off topic: electrical connector problem

[dhagood]

there is no porsche content in this post other than the color of my son's subaru forester is pretty close to my 84 targa:



the forester has a problem with the ground for the light switch where the ground wire goes through a connector just under the steering column. the connection "chatters", by which i mean you can sometimes hear the illumination relay contacts click open and close again very quickly. both halves of the connector show some scorching around the pin/socket for the ground wire, which tells me it has gotten very hot on occasion. the scorch marks are identical between the connector halves, which tells me that the problem is between the pin and the pin socket. is this a valid statement?

when this failure occurs, which happens frequently, the lights don't work. i can reliably turn the lights on and off by moving the connector around.

i know what the problem is and where it occurs, but i don't really know of a way to fix it other than replacing both halves of the connector, which i really don't want to do.

i've thought about using silver conductive paste to ensure that the pin always makes contact with the pin socket. does anybody have a better idea?

thanks for your help in advance.

[Porboynz]

Cut the wires from the plug and join them together with a solder joint or other joiner, it's a Subaru, it will not mind and it will fix it.

[bazar01]

If it's a male and female connector, I usually just crimp the female to close it up a little bit and crush the male pin a little to expand it. Then I use dielectric grease, and it it works all the time. If it does not work, you don't have any choice but to replace both male and female connectors.

[hcoles]

how many circuits are there in the connector?
you could cut out the existing connector and replace with another but it might be problematic if you don't have the correct crimping tool. A nearby Pelican may have extra connector parts and the needed tool. This assumes you have the wire length needed. E.g. Metri-Pack - check for the maximum current per circuit.
The grease is a good idea to keep corrosion down.. but a good connector shouldn't need it.

[HawgRyder]

Stabline 22 is a fluid that helps conductivity.
It ain't cheap!!
But...it is used on military equipment that absolutley needs to work.
Paint or spray on the fluid...make and break the connection several times...and that's it.
Bob