Getting Started

While the installation of a complete wiring kit is fairly easy, we wanted to get some input from a professional. To that end, we reached out to Scott Bowers of Ron Francis Wiring. “When it comes to wiring a car, plan ahead.” Scott continued, “Know how many circuits/power accessories you have now, and plan for future. Make sure you have good grounds, they’re half the circuit and often overlooked. Also, know what accessories you have. If you call telling us you have a 3G alternator when in fact you have a 4G alternator, this will cause problems. Finally, ground the battery directly to the engine or bellhousing. Don’t rely on grounding to the frame. Steel doesn’t conduct electricity as well as copper does.”

If you follow those simple suggestions, you’ll see that wiring a car is not an overly difficult task. That being said, the devil is in the details. For starters, make sure you plan enough time to do what you plan to do. There’s not much that is more frustrating than leaving a wiring job mid-point, and then having to remember where to restart – especially if you don’t get back to it right away. Also, if you do get into a situation and need some help or advice, the folks at Ron Francis are just a mouse click or phone call away.“Enthusiasts are in good hands. We’ve made the process of rewiring a vehicle so easy, that even the novice can do it. Our systems feature color-coded wires that are printed every 5 inches as to where they are coming from, and going to. Plus, the color instructions are very descriptive. If they get confused, we offer as much tech help as needed for the customer to get the job done,” Scott said.



While we will not be showing every step involved with the process of wiring a car from bumper to bumper, we do want to make sure you have a basic understanding of the fundamentals. These are what typically get overlooked, and eventually cause problems. For instance, more often than not, an improper ground will be the culprit of many of the problems encountered.“The importance of grounding is often overlooked. In any circuit, the ground equals half of the circuit and can cause havoc when it is insufficient or compromised. Make sure that paint, powdercoating, and rust are cleared at any grounding location,” he stated.When we talk about the possibility of grounding issues, we need to mention those induced by poor battery cable connections. We’ve seen many guys ground the negative battery cable to the frame of a vehicle, and that is all. It might work, but it might not either. Remember those rubber engine mounts? Trying to complete the ground circuit through the small-contact area of the the rubber mount is not sufficient. Also, as Scott mentioned, steel only carries about 20-percent of the conductivity that copper does. That’s why it is always recommended to connect the negative battery cable directly to the engine block. Once you have the engine grounded, it is also a good idea to run a ground wire from the engine to the body so all of your accessories like lights, radio, etc., work properly.