> From jody.p.levine@hydro.on.ca Mon Feb 21 11:32:01 1994
>
> >From: drabik@solaris.gatech.edu (Timothy J. Drabik)
> >Kirby Palm writes to the Jag. lovers:
> >> note that the Brits can't even make the wire itself last.
> >
> >When I stripped the wires, I found they were coated with a hard, black oxide
> >that resisted fluxing extremely effectively. I wound up SANDING EACH STRAND
> >to expose bright copper so I could solder the damn things together.
> >
>
> First time I ever saw this was on an '82 Mitsubishi. In 89 its connectors
> were so corroded that if you looked at them funny they'd fall apart. I spent
> many a winter evening traking down solid green lumps at the ends stiff
> wires. I couldn't even cut back to where it wasn't corroded; the strands
> were oxidized as much as six inches back from the connector!
This is also fairly common on older Volvos (eg, more than 5 years old),
particularly in the engine compartment. Most of the passenger compartment
wires tend to be ok, but they also don't get drenched the way wires on
the floor of an open car would be.
If it makes y'all feel any better, my wife works for a (to be nameless)
auto supplier that, among other things, makes wiring harnesses. The
connectors are always the least reliable part of the system (connectors
failing, wire breaking, etc, etc). The design life on these things
is probably around 10 years (yes, they do have a design life). Think
about that the next time you want to complain about a 20 year old harness
failing.
By the way, I was under the impression that they purposely coated the
wires with black oxide so you wouldn't have a short when the insulation
frayed :-)
--
Paul Amaranth Manager User Services - office: (313) 370 4541 (also voicemail)
(internet) amaranth@vela.acs.oakland.edu |'70 E-type (body in progress)
(bitnet) amaranth@oakland |'73 Stag (blown engine)
(uucp) ...!uunet!umich!vela!amaranth |'80 TR8 (vroom!)
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