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Home / Lighting / Driving & light bars

TXL 18 AWG automotive primary wire — 19-strand tinned copper, thin-wall XLPE insulation, sold per metre18 AWG TXL Automotive Wire, Per Metre

Elevate Automotive

18 AWG TXL Automotive Wire, Per Metre

TXL-18-BK

18 AWG TXL automotive primary wire. 19-strand tinned copper, thin-wall XLPE insulation, SAE J1128 rated. Sold per metre in a full colour range.

Gauge18 AWG
Max current10A up to 3m
Temp range−40°C to +125°C

$1.60

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Universal fitment12V, 24V, 36V and 48V automotive wiring harnesses, restorations, aftermarket installations and workshop repairs. SAE J1128 primary wire is rated up to 60V DC.

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An 18 AWG TXL primary wire for low-current automotive circuits, sold per metre in a full colour range. Runs sensors, LED lighting, switch feeds, signal wires and small accessories. Fits engine-bay looms, dash routing, trailer harnesses, 4WD sub-loom runs and workshop repairs.

Nineteen tinned copper strands under thin-wall cross-linked polyethylene, meeting SAE J1128 for automotive primary wire. Rated −40°C to +125°C so it holds up in the engine bay as well as the cabin. Insulation resists petrol, diesel, oil, brake fluid and common solvents.

Match the gauge to the current draw AND the run length. For anything above 10A (relays, fuel pumps, horns, headlights) step up to 14 AWG. For higher-draw loads like fridges and driving lights, 10 AWG. For DC-DC chargers, air compressors or direct dual-battery feeds, 6 B&S or heavier (see the notes under the current-rating table). Undersize and the wire heats up, drops voltage and eventually fails.

Cable size guide

Match the AWG to the current draw AND the run length. When in doubt, step up one size.

AWG Max amps at 3m Max amps at 4.5m Max amps at 6m Common uses
10 AWG 40A 30A 25A Fridge dedicated feeds, sub-panel fuse-block feeds (≤25A total), single-bar driving lights, horn and accessory relay feeds
14 AWG 20A 15A 10A Relays, fuel pumps, horns, ignition coils, individual headlight circuits
18 AWG (this cable) 10A 7.5A 5A Sensors, LED signal lights, switch feeds, dash indicators, CAN-bus wiring

Not for DC-DC chargers: Redarc's BCDC Wiring Kit guide specifies 8 AWG (7.7 mm²) minimum on every BCDC model, including the smallest 25A unit at the shortest run. Not for air compressors: ARB Twin draws 45A continuous, which exceeds 10 AWG once derated for engine-bay bundling. Not for winches, starter motors or 1000W+ inverters (200A+): use 2 AWG to 1/0 AWG (35 mm² to 50 mm²). Not for direct dual-battery feeds carrying full charge current (50–100A): use 6 B&S (13.3 mm²) minimum.

  • Thin-wall XLPE — smaller OD than PVC wire, routes through tight looms
  • 19 tinned strands — flexible for tight bends, corrosion-resistant
  • SAE J1128 rated — same automotive spec OEMs use
  • −40°C to +125°C — engine bay or cabin
  • Chemical resistant — oil, fuel and solvents
  • Sold per metre — full colour range for wire ID

Conductor

Gauge: 18 AWG (0.83 mm²)

Strands: 19

Material: Tinned copper

Insulation

Material: XLPE (cross-linked PE)

Wall thickness: Thin-wall

Resistance: Oil, fuel, abrasion

Current rating

Up to 3m: 10A

Up to 4.5m: 7.5A

Up to 6m: 5A

Compliance

Standard: SAE J1128 TXL

Temp range: −40°C to +125°C

12V, 24V, 36V and 48V automotive wiring harnesses, restorations, aftermarket installations and workshop repairs. SAE J1128 primary wire is rated up to 60V DC.
Sensors, LED lighting, switch feeds and signal wires
Engine bay and cabin harness routing
SAE J1128 automotive circuits
High-current circuits (winches, fuel pumps, cooling fans). Use a thicker gauge.
Household mains wiring. This is DC automotive spec, not AC-rated.

Q: What does 18 AWG actually mean?
AWG = American Wire Gauge, the standard sizing system for automotive and electrical wire. Lower number = thicker wire = more current capacity. 10 AWG is a heavy gauge (fridge feeds, DC-DC output, driving lights), 18 AWG is a mid-thin size (sensors, LEDs, switch feeds), 22 AWG is thin (signal wires only).

Q: What does TXL mean?
TXL is a wire construction spec under SAE J1128: T for thermoplastic elastomer, X for cross-linked polyethylene insulation, L for extra-thin wall. Compared to standard GPT (PVC) or GXL wire, TXL has the smallest outer diameter for the same conductor size, so it fits through tighter looms and OEM harness clips and weighs less.

Q: What does SAE J1128 cover, and does it include an IP rating?
SAE J1128 is the automotive-industry standard for primary wire. It covers voltage (rated up to 60V DC, so 12V, 24V, 36V and 48V systems); temperature (−40°C to +125°C without going brittle or softening); chemical resistance (insulation doesn't crack when exposed to petrol, diesel, engine oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid or ethanol); flame retardance (self-extinguishes once the flame source is gone); and minimum insulation thickness plus strand construction per gauge. It does NOT cover IP ingress rating (that is IEC 60529, a separate spec for enclosures and connectors), salt-spray corrosion (that comes from the tinned conductor plus the terminals and boots crimped on, not the wire spec itself), or UV rating for permanent outdoor exposure. Short version: J1128 covers the wire itself; sealed connectors and adhesive-lined heat-shrink handle weatherproofing at the terminations.

Q: Can I use 18 AWG for headlights or a fridge circuit?
No. 18 AWG is only good for around 5 to 10A depending on run length. Headlights, fridge power feeds and most 4WD accessories draw more than that. Use 14 AWG or 10 AWG. Under-sizing causes voltage drop, heat, and eventually insulation failure.

Q: How is this sold, per metre or on a spool?
Sold per metre. Order the quantity you need per colour. No minimum, no fixed spool sizes.

Q: What is the temperature range?
−40°C to +125°C, so it holds up in the engine bay as well as the cabin. Insulation resists oil, fuel and common solvents.

Q: What crimp terminals fit 18 AWG?
Standard 18 to 16 AWG terminals, usually red-coded on insulated terminal ranges. Non-insulated (open barrel) OEM-style terminals need to be matched to the exact wire cross-section (0.83 mm² for 18 AWG).

Q: Is this bare copper or tinned copper?
Tinned copper. Every strand carries a thin tin plating that shields the copper from oxidation, so the conductor stays low-resistance in humid, salty or engine-bay environments. Bare-copper primary wire looks similar out of the reel but corrodes faster once exposed.

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