paging the scotchlokisti

You don't want to use Vaseline, you know. It rots the insulation to
your wires.

 

I bodge to a very high standard, I'll have you know. Loz used to
squirm, watching me Scotch towhitch wiring into the backs of cars.
Every wire joint, in and out of the compulsory indicator beeper
(annoying, but still a fucksight easier than running a wire the length
of the car and in through a modern dashboard to a tell-tale light)
there's a little nest of the nasty little blue fuckers in a rear corner
of every car I've owned and quite a few more besides.

They work well enough and they're quick and easy - and it's easy to
fault-find if anything does go wrong: a jiggle of the bunch of wires
usually makes contact, then a tug on the connector in question confirms.
Unsnap and resnap, job's a good 'un. Much more straightforward than
dicking around with a soldering iron and shrinkwrap in a space too small
to get both hands in at the same time.

I do solder critical joints and I might even 'wrap em if they're exposed
- so I know all about the difficulties with spotting a dry joint or one
that's fatigued back into two separate wires.

 

Interesting, I thought they should be but my supplied from new
towhitch gives no additional indication when a trailer is attached.

 

KY jelly then?

 

A lot of 'professionals' seem to use them for towbar electrics. I was
horrified to find such a nest on my CRV when I was having a problem with
the trailer lights. That, however, turned out to be the box of
electronic tricks needing re-setting because the battery had gone flat.
The dealer showed me the big line blade fuse under the bonnet that had
to be removed and replaced to achieve this. I wish he had shown me when
I took delivery of the car.

Then there was the Skoda, where the trailer lighting would fail if the
supply to the 'brain' for the canbus connections was lost. This ran off
the same fuse as the 12v auxiliary socket in the back (hooked into the
wiring for that presumably). That took a bit of diagnosing.

The mille outfit had them supplying the juice to the sidecar lighting.
They survived reasonably well in a compartment in the tail unit of the
bike under the seat. Though they did need a j-j-jiggle and/or a nip from
the pliers a couple of times.

--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, boots

It should. Take it back.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

I had no intention to impunge your bodging skills. I simply find it
amusing that techniques that I've used for years, and lasted well for
years are 'bodges'

Loz used to

Agreed to all, but it's the *first* place to look IYSWIM.


--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 145 2.0 Cloverleaf 156 V6 2.5 S2
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Agrilube is the same stuff and a lot cheaper. No idea if it's any good
for waterproofing joints.

 

AFAIK It's water soluble, so seems unlikely.

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 145 2.0 Cloverleaf 156 V6 2.5 S2
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Jesus. I thought *my* car was slow.

 

That would tend to make sod all use as a waterproofing chemical.

 

I agree with all of that and over a period of nearly forty years I've
never had a problem with a Scotchlok I've put on. Had plenty of trouble
with ones that others have installed, mind.
Difference is, on every Scotchlok I install I make sure the lok is
properly fitted and sized and then soak it with silicone spray, and if
underbonnet or on a bike, seal it with Vaseline or silicone sealer.

Bodge? I don't think so.

 

Whooooooosh!

 

I reckon there's just the same stress point at the site of a crimp. I
concede that solder wicking up the cable might reduce it's
flexibility ... or add to its strength ..

Paul.

 

ITYF that's BrownZ.

 

"Derek Turner" < wrote in...
PJ/vaseline should be fine on PVC / Polyolefin (heatshrink) sleeving, only a
problem with Real Rubber - silicone grease works ok too, but should be kept
away from any moving contacts, as arcing creates little grains of silica
(i.e. sand) which will Completely Knob switches etc.

Silicone lubes should be kept away from silicone jelly-feel / realskin
"toys" too, as they degrade the silicone gels (DAMHIK) - use KY for these,
and only these.

Heard of Y2K-Y jelly? lets you fit 4 digits where formerly only 2 would
go... (old Geek humour)

Dave H.

 

ook. Sorry for the feral '. What was my pinkie finger thinking ..

P.

 

Has to be on the edges otherwise they crumple up.