Dielectric grease

After reading about anne.marie's problem, I remembered reading some info (on the internet) that there might be something better than dielectric grease and that dg could cause problems. I've used it with no issues.

This article seems legit:

http://www.w8ji.com/dielectric_grease_vs_conductive_grease.htm

Can't believe I read the whole thing...

 

LOL ... here we go. You just had to start it, Rob ... this could be as bad as an oil thread.

Dielectric Grease was designed specifically for electrical connectors:

1. It seals out moisture and the non-conductive property prevents leads from shorting out via the grease and/or moisture.
2. It prevents oxidization of surfaces.

Contrary to what some people will lead you to believe - it will not increase resistance or prevent connections from being made between two surfaces that were designed to mate as it easily pushes to the side when the surfaces are slid together.

Conductive grease is a big no-no in multi-connection connectors since it will allow / promote voltage leakage between pins in the connector.

The manufacturer specifically states the purpose / use of this product: https://www.ipdusa.com/products/6706/114923-dielectric-grease

There is another product but it's name escapes my mind at the moment - I believe it's called Q30 and primarily used on circuit boards. There are a variety of conformal coating sprays as well - mainly geared toward PCBs.

For me, I've used DG for as long as I can remember and it was taught to us as the appropriate product for electrical connectors when doing my diploma in Electronics. Dielectric Grease has never let me down.

 

that's the end of a greasy situation, now we got Grease threads instead of oil threads, so much thinking over a little tube of grease perhaps a bit in the hair too.

 

Excellent article, I must admit that I was taken in by the term "dialectric", even though I have been around electronics all my life, mainly because of the construction of capacitors and their 'dialectric' film insulators. So, the ideal situation is to clean and burnish contacts to remove tarnish and corrosion (reduce resistance), then use the dialectric grease to prevent further atmospheric intrusion.

'Conductive grease' should only be used for heat sinks.

This should become part of the 'drill', this is fact, not brand names like oil, should generate too much discussion.

 

Now you brought up a interesting question, is all Grease the same- I don't see how, each company uses different formulas in grease making. Who has the Best and worst grease?

 

Well, if you get nothing else outta the ariticle, here is the one thing to remember from it.

So using the dielectric grease (which is non-conductive) in the connectors IS a good thing.

 

Yes. Correct.

I was expecting far more opinions against using dielectric grease in connectors. I'm pleasantly surprised at the responses.

And for the record, it's standard issue for me to add dielectric grease to any connector that I pull apart that doesn't have it already. It's just good practice and an ounce of prevention that can go a long way on these bikes.

 

SOW read the entire article, your questions shall be answered.

 

I have started using DG only in the past few years. Started on RV and truck batteries just to stop that ugly crusty shit that forms. Any electrical connection I have since made on the bike I've used it, with all the riding in stormy weather I have done. Has it made a difference on the batteries? Absolutely. Has it made a difference on the bike. No opinion on that. But it certainly jas jot hirt. Its cheap. Its easy to apply. It puts my mind at rest. Nothing else matters. Now. Rob and Jeff. You guys get along.

 

LOL .. what?? I like Rob!

 

I bought a big tube at napa for $5 should last a few years. Perhaps if she used some on that trip before hand it would have saved a lot of trouble on the road.

 

Anything that slows/prevents corrosion in connectors sounds like a great idea to me. Based on recent personal experience getting my ST1100 back on the road, you can waste a lot of time looking for non-existent carburation issues when the problem was actually a dirty connector that affected the ability to generate reliable sparks. I now consider myself a dielectric grease convert.

 

Take this for what you will:



As written by Wayne Orwig, MGNOC Georgia State Rep.

Using Dielectric Grease on connectors.

A lot of people use dielectric grease on connectors. Some people mistakenly believe that dieletric grease is a conductor. In fact, it is just the opposite; it is an insulator. Dielectric grease is typically made of silicone grease.

As an insulator, dielectric grease is good for use on spark plug boots. This was one of the original applications on vehicles when the high-energy ignition systems came out. It can help insulate the connector and, in particular on a motorcycle where it can get wet, it waterproofs the spark plug boot. And, because it is silicone, it is fairly stable at high temperatures and won't affect the rubber and plastics.

So why would you put an insulator on a connector? The idea is that you use a thin layer. When you push the connector together the grease is pushed out of the way enough to get a connection and the surrounding grease then keeps out water and oxygen. The connector will be protected from the environment and less likely to corrode. Plus, the silicone is safe for the plastics and PVC insulation.

That sounds good, so far; so why not smear it on everything? Well there are a number of good reasons.

First, silicone grease outgases constantly. If the silicone gas gets near a connector or a contact, such as a relay, and there is a spark, the spark at the contact can create silicon dioxide. Some people even suggest that the silicone gas from dielectric grease can travel many feet through the unsulation on a wire and damage a contact on the other end. Omron states that even their sealed switches can be damaged by nearby silicone grease outgassing. Reference the following links for more info:

http://www.omron.com/ecb/products/pdf/en-d2vw.pdf

http://machinedesign.com/article/lubricating-electrical-switches-1025

Second, it is an insulator. It can prevent contacts from touching. If you do use it, use a very thin layer.

Third, if you have a corroded connection, silicone grease will not help. In fact, it may make it worse. It can never improve anything. Dielectric grease will never make a poor connection better.

Fourth, it attracts dust and dirt and it hardens over time. This means that if you smear a lot of silicone grease on connectors you may see nearby relays, switches, or points fail later on. Since silicone grease does nothing at all to improve the connection and, in fact, may insulate the contacts in the connector increasing the resistance the connector may still fail.

So what do you do? Look for a contact enhancer/lube. While most contact cleaners are simple solvents that just wash the connector off there are contact enhancers that deoxidize the contact surface and actually work to lower the contact resistance (make a better connection). Most contact enhancers leave a lubricant behind that protects the metal and continue to deoxidize the metal and improve the connection. They can work to lower the resistance and make a better contact as time goes by. The best you can hope for from dielectric grease is that it seals it enough to not get worse. I have used Caig Deoxit on my bikes for a few years now. I first found out about this on my job when I had to correct an issue in a connector system that could not tolerate even 5 thousandths of an ohm of resistance drift. We had a connector in the field that had been improperly plated and was starting to drift, mostly in warm humid areas like Florida. Our testing showed that the Caig Deoxit could be a good long-term fix. We ended up using the Deoxit to stabilize the bad units until we could get corrected wiring harnesses built with the correct connectors. We also put a layer of Deoxit on the new parts to protect and keep them clean over their lifetime. This solved the drift issue that we had.

I still use a small amount of silicone grease on my spark plug caps. It helps to waterproof them and makes it easier to pull the cap off, but I use it in very small amounts and never near a relay or switch.

 

I see Amazon has Caig Deoxit, what form do you use? Spray, or tube?

 

I don't know what this guys education is - but I'd love to have a discussion with him to find where his facts are coming from. I fully disagree with several of his points ... the one point I fully agree on is that dielectric grease will only make things worse on an already oxidized connection. It must be cleaned first then the grease applied.

MGNOC = Moto Guzzi National Owners Club for those who don't know.

 

I personally use any good contact cleaner and a smidgen of Ox-Gard (use common sense) upon reassemble. I have read others who use deoxit to clean followed by an application of Stabilant 22. I have worked around silicone grease in the marine environment where gobs of that crap is used to shield connectors(necessary). Stuff is a PITA to clean away when it starts collecting salt and other debris, so I'm in no hurry to start filling up my bike's wiring harness with the stuff.

Edit: I'm aware it's from a Moto Guzzi forum, however if you read down you'll see his mention of on the job use and trouble shooting. I'm assuming he's not a plumber.

 

This is from wikipedia regarding silicone grease. (again, who added it?)

"It is not recommended to be applied to the actual electrical conductive contacts of the connector because it could interfere with the electrical signals passing through the connector in cases where the contact pressure is very low. Products designed as electronic connector lubricants, on the other hand, should be applied to such connector contacts and can dramatically extend their useful life. Polyphenyl Ether, rather than silicone grease, is the active ingredient in some such connector lubricants."

 

Wikipedia ... where anyone can make an edit to page (as you noted)

At least 50% of the stuff you find and read on the internet is garbage ... even if you find it on Wikipedia.

 

yeah, but again that article OP linked to is a guy's personal site... so touché

 

Just because it links back to your personal site, doesn't mean its right.

What do I know though?