You create your own problem


You create your own problem

These are the worst electrical connects I know of ! This is my opinion, but let me explain.
A customer rolls in with a 2004 Mustang and tells me the battery goes dead once in a while. So I did the normal load test on the battery and it came up weak. Upon further testing of the alternator, we found out the voltage would drop below 12 volts and then shoot up to 14.6 volts. The regulator inside the alternator was going bad.
We replaced the battery, alternator, and belt. A few days later ; ( to my dismay ) the battery was dead again. I began asking questions like; when did this begin, is it getting worse, what did you do to the car before this happened, Come to find out the radio was a recent installation by a professional. Start tearing the radio out and check all the wiring ! They did a great job hiding the damn wires by the way !
As you can see the wiring leading out the far edge melted due to poor connection. It took 3 attempts at removing panels and radio to find this shorty. And stars in my head when I smashed my skull into the steering column. That forced me to stop and refocus. Low and behold the wire was fused to a small metal tab on the fire wall inside the dash. All other connections were soldered and heat shrink applied. This one was to short to get to so….they used the cheapest and easiest connector in the world today !
It is designed to pinch and bite into wire via a metal tab you squeeze down on to close the clip over top. This sometimes cuts a wire completely in half. In this case they clamped onto a wire that was not heavy enough for the load. The insulation melted away ( which could have been a potential fire ) and certain bumps would cause it to touch the small tab and short out.
Always use the right part for the job at hand and feel free to ask our advice.

Thanks,
Troy

Leave a comment