The overall Toyota Starlet wiring loom is segregated into two distinct parts which can be separated via connectors - the engine bay and cabin looms. There are also two fuse boxes in the car, one that the Toyota Starlet has in the engine bay (aka power distribution box) and one in the cabin under the dash.
The first task in retrofitting the Starlet wiring into the Mini was to choose where to mount the main fuse box and after an initial test fit of the engine bay wiring loom in the Mini engine bay, I quickly realised the main fuse box wasn't going to easily fit so I chose to mount it behind the dash instead.
I made a mounting bracket for the main fuse box, and then also modified it to also fit items from the cabin wiring loom :
Headlight reminder relay
Flasher relay (for indicators)
Circuit opening relay
2x Auto-reset circuit breakers (for power windows)
4x Relays (for power windows)
This main fuse/distribution box bracket was welded in where the Mini glovebox would normally be, on the left hand side of the dash. There will eventually be an access panel in the dash for checking fuses and relays. NOTE : I didn't actually end up needing the four relays for the power windows
I then made a 55mm hole in the firewall directly behind the box to fit the loom grommet and passed through the bulk of the wiring.
From there it was a LONG process of figuring out what wires needed to be moved into the cabin to the new fuse box location, which wires had to be shortened (quite a few) and which ones had to be extended (lights, indicators, radiator fan, alternator, battery, starter motor). Armed with a heap of wiring that matched the factory wiring colours and gauge, the work began.
Any new joins in the 3mm or 4mm wring were completed with F-Crimps (aka open barrel), with heatshrink over the top.
For the battery & alternator wiring, I had to re-route the thicker 6mm wires and add a connector. This wiring connector had to handle at least 60 Amps (the fuse size) so after some research, I found and used an EC5 connector (commonly used for Li-Po batteries in RC planes/cars etc) - which are rated at much higher 120 Amps.
To route the some wiring back into the engine bay, I had to add a firewall grommet on either side of the firewall to route wiring from the fuse boxes. For the drivers side there was the alternator, battery and windscreen washer motor wiring :
With the washer bottle fitted :
For the passengers side there was wiring for lights, indicators, radiator fan, wiper motor that was routed around the wiper motor. At this point, I also connected the Starlet wiring to the matching Mini wiper motor harness wires (as noted in this post https://mearcat.blogspot.com/2018/05/windscreen-wipers-motor.html)
A new (waterproof) connector was used to connect the the aftermarket Davies Craig thermofan.
Routing the wiring for the park lights, main lights & indicators was an easy job but I've left those wires non-terminated for now as I have to wait until the engine is next out to make some wiring loom mounts in the front bumper area which I cannot currently access.
For the oxygen (O2) sensor and oil pressure sender wires that are in close proximity to the exhaust, I noted that the wire sheaths of the original wiring were hard and brittle from extended heat exposure so I replaced both the wires, then fitted some high temperature (basalt fibre) sleeve over the wires to protect them.
Much of the wiring behind the dash had to be moved around, shortened or lengthened to make it neat and tidy. I left a bunch of wires hanging down underneath the fuse box / relays for the ECU :
The mount for the ECU was made from a few simple 90deg brackets, where one side had a cutout to clear the connectors.
I removed the circuit board from inside the ECU
... so that I could use the case to keep everything square when welding in the support pieces under the dash.
The ECU was reassembled and once mounted, is hidden by the lower dash panel (not bolted on in this pic) :
The factory Starlet engine bay wiring loom is now installed in the Mini however I won't be wrapping any of the loom in loom tube or tape until the engine is running and everything has been tested.
In the future, I also have to add new wiring for the following sensors (used by an aftermarket display in the dash) :
Coolant temperature
Oil temperature
Oil Pressure
EGT probe
Wideband oxygen sensor
Inlet air temperature
The first task in retrofitting the Starlet wiring into the Mini was to choose where to mount the main fuse box and after an initial test fit of the engine bay wiring loom in the Mini engine bay, I quickly realised the main fuse box wasn't going to easily fit so I chose to mount it behind the dash instead.
I made a mounting bracket for the main fuse box, and then also modified it to also fit items from the cabin wiring loom :
Headlight reminder relay
Flasher relay (for indicators)
Circuit opening relay
2x Auto-reset circuit breakers (for power windows)
4x Relays (for power windows)
This main fuse/distribution box bracket was welded in where the Mini glovebox would normally be, on the left hand side of the dash. There will eventually be an access panel in the dash for checking fuses and relays. NOTE : I didn't actually end up needing the four relays for the power windows
I then made a 55mm hole in the firewall directly behind the box to fit the loom grommet and passed through the bulk of the wiring.
From there it was a LONG process of figuring out what wires needed to be moved into the cabin to the new fuse box location, which wires had to be shortened (quite a few) and which ones had to be extended (lights, indicators, radiator fan, alternator, battery, starter motor). Armed with a heap of wiring that matched the factory wiring colours and gauge, the work began.
Any new joins in the 3mm or 4mm wring were completed with F-Crimps (aka open barrel), with heatshrink over the top.
For the battery & alternator wiring, I had to re-route the thicker 6mm wires and add a connector. This wiring connector had to handle at least 60 Amps (the fuse size) so after some research, I found and used an EC5 connector (commonly used for Li-Po batteries in RC planes/cars etc) - which are rated at much higher 120 Amps.
To route the some wiring back into the engine bay, I had to add a firewall grommet on either side of the firewall to route wiring from the fuse boxes. For the drivers side there was the alternator, battery and windscreen washer motor wiring :
With the washer bottle fitted :
For the passengers side there was wiring for lights, indicators, radiator fan, wiper motor that was routed around the wiper motor. At this point, I also connected the Starlet wiring to the matching Mini wiper motor harness wires (as noted in this post https://mearcat.blogspot.com/2018/05/windscreen-wipers-motor.html)
A new (waterproof) connector was used to connect the the aftermarket Davies Craig thermofan.
Routing the wiring for the park lights, main lights & indicators was an easy job but I've left those wires non-terminated for now as I have to wait until the engine is next out to make some wiring loom mounts in the front bumper area which I cannot currently access.
For the oxygen (O2) sensor and oil pressure sender wires that are in close proximity to the exhaust, I noted that the wire sheaths of the original wiring were hard and brittle from extended heat exposure so I replaced both the wires, then fitted some high temperature (basalt fibre) sleeve over the wires to protect them.
Much of the wiring behind the dash had to be moved around, shortened or lengthened to make it neat and tidy. I left a bunch of wires hanging down underneath the fuse box / relays for the ECU :
The mount for the ECU was made from a few simple 90deg brackets, where one side had a cutout to clear the connectors.
I removed the circuit board from inside the ECU
... so that I could use the case to keep everything square when welding in the support pieces under the dash.
The ECU was reassembled and once mounted, is hidden by the lower dash panel (not bolted on in this pic) :
The factory Starlet engine bay wiring loom is now installed in the Mini however I won't be wrapping any of the loom in loom tube or tape until the engine is running and everything has been tested.
In the future, I also have to add new wiring for the following sensors (used by an aftermarket display in the dash) :
Coolant temperature
Oil temperature
Oil Pressure
EGT probe
Wideband oxygen sensor
Inlet air temperature
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