Weather-proofing connectors

[jeremy156]

I have done some cowboy wiring on my W124 to minimise voltage drop to the headlights with a set of relays, plus illuminating the sidelights with ignition on as a basic (but "normal" looking) DRL.

I am curious as to how I might protect the wiring from corrosion. Is there a goo that I could put onto these that would protect from weather, but also be removable easily at the roadside? I deliberately made sure all my connections are in betwenn the stock plug and sockets, so I can simply rip it all away and re-connect the plug to the back of the headlamp assembly if it all goes wrong.



So... something a little more sturdy then squishing blu-tack around it all and wrapping it in PVC tape with no gaps? I keep thinking there must be a "slime" that would set but then be peel-able.... any suggestions?

 

[Blobcat]

Fix it upside down and liberally spray with silicone grease. If you tape it or cover it then all you'll do is hold the water in and let it corrode.

 

[jeremy156]

That's what I was most worried about - unless I genuinely "seal" it, then any water that gets in will have a hard time escaping - and that just makes it worse.

So silicone grease sounds a smart move, thank you.

 

[Blobcat]

That's what I was most worried about - unless I genuinely "seal" it, then any water that gets in will have a hard time escaping - and that just makes it worse.

So silicone grease sounds a smart move, thank you.

It's very difficult to fully seal unless you "pot" it then wrap in self amalgamating tape then denso tape after that. Even then I've seen that condensation held within supposedly sealed connectors. It's also a right royal PITA to get it all off when you wnat to do some work on it which is why I recommend and use silicone grease on a job like this.

 

[Tony Dyson]

That's what I was most worried about - unless I genuinely "seal" it, then any water that gets in will have a hard time escaping - and that just makes it worse.

So silicone grease sounds a smart move, thank you.

You should still be careful with any exposed metal parts as even some silicone greases can conduct some electricity, make sure it's labelled Dielectric Silicone.

 

[Blobcat]

You should still be careful with any exposed metal parts as even some silicone greases can conduct some electricity, make sure it's labelled Dielectric Silicone.

Are you sure, I've never come across a conductive silicone grease in the radio and electronics field.

Always willing to learn

 

[Tony Dyson]

Are you sure, I've never come across a conductive silicone grease in the radio and electronics field.

Always willing to learn

It's not so much the oils but the other additives mixed in with the oils that convert them into other products like aerosol sprays or some thicker greases and they would never be changed into a 'conductor' per se, the conductivity of the finished product would increase. Additionally over time these finished products absorb moisture from atmospheric pressure turning them even more conductive, a Dielectric Grease is specifically manufactured for applications that come into contact with electrical components and are the least conductive Silicone Grease commercially available. As Georg Ohm told me one day 'Electricity will always flow down the path of least resistance'

The chances are small that the actual levels of conductivity of any commercial silicone product would cause any problems with the 12vdc connectors shown in the application by the OP but nevertheless not unheard of, worth doing if only for peace of mind.

 

[Rob76]

I would use something along these lines

 

[jeremy156]

Thank you for the interesting dialogue and advice, thank you guys.

 

[Wighty]

Thank you for the interesting dialogue and advice, thank you guys.

What about using ACF50 spray , which comes from the aircraft industry and popular with motorcyclists for exposed wiring (and me )