Electrical Wiring Protection Tip

Suggested by: Greg Jones

One thing that bothered me with my 350i was the electrical wiring hanging down under the dashboard and the looms of untidy cables in and around the engine bay and passenger footwell fuse box.

After deciding to tidy up the wiring, I was on the lookout for something to encase the cables in to keep them all together. I also needed something that would improve the look and something to protect the wires from chaffing etc.

I found the ideal thing in the Demon Tweaks race catalogue, a sort of plastic convoluted tubing. I thought the price was on the expensive side and decided against purchasing it considering the amount that I would need.

IKEA tubing		Ignition wiring

Quite by chance, on one visit to IKEA with the Wife, I came across the exact same thing. IKEA sell these packs of ‘Montera’ convoluted cable tidy tubing. The tubing is 250cm (2.5m) long with a slit along its entire length.

Designed to tidy up your TV, video and HI-FI cables. The tubing is available in either white or black and costs around £2.50 per pack. After purchasing lots of packs (to the disapproving gaze of the Wife!) we made our way home.

I spent the next day zip tying bunches of ignition, fuse box and engine bay wires. I cut the tubing to length and encased the looms. To ensure the tubing does not come adrift, I added additional zip ties (with matching colour black ties) around the outer casing at appropriate lengths.

Main engine loom		Engine bay wiring

The tubing is easy to cut and very inexpensive compared to similar stuff from other sources. I think the tubing hides the cables very well and should protect them at the same time.

Next time you are forced to go to IKEA by the Wife, the tubing is around the TV, video and HI-FI furniture section.

Thanks to Greg Jones for submitting this tip.