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Improving electrical contact in plugs
blakep82 - 14/8/15 at 02:31 PM

Sooo, the air bag light is on in my old car (selling soon now I got a new one) turns out its the airbag plug under the seat, the wires get stretched when the seats all the way back allegedly
A fix is to cut the plugs off and reconnect with spade terminals, or solder and heat shrink.
I'm wondering tho, Vaseline gets put on sealed plugs, is this to keep water out, or does it help conductivity? Would a first try of putting a little in the connector help, or a waste of time? The seats not as easy but take out as they make it on line


britishtrident - 14/8/15 at 03:04 PM

A lot of manufacturers service bulletin suggest just using WD40 for this problem but it never gave any longer lasting results in my experience
and Silicone grease didn't prove any more satisfactory.

I have use a product called "Corrosion Gone!" on troublesome rear light connectors that were triggering bulb failures indications but it was hideously expensive and proved to have a short shelf life once opened.

On some of TST ( US automotive technicians) web semminars on Youtube I have heard a compound mentioned for unreliable sensor connections but I can't remember they name of the product.


Staple balls - 14/8/15 at 03:09 PM

It's just to keep the water out, and aid assembly, dielectric grease is the proper stuff for the job. Neither do any conducting.

Ultimately it sounds like you'd be better to splice in another 4" of cable, if you care that much, just to make sure it never gets pulled tight again.

Oh, and try not to short anything while you work, that'll properly ruin your day.


blakep82 - 14/8/15 at 03:24 PM

Not a case of caring, its a case of getting the airbag light to stay off till it's sold
I'm suspecting a wire is broken, so adding some wire in may be the way to go, along with some some spade connectors.
I've been putting the job off specifically because of not wanting to short anything out

I just remembered stuff about putting petroleum jelly on battery terminals, always assumed it was conductivity but anti corrosion makes more sense


Staple balls - 14/8/15 at 03:29 PM

I seem to remember reading you need ~5 minutes with no battery to let the capacitors discharge enough to be safe to work on airbags (we had the same issue on our blingo)

But 24 hours would personally make me not cr@p myself while I was working.


blakep82 - 14/8/15 at 03:32 PM

I tend to wait a good few hours, then do everything at arms length, with my eves closed lol. Thing is, if its giving intermittent faults in the plug, it would have blown up by now


Staple balls - 14/8/15 at 04:01 PM

Brown trousers and safety squinting - The professional's choice™


maccmike - 14/8/15 at 04:12 PM

Un plug the air bag and put 3ohm resistor in.


MikeRJ - 14/8/15 at 05:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Staple balls
Brown trousers and safety squinting - The professional's choice™



trextr7monkey - 14/8/15 at 05:38 PM

Get some contra lube from Maplins used it on lots of dodgy and aged connections with good results as indicated by an absence of breakdowns!


britishtrident - 14/8/15 at 05:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by maccmike
Un plug the air bag and put 3ohm resistor in.


3 ohm is virtually a dead short, airbag control units usually test on start up for 100 to 400 ohm resistance anything outside this trigger the warning light.


rusty nuts - 14/8/15 at 05:44 PM

Another vote for Contralube connector protector


maccmike - 14/8/15 at 07:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
quote:
Originally posted by maccmike
Un plug the air bag and put 3ohm resistor in.


3 ohm is virtually a dead short, airbag control units usually test on start up for 100 to 400 ohm resistance anything outside this trigger the warning light.


No it wont. Iv recently done it.