EMS Relay Problem

[Gregger]

I'm doing some electrical work myself right now and I'm "painting" every connector and terminal with some of this (in very sparing amounts) - lots of people raving about its ability to enhance and, well, stabilize electric connectors. $50 for a tiny vial is kind of highway robbery but the one vial will last pretty much forever, you don't use much.


http://www.stabilant.com/ (the web page is a refugee from the 80's...)

Figure it can't hurt and might help.

That stuff is fantastic. I work in the mining industry in mobile maintenance and we spec this stuff for new and rebuilt equipment on all connections. It works great considering the highly corrosive environment our gear runs in. It can be diluted with isopropyl alcohol so a little goes a long way.

Several testimonies to share -
1. I once had an old Remington shaver with wiper type contacts. The shaver would run erratically when turning on the switch. The switch had to be wiggled to get it to run consistently. Pulling the shaver apart and filing the contacts would help but not for long. I tried a small swipe of Stabilant to the wiper contacts and never had a problem with it again. No more filing.
2. I have had relays that showed high resistance with the contacts and pulled them apart, applied this stuff and no more problems.
3. The micro switch for the front brake on my America quit working. Not having a replacement, I gingerly pulled it apart, applied Stabilant to contacts and ran it for another 3 years till I sold the bike.

Good stuff.

 

[cr0ft]

I am thinking about spraying the EMS relay connection with WD40 because it is susceptible to getting damp. What do you think?

I don't really work with electrical stuff on an on-going basis so I won't claim any specific expertise (well, aside from tinkering with home electronics when I was younger and a year of school to become an electrician, which I switched for other things when I realized it wasn't for me), but WD40 is a penetrating oil and water displacer. However, as @DEcosse says, it will dry up and evaporate quite quickly and possibly leave a non-desirable residue behind. It's not really for electrical connectors. WD40 is really a solvent or rust dissolver (and water displacer, for a brief time) more than anything else, the temporary lubrication is more of a side effect. Should also never be used on o-ring chains for that reason, in my opinion.

Dielectric grease won't do much for increased connectivity, but it should limit corrosion and moisture access, which is probably why it's used a lot.

$50 is a lot for a little bit of fluid, but it does last a very long time because you use very little of it. And it's useful anywhere where electricity is used from what I gather.

 

[dobro]

wd40 will be gone the next day (or sooner!)

To keep the elements out of the socket, use dielectric grease.
You can pick that up at just about any auto-parts store.
Unplug the socket from its rubber boot, invert it and squeeze the grease into each of the terminal cavities

DEcosse, won't dielectric grease reduce the conductivity if used on the connection? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what "terminal cavities" are.

 

[Jag]

DEcosse, won't dielectric grease reduce the conductivity if used on the connection? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what "terminal cavities" are.

 

[dobro]

I'm confident there are lots of other guys here who, like me, are unsure about the best way to use dielectric grease. I'm still unsure about it but 30 minutes of reading leads me to believe that it is not good if it is actually inside the metal on metal connection because it is not conductive. It can be put in the connection if the fit is so tight that it will be forced back out when the connection is made. That's good because the grease then fully seals the edges of the connection but does not interfere with the connection. If the metal on metal connection is not that tight it should not be put inside of it but only on the outside of the connection. Experts, please set me straight.

 

[Gregger]

And it's useful anywhere where electricity is used from what I gather.

The stuff really helps those low voltage circuits such as USB power outlets that could act up if they see moisture. I've used it on circuit boards and ram dimms in my computers. I purchased a 15ml bottle in 1996 and I still have over 1/2 left. Eventually I'll thin the stuff with alcohol.

Some interesting info about the stuff for the techys;

One point is of critical importance: Stabilant 22 is not “just another contact cleaner.” It is an initially non-conductive long-chain organic block polymer that switches to a conductive state only when used in a thin film within the interstices of a contact pair. It remains non-conductive on the insulating surface between adjacent contacts. Thus, by remaining resident within the contacts, it improves connector reliability within a contact set without causing signal leakage problems between adjacent contacts.

Its advantage lies not in making new contacts better, but in keeping contacts operating as if they were new, while making old contacts function perfectly despite the ravages of time and adverse environments. In simple terms, Stabilant 22 provides the reliability of a soldered joint without producing a mechanical bond. It also exhibits excellent lubricating properties, but does not creep; it is exceptionally stable, and has a very low vapor pressure. Its continued regular use will enhance contact reliability for many years.

 

[cr0ft]

Yeah, that's what I understood as well, Stabilant acts as an insulator except if there is a current flow when it flips and becomes a conductor. Some materials magic if true (and hard to doubt it with so many claiming it is the bees knees and has reduced maintenance requirements and increased reliability).

As for dielectric grease - yes, dielectric means it doesn't conduct electricity. It is useful to seal against outside moisture, but you do need a tight connection between the connector surfaces, if there are gaps or a loose connection getting non-conductive grease into the connector doesn't strike me as the best plan.

Which is why I grimaced and forked over 50 bucks for a small vial of Stabilant instead, it does what the dielectric grease does for corrosion etc, but also helps ensure the connection is optimal.

 

[dobro]

There was dielectric grease all over the prongs of the plug and some corrosion. There must be dielectric grease inside the socket, too. I had to use 1000 grit sandpaper to remove the corrosion then I sprayed them with CRC QD contact cleaner and sealed the outside of the plug/socket joint with electrical tape. I wish I had some Stabilant or even Deoxit but it's not available here. The main thing I learned from this is when you turn the key and it's dead include the EMS relay among the usual suspects.