Central locking problems

[StarCruiser]

Result Clive
And pretty much as I suspected (apart from the coil of excess wire that is). Glad it's sorted.

 

[clivehorridge]

Result Clive
And pretty much as I suspected (apart from the coil of excess wire that is). Glad it's sorted.

Yep, you were all pretty much on the mark

Strange that the fitter made such a good job of the connections at the switch, yet the wires were just twisted together at the 'A' pillar.

Either he had a coffee break and a scrote finished the install, or it's been tampered with since, I'll never know.

Cheers Rich

 

[frank rabbets]

Glad you sorted it Clive. Not often one mends an alarm!!

I'm with TP on soldering, greasing and shrink wrapping. Those crimped joints may be OK on a production line but you need the exact diameter wire and the right tool.

 

[flint]

+1 The shrink wrap gives good support too.

 

[Gary820]

We don't solder at work any more, it's all crimp connections then heat shrink, there's only a couple of wiring connections I've done on the 80 that are soldered. I like the crimps tbh, quick and reliable but like Frank says only really work if have the right size and correct tool.

 

[StarCruiser]

Same here, a well made soldered wire splice is as good or better than a crimp. PROVIDED it is supported and not part of something subject to bending or a lot of vibration, which goes for any joint really.
I've not greased before but I know much of the BT cables were/are gel filled. Gel being Vaseline or similar to keep out the moisture, so I can see it has real benefit.
Externally for me, the best thing is adhesive lined heat shrink. You can pinch it together between wires on a Y or H joint and see the adhesive ooze out. I've done fully submerged mains voltage joints using that method in very harsh moving water environments without problems.

 

[Gary820]

Soldering became a non approved repair for us, not all soldered joints are equal kinda thing. Crimping is more likely to be the same connection every time (done properly). Tbh when fitting new wiring loom sections and you've got 30 plus wires to splice in they're brilliant.

Yeah the adhesive heat shrink is good, got some small rubber like tubes that smell nice when heat them up lol.

 

[Towpack]

Same here, a well made soldered wire splice is as good or better than a crimp. PROVIDED it is supported and not part of something subject to bending or a lot of vibration, which goes for any joint really.
I've not greased before but I know much of the BT cables were/are gel filled. Gel being Vaseline or similar to keep out the moisture, so I can see it has real benefit.
Externally for me, the best thing is adhesive lined heat shrink. You can pinch it together between wires on a Y or H joint and see the adhesive ooze out. I've done fully submerged mains voltage joints using that method in very harsh moving water environments without problems.

Telecoms cables are grease filled to prevent water being drawn down the cable by capillary action should a cable joint leak. They are also connected almost universally with small dielectric filled scotchlok or 'IDC' connectors with excellent reliability/durability. The big difference here is the connectors are are made for specific conductor sizes and the conductors are solid, not braided as in vehicle looms. They are also subject to far less vibration than in vehicle use.

Going back to the soldering debate, if the surface of the conductor is even slightly oxidised the solder may not run correctly even though it appears good leaving the joint susceptible to vibration failure. A dab of non corrosive flux (not plumbing flux!) usually works. I then smear the bare joint with some dielectric grease and shrink down the sleeving so it oozes out. This is obviously more of a faff and time consuming than a rapid crimp type joint which does everything, minus the soldering, in one operation. But worth it IMO

 

[clivehorridge]

I think it's horses for courses, but crimps are probably the best compromise for DIY purposes, with the right tools.

I bought a crimp "set" and it seems pretty good. The "pliers" tool has various colour coded crimping jaw locations which stop you over crimping (cutting wire strands) and you can get a "feel" to it, that the wire is secure.

It also has a cut/strip feature which works surprisingly well. It came with various sizes of earth / terminal loops, spades and bullet connectors.

As I said, IMO adequate for a reasonably tidy DIY job, which together with shrink wrap sleeves (not included!) give you a safe and tidy connection.

 

[Gary820]

These are like the type we use....

Same crimp end for putting plug connector pins in etc too.
Have various sizes and a couple of different tools for them too

 

[frank rabbets]

A braided wire can bend many times before snapping. That's why they were called flexes but I think that word is dying out. The more coily the braid the more resistant, like a slinky. The trouble with solder is if it creeps up the braid it turns it in to a solid wire which can snap if bent a few times and in fact I've had that happen to me.

 

[StarCruiser]

The crimps that Gary has shown are probably the best possible solution as they both connect and restrain/support the conductor. Ideal under the conditions.

 

[Shayne]

I generally use them crimp clips so I can test undo reroute wiring and reconnect , and if all is good solder them anyway .

 

[Gary820]

The crimps that Gary has shown are probably the best possible solution as they both connect and restrain/support the conductor. Ideal under the conditions.

It's why we use them, it's a more consistent connection, even the apprentice can use them lol.

I've got loads of different sizes and types plus pins for plug connectors, have a drawer in the tool box just for electrical repair stuff, don't bin spare ones as always come in handy when need a spurious pin for a control unit.

 

[StarCruiser]

They are good. Only with the right crumpet (OH for goodness sake…I wrote 'crimper') though. The JPT or similar connectors (Toyota ones included) which seal around each conductor are superb. If the seals are fitted correctly and remain intact I reckon you could submerge them pretty deep for days, even months and they would still be dry.