually white, although they might be black, and they'll usually be coiled into a big spool the size of your hand. Those video cables come long and don't get cut, so the extra is just coiled up and stuffed somewhere. If you find those, you can pull them out without fear.

[Nick5272]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I left all the school light wires in both busses.. and i have used a couple for various things where i wanted a wire that ran from my switch panel to the back of the bus or upper front bulkhead... I labelled them abd capped them off.. they have come in handy over the years!

Do you mind sharing some examples of what/how you repurposed things?

[cadillackid]

When I added the rear air conditioner I used school light wires that ran from front to back to connect the control unit to the relay unit (3 wire data link ). Saved me having to fish wires from front to back.

On the red bus the stop sign wires were an easy grab to getting wires under the bus for the webasto.

[Nick5272]

Originally Posted by rossvtaylor

My suggestion, which parallels that of everyone else before me, is to not mess with it. And if you do, tread cautiously and (like Dbacks said) test your bus after every single wire.

The only exception would be any of the camera cables. Rip those things out! They are usually white, although they might be black, and they'll usually be coiled into a big spool the size of your hand. Those video cables come long and don't get cut, so the extra is just coiled up and stuffed somewhere. If you find those, you can pull them out without fear.

Ross (and others), I’m curious what to do with the wires if I don’t mess with any of them. I’m a few days in now of trying to figure all the wires out and I’ve made virtually no progress. I just get stuck staring at the wiring diagram having little idea of what I’m looking at and how to translate it into the actual wires.

The idea of just not messing with it is becoming more attractive. We plan on spray foam for walls and roof. What do I do with the wires? Just spray foam them in? Also we’re doing a roof raise next and I’m afraid the wires won’t reach for that extra 12”. Has anyone encountered that?

Thanks

[Mekanic]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Just FYI "removing unnecessary wires" posts are almost always followed by "help my bus won't start" posts. It could be argued that removing unnecessary wires is itself an unnecessary task as your bus has been fine with all that for 30 years now. ..........).

X2 agree 1000%

[fo4imtippin]

You'll have to cut the main harness behind the driver window and splice in like 20 12in extensions.


Once everything is where you want it, sure spray foam the harness, it aint going anywhere then.

[jimmythomas]

If you made the bus a couple feet shorter you would have plenty of wire.