Bill Williams' relay wiring instructions are now on-line...

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://www.dagsites.com/relay_wiring.htm

There's also a PDF version if you want to download the instructions.

I'm redesigning my site, so please excuse the confusing navigation..

Dan

[Guest Anonymous]

Dont want to re-invent the whell, but as my job is to build/invent electronic gismos for automotive application, my actual experience claims that the more crimp connectors you add to your circuit, the more problems you can have. There is ALWAYS a power loss into an unsoldered connection, the power loss build up heat and then starts to destroy the connector or wire insulator, no matter how good you think you have crimped it. Far more if there is a lot of curent feed into the connection. When doing a connection with connectors like on the picture, you have 3 power loss locations: where the wires are crimped (2) and the connection itself. Even if it is minimal, over the time the wire get loose into the connector because of thermal cycling and then starts the problems. Think at our stock 02 wiring: it always fails where there is a stupid crimp connector.

I would like to show you pictures of claims from customers that theirs cars catched on fire, because of an improper remote starter installation, as an example.

So my conclusion is: crimp connectors works ok, soldered wires works flawlessly.

Pat Allen

[Guest Anonymous]

have always prefered soldered joints - now i have a reason!

bob

[Guest Anonymous]

that is interesting. to paraphrase the motec efi installation manual - don't solder unless for last resort. If you solder, the solder joint must be supported to avoid flexing and excessive vibration.

Their philosophy is soldering makes a stress point that will cause failure while a high quality crimp connection is not nearlly as prone to this.

[Guest Anonymous]

CONNECTIONS. (Second: power supplies.) The arguments for crimping and soldering are both correct. Crimping provides mechanical strength; soldering provides good conductivity. Hand-crimped connections are generally weak, because they are done with cheap hand tools that don't apply enough pressure over enough area. Factory-crimped connections, as you would find in an OE harness, are much better; they are done by calibrated machines. Joints that depend on solder for mechanical strength fail quickly under vibration. For the best, most durable connections on cars: 1) crimp; 2) solder; 3) insulate with shrink-wrap tubing.

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://www.bmw2002faq.com/store/index.html

crimp the hell out of the joint, then yank the wires to see if they'll come loose. works well for me... but i try to use a continuous length of wire from point to point, if possible.

-Rob (with nightmarish custom wiring system)

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://www.bmw2002faq.com/store/index.html

jaw... this is especially important with cheaper non-soldered crimp connectors. that way, when you crimp the connector, the ends of the "tube" roll in there come around and crush the wire evenly, instead of just flattening the "tube" with the seam at one edge of the crushed assembly... i hope this makes sense. the seam-at-the-end (or edge) configuration tends to loosen up and allow the wire to slip out much more easily.

if the joint will be in the weather, i also heat shrink. soldering is fun and all, but crimping is just faster and easier.

-Rob

[Guest Anonymous]

from Waytek wiring. about 24 bucks.... my BMW Mechanic buddy has has his "favorite crimpers" for 10 years and the name, etc worn off years ago. I found them new on the Waytek site, bought some for me and will get him a new pair. They really apply a uniform and perfect crimp for your connection. I always shrink tube connections, do not solder though. The crimpers you get at any store are not good enough. You can use these up to 8 gauge. After that, you need to get into battery cable punch stuff: too thick. Good point about benefits of solder. i really should drip some into the connection, .... hmmm may try that with next round of wire updating.

[Guest Anonymous]

They are what you find in a BMW and are the only crimp-onj connectors I would use. And yes, Pat, nothing beats soldering.

[Guest Anonymous]

stress and then eventually causes the wire to break. This is especially true when there is vibration present. All aircraft use crimp connecters

john