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Wiring Harness Inspection

10 points

Overview

This assignment guides students in visually inspecting a wiring harness to identify common defects such as damaged wires, poor connectors, or insulation issues. Students will document their findings with a photo and a brief report, developing essential skills in harness condition assessment for safety and reliability.

Resources

FAA AC 43.13-1B - Chapter 11, Sections 8-12

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Assignment

Document Preparation

Copy this document to your own Coda E-portfolio page using the “Copy doc” button in the top right.

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Be sure to add it to the AT 209 section.

If you wish, you can hide this worksheet after completion by selecting “Hide page” from the page’s menu bar.

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Photograph Wiring Harness

Identify a wiring harness from an approved piece of equipment, such as a vehicle, plane, or training/simulator station.

Take a well-lit photo of the wiring harness.

Be sure to capture all ends of the wiring harness (it may run point to point or it may include several breakouts).

Upload your photo(s) to the

Photos⁠

section below.

Report of Findings

Conduct a brief visual inspection of the harness, focusing on the following:

Condition of the wires (check for cuts, cracks, abrasions, fraying, or exposed conductors)

Integrity of insulation and coverings (look for missing tape, damaged conduit, or heat damage).

Condition of connectors (check for corrosion, broken clips, loose or bent pins).

Signs of overheating (burn marks, melted insulation).

Routing and securing (whether the harness is adequately supported, tied down, and clear of moving parts or sharp edges).

Write a short

Inspection Report⁠

(½ to 1 page maximum) that includes:

The photo of the harness.

A summary of your observations. Be sure that your observations use language represented in

FAA AC 43.13-1B - Chapter 11, Sections 8-12⁠

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Any defects or concerns you noticed.

A recommendation (e.g., “harness is acceptable for use,” “minor repair needed,” or “should be replaced”).

Photos

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Inspection Report

The wiring harness that I inspected was from an electrical station in the AT 265 lab. Upon initial brief overview inspection, there are a lot of wires and electrical components within this station. However, they are all properly labeled and organized.

When inspecting the throughout the harness, it was obvious that they were well maintained and situated. I checked for cuts, cracks, abrasions, fraying, or exposed conductors within individual wires. I was unable to find ANY of the issues previously stated above. The wires had proper covers, and were in areas where they would not be harmed from areas in the system. The condition of the wires were as good as new and if they had been subjected to any damage previously, it had been fixed or covered up. This also goes for the insulation and coverings on the wires. I identified multiple points where tape was used, but, it was used properly and safely. There was not one area where the tape had lost its integrity. The insulation was not breached and there was no evidence of hot areas or burn marks. Next I identified the areas that held the connectors and whether or not they were properly fastened, damaged, or corroded. Continuing on the with theme of this wiring harness so far, there was again no evidence of any of the sort. Each connector was secured and positioned in a way that it would not be subject to damage from any other system near the harness. There were a multitude of clips throughout this harness, but they were doing their job of fastening and securing the harness. One thing that was prevalent throughout this specific harness was the use of wire fasteners and zip ties. I made sure to specifically look over these areas, as it is important to make sure the harness is securely fastened and is not at risk to structural damage. About every inch or so, there was a fastener that secured the harness to the body of the system, ensuring it would not come loose. These were used properly and had been maintained because there was no signs of bulging or budging. For the zip ties, sometimes they can be clipped down with sharp points which could nick a part in the system causing damage. However, when inspecting the individual zip ties, they were clipped down flush to the fastener and gathered all the wires uniformly with no twists.

Because this wiring harness is used inside a lab at Purdue University, it makes sense that it would be so well maintained and put together. I could not find one wrong component, any damages or any issues with this wiring harness. It passed with flying colors.