Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: My S1 on Monday,March 17, 2025, 12:23:12 PM
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This may have come up before but I can not find anything on the search page. I'm going through the wiring harness and cleaning up the contacts and terminals with CRC spray cleaner. It doesn't seem to do much good on oxidation and I worry about degenerating the plastics and of course the damn overspray. Could someone please recommend a first rate solution, possibly in brush form, that will eliminate the old oxidation and prevent future corrosion?
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I dip mine in a vinegar/salt solution, then water/baking soda solution to neutralize, spray with WD-40 to displace the water and then put dielectric grease on the connection.
The salt makes the vinegar more acidic, I put as much as will dissolve in it ….
You can see in the pic the oxidation has discolored my solutions….
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Is it just a dip, or do the connections have to sit for a bit?
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I dip for a couple of minutes
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Just did this one as an example ….this one was really grubby
After and before ….
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So you don’t have to disassemble the connectors to do this. I always wondered about that. I see the utility of the WD40 for ejecting water in the process.
a friend who did Japanese woodworking as a hobby used camelia oil to displace water. Japanese tools are generally sharpened with water as a lubricant. Thinking a bit, WD40 is probably better because it eventually evaporates.
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Interesting "green" solution which I always appreciate. I used to put a dab of dielectric grease on my electrical connections until I was advised against it. Went on you tube and found a number of demos proving that dielectric grease does not conduct electricity. Apparently it is just an anti corrosive. Who knows...I'm still searching...
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To add to that-dielectric grease is very useful for sealing out water, oil and debri. Just not good for transferring electricity. A little dab will do ya in the proper places. Does anyone know of a goop that will improve conductivity and prevent oxidation/corrosion?
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I figure it scrapes off where there is actual metal to metal contact and keeps the rest from corroding … I could be wrong :confused: all the connections have had continuity …
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That is the way I used looked at it as well. Just ran across this you tube video which has a few good observations; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv22edIEl7w
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This sounds like dieting advice. Are we ever going to learn what ACTUALLY works? Maybe good enough is, well, good enough :)
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Also, I’m using the dielectric grease Bryan suggested (Burndy Penetrox A), so Bryan if I got that wrong, please chime in!
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A dielectric grease is the correct product in this application. There are some made by DeoxIT that also remove, in addition to preventing corrosion. L260 is the grease family, and there are variants for very specific applications. Copper, aluminum, graphite, and quarts particles. For most of our stuff, the copper particle variant is fine - L260Cp. There is also a variant with their D100L stuff mixed in, even better against corrosion.
Where you have many contacts in one housing, like modern electrical connectors, L260Np (no particles) is required and can't break up corrosion as well. Definitely have a look around the DeoxIT product pages and see what makes sense for your specific application.
This is what we use on the boats; works great or we wouldn't spend the time applying it. Super-lube and others make completely adequate dielectric grease if you don't need the corrosion dissolving properties.
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Dielectric grease preventing/disrupting an electrical connection is a frustratingly common misconception. The dielectric grease fills the air gaps that already weren't conducting; the metal contacts push the grease out of the way there they do physically contact.
You wouldn't want grease exclusively conducting electricity. That doesn't end well.
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314159td, have you used DeoxIT®, #D100L-2DB ? I'm seeing mixed reviews on the internet but it sounds useful...expensive as all hell. Seems like it needs a bit of abrading to clean up old oxidation.
https://caig.com/product/deoxit-d100l-2db/?sfw=pass1742255554
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I don't have experience with the straight D100L, tbh I pretty much always replace any corroded connector if possible. The thought being that the contact thickness has probably changed somewhat, which may lead it to be less springy or not held as tightly. For corroded spade terminals on gauges and such, just some Scotch-Brite or sandpaper, dab of dielectric grease, and plug in the spade.
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You are surely correct, take the time to solder new terminals onto the connections that are badly worn/corroded. Got a job big or small do it right or not at all... Thanks.
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These folks make some slick tools for abrading the spades-and the female bullets actually;
https://ipatools.com/product/8048-hd-fleet-technician-electrical-maintenance-set/
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I’m going to be 105 when I finish getting the electrics working on my Europa, aren’t I? ( I’m only 66 so far :))
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I’m going to be 105 when I finish getting the electrics working on my Europa, aren’t I? ( I’m only 66 so far :))
Kendo, 😂
If the harness is in the car , you’ll be a limber 105 year old thought.🤣
Dakazman
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Dielectric is for spark plug boots. There's conductive electrical grease. On aluminum or lithium batteries for solar, many use this. It can be found in mini squeeze tubes for less.
https://www.sanchem.com/electrical-contact-lubricant.html
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254564168241?_skw=NO-OX-ID&itmmeta=01JPN40ZZKREQTCQWQZ3CZ7MB8&hash=item3b4534f231:g:MvgAAOSwI49ejcF3&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAAwFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1cMGpwmtLCtYbQvhnBXNAY6x3mWhWLto9CjwoLo%2Fa7ivzRGB%2Fp4H5e%2BRc09%2FUgXkQfw1bKDGdgCTqd66gElmHf0jQr9NrNJyIOSAS6SvSWcN6chgXK%2B08RDPpmTdrDAG4lHbARiZf2KP3BLaS2I99HcKVKiXHuKCGYmibVENb3YsmSGE3zcJMAn%2FHUp%2FivrOnjlrElB4XGowuwdBHDh4dqAfCZDIBVdS5dOpwk1%2FDbc4Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4SAhKS1ZQ
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I have used the following for more years than I care to think about, both the -A and -E formulations in high-voltage and high-power RF situations. This is for the -A formulation (which is aluminum/copper) and the -E (which is copper-copper). Conductive, both are Zinc-based, so they act as a sacrificial layer along with the lubricant base. TBH, I believe the lucas connectors are zinc plated...so you could probably get away with the -A and not even worry...what I used on 693R after reterminating all the ends with fresh connectors before I put it back in the shell, and except for a couple funky grounds, never had an electrical issue in the 15 years it was in my garage. YMMV. But this is pro level stuff, so priced accordingly, but you get what you pay for.
https://www.amazon.com/Burndy-P8A-Oxide-Inhibiting-Compounds-Container/dp/B008KLX2RY
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X2 for Burndy,
Brian has suggested it many times and I tried it and like it.
Dman
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Bryan, just spoke with one of Brundy's technical advisors...whew...hard to find good help these days. Anyway, after prodding him for advice we finally determined that the basic A version is bad for plastic connector sheathing so A13 is preferable. Or so he tells me. Anyway I found an 8oz bottle of A13 on Zoro for $21 with $5 shipping so I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.
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Bryan, just spoke with one of Brundy's technical advisors...whew...hard to find good help these days. Anyway, after prodding him for advice we finally determined that the basic A version is bad for plastic connector sheathing so A13 is preferable. Or so he tells me. Anyway I found an 8oz bottle of A13 on Zoro for $21 with $5 shipping so I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.
Good info, thanks for passing on!