Electrical Contact Cleaner

[M@tt 77]

For corroded or generally furred\crusted up electical pins and sockets has anyone used any of that contact cleaner stuff on them? if so any good?

something like this

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=25340

 

I'm just thinking about the various connecotrs in the engine bay that could do with cleaning up, mainly the lightling loom connectors which i always find are a bit furry.

Edited January 8, 2009 by M@tt

[Anthony 1,000]

In my experience, contact cleaner doesn't seem to work particularly well on corroded connections, which is unfortunately what causes most of the problems on 205's

[M@tt 77]

anyone recommend anything that the contacts can be dipped in to clean them up? some sort of acid perhaps?

[Stu 18]

As above Matt, especially that stupid earth point plug.

 

Much better to cut it off, crimp up the connections and bolt straight to the shell, i like most, just used the existing bolt used for the connector as the earth point.

[MrG 3]

thats spray is OK for cleaning the grime etc off connectors but as you say no good for rust. I've tried and failed many times but managed to either replace the items or clean out with a small screwdriver!

[Super Josh 4]

In my experience once a contact is corroded then you are living on borrowed time. Even if you clean off the corrosion, the plating is now missing and it will corrode again in double quick time and give random problems before it does.

 

I recently went around my engine bay and cut off and recrimped all the normal spade connectors, including the larger H4 ones for the headlights, and it has made a world of difference. Watch out for the first few centimetres of wire that can also be corroded. It's worth cutting back into the loom a little if you have enough slack.

 

 

Josh

[GLPoomobile 958]

anyone recommend anything that the contacts can be dipped in to clean them up? some sort of acid perhaps?

 

I would think pure lemon juice would work for that green limescale type of corrosion, and vinegar for the rusty corrosion. But as Josh says, always going to be better to re-crimp with new terminals.

 

Another thing which works wonders on Limescale, and so may work here, is a domestic spray product for removing limescale from toilets (can't remember the brand, but it's not Tiolet Duck). I've started using a little bit diluted to clean up our stainless steel pans, as living in a hard water area, every time we've boiled a pan of water, it's left with really bad limescale deposits on the base, that are a bastard to scrub off normally.