check your connections!

[Reg]

Hi all.

My car has had troubles starting on and off for the past while and would just like to say thanks to the posters on this board for helping me out.

After a search, I read some posts and articles etc. and decided to check the connections. I first disconnected the grounds on both batteries and sure enough, the main wire from the battery was corroded at the starter.

I sanded them off with some emery paper and reconnected them and the batteries. Sure enough, away it went!! The starter actually turns over faster now and the car seems to start easier when hot. I cannot believe the difference.

Being not very mechanical , I am very pleased that I saved myself the $$ likely spent had I towed the car to the shop.

Thanks everyone!

[Jim Sims]

Coat the connections with dielectric silicone grease after cleaning them up but before attaching them and they'll stay uncorroded and retain good electrical conductivity even longer. Cheers, Jim

[kepperly]

For those that like to do something only once, I recommend
getting a new trans to body strap and sealing it in shrink
tube and then put contact paste on the bare ends. don't forget
to clean the brass base of the studs that the strap mounts to
on the body.

Keith

[Jdub]

I so well remember trying to crank up a TR6 one sunny day and spending the next four hours trying to figure out why it wouldn't turn over.

The cables looked fine, the connections good. The cable itself, under the sheathing, was corroded but not in a way that was obvious.

Cables are disposable items. If it comes to it, just buy new ones.

John

[JK-81SC]

Nice Fix!

Question for Jim.

I've heard of using dielectric grease on connections before, but it seems like it would reduce the conductivity of the connection. A dielectric is an insulator. Can you explain why dielectric grease is a good thing for electrical connections? Thanks if you read this Jim.

Jeff

[Jim Sims]

The metal in normal electrical contacts quickly becomes coated with an oxide film when exposed to the oxygen in our atmosphere. When a connection is made, the oxide film is broken by a crushing or wiping action at only a few patches, points or lines. The electrical current flows at these locations. A silicone grease (not silicone rubber or RTV) coating on the contact surfaces keeps the freshly crushed or wiped locations from reoxidizng by keeping the air, water and weather out. The grease doesn't reduce conductivity as it is wiped or pushed out of the way at the contact locations. In addition, the grease repels water and prevents shorts between adjacent contacts or pins in multiple contact connectors; since the grease is a good dielectric no current passes through the grease itself. Silicone grease is used because of it's chemical inertness and large operating temperature range. Do not use silicone greases or other compounds where they will get on and in an oxygen sensor or catalytic converter as the silicones will poison or damage these components. NAPA sells a silicone grease called Sil-Glyde? It works both as a dielectric grease and a high temperature brake parts grease. Cheers, Jim

[Wil Ferch]

Hmm...
So putting silicone dielectric grease on the inside posts of my new distributor rotor is:
- bad?
-good?

Seems to run fine, and I thought it would repel water better and keep the contacts looking newer longer ( more functional). Right or wrong?

---Wil Ferch

[Jim Sims]

Some new cars come with the spark plug cable boots packed with dielectric grease; I put silicone grease in the contact holes on the outside of my distributor cap and inside my spark plug cable boots. Jim

[kepperly]

Diaelectric means against electrical flow. Do any of you remember when because of cost houses were wired with aluminum wire?
years later that was found to be a no-no. the fix was to get a compound called nolox, which can be purchased from any electrical distributor while you are there to upgrade your t-12 flourescent garage lighting to the current t-8 standard. the stuff is like black mud but USE it to protect ANY electrical connection. It
works great on battery terminals etc, etc,.

Keith

[kepperly]

PS,
The diaelectric greas that come with your new spark pluf wires is NOT for the terminals, it is for the boots so you can get them off again and not have arching to the surrounding grounds. Put
nolox on the spark plug terminal and the silicon diaeletreic grease
on the porcelen to add in future removal.

Keith- 87 turbo look slant nose cabriolet carrera

[john70t]

I used vasoline on the grounds, terminals and cable ends (plastic and metal) and a light smear of the di-electric inside the boot ends and on the distributor cap button. Any difference?

[Jim Sims]

Petroleum based grease will attack and deteriorate rubber; I seem to recall that Vaseline has a petroleum derived base. I would only recommend using silicone grease for this type of service if the grease is used in contact with plastic and rubber. Jim

[ohecht]

Regarding the transmission ground strap, how do you get at the transmission end of the strap? I have had one to install for months, but it looks like I will have to drop the cross member, which I am hesitant to do for that reason.

Is that the only way to replace it, or is my current one just installed in an odd way?

Thanks,

Olivier

[Jim Sims]

I seem to recall it attaches to the 2nd stud down from the top on the passenger side of the front transmission cover. One should be able to access it by reaching over the transmission support. If not, support the transmision with a jack and blocks and remove the front tranmission support for easier access. Be prepared to do some cleaning. Cheers, Jim

[Wil Ferch]

Clarification...I was asking about the suitability of putting silicone dielectric grease on the *inside* terminals of the distributor cap. As I said, car runs fine, but is this good ??

---Wil Ferch