TXL vs GXL wire for ZKW xenon wiring

[stephenkirsh]

I've dived into the deep end of ZKW problems. Fortunately, BP gave me some very good advice about the type of wiring to use, but I'm thinking about it and wondering if it's better to get a thicker insulated wire. And if it weren't for BP's advice, I'd probably purchased some crappy wire off of Amazon, so thank you BP for even getting me in the right direction.

He used "TXL" rated wire, which is "extra thin wall", which is apparently comparable to the OE wiring. But I'm thinking... if the OE wiring is so shitty, maybe it makes more sense to use "GXL" rated wire, which is the same gage, but thicker walls.

They're both rated to a max of 125 *C, but the 3 websites I found all said GXL is clearly used for higher temp situations.

https://www.awcwire.com/blog/txl-wire-vs-gxl-wire-product-knockout :

TXL, as stated earlier, is used for applications where small diameter and minimal weight are desired. The extra thin wall makes the wire more lightweight than GXL. GXL, however, is used primarily in engine compartments where high heat resistance is required.

So... does anybody have any insight that's better than mine?

[az3579]

I just had a thought. You know those ferrite things they wrapped the wiring in? I think GXL wouldn't be able to be wrapped around it due to being so thick. That might be one reason they went with TXL wiring. I would also imagine that being thicker doesn't necessarily mean it'll last longer. I think the material matters more in this case, because if they were made of the same material, the GXL wiring would also crack. Since I didn't use the ferrite things (not knowing what they were), I probably could have gotten away with using GXL wiring, though I'm not sure whether there would have been any benefit to it.

I'm curious if anyone knows for sure. I couldn't really find sufficient information on deciding between the two when I did mine.

[DeathTrap]

It doesn't matter. FWIW, I used old monster cable automotive speaker wire when I did my projector retrofit. The insulation on the stock wiring is super garbage. Almost anything is better than that. And this was 18 gauge, super thick poly-something insulation and I could just fit the 4 or so loops around the ferrite.

Just because I like this page:
https://www.rbracing-rsr.com/wiring_ecu.html

[sillieidiot]

You can use GXL. They are both made of the same material and have the same exact specs other than insulation thickness. There's SXL too (which may be too big). All of them have cross-linked polyethylene insulation which is the important spec of the wire and what gives it those desirable properties.


I just had a thought. You know those ferrite things they wrapped the wiring in? I think GXL wouldn't be able to be wrapped around it due to being so thick. That might be one reason they went with TXL wiring. I would also imagine that being thicker doesn't necessarily mean it'll last longer. I think the material matters more in this case, because if they were made of the same material, the GXL wiring would also crack. Since I didn't use the ferrite things (not knowing what they were), I probably could have gotten away with using GXL wiring, though I'm not sure whether there would have been any benefit to it.

I'm curious if anyone knows for sure. I couldn't really find sufficient information on deciding between the two when I did mine.

Are you talking about the ferrite cores/chokes?

[az3579]

Are you talking about the ferrite cores/chokes?

Yep

[stephenkirsh]

Guess I’ll give GXL a try.