I keep seeing DEG as a 'cure-all" suggested in posts by well-meaning Riders.

a couple of things-

DEG is non conductive. It is an insulator, so should a thin film get between connecting pins- is insulates the connection.
This can be a problem with milli-volt ECM sensor input errors.

DEG can TRAP moisture in a connector especially is areas that experience heat/cold cycles. Condensation can form, and not be able to evaporate out. This moisture can cause corrosion in the connection, or misfires in high voltage systems*

DEG - or any oily substance ( WD40) can trap and hold dirt. A dirt film can hold moisture....the problem re-occurs and gets worse

WD40 has many uses- an electrical cleaner is not one of them


DEG is best in an application where a rubber boot is used to make a connection...signal lights, headlight boot, sparkplugs wire boots- this keeps the rubber pliable and from bonding.


DEG can be too much of a good thing.



MOST electronic faults are poor connections- often the fix is in the connecting of a new part, rather than the new part itself- the old part is blamed and tossed when it was a bad connection to blame.

Most shops don't care, they charge you for the new part, and charge you for the labor to "fix" your problem.


A good connector cleaning strategy is to keep it clean, keep it dry.

Physically cleaning pins is good- sandpaper is too coarse, a rubber eraser may leave a film ( the "softeners" added to the compound).
I use a nic sand fiberglass pen- Radio Shack sells similar.

Contact cleaners are great but READ the label- some eat plastic- or may discolor paints. ( over spray).

I like DeOxit/ Cramolin R5- and I usually spray a little onto a q-tip and get it where I need it.
If I have to spray, most cans have low med high flow settings, and be careful where the excess goes- wrap a rag around to catch it.

and don't power wash the darn electronics.


Mike
( Guiding Electrons Professionally for over 35 years)



* remember how many cars wouldn't start in the rain/ damp ? this was usually due to moisture inside the distributor cap...Chevys avoided this problem because GM's had a door in the distributor to adjust the dwell- moisture could evaporate rather than be trapped. The fix on other models was to drill holes in the cap, rather than wipe it out with a paper towel each time

 

So we need to add DEG to the list of beer, whiskey, and women as too much of a good thing?

 

so are you saying I shouldn't put dielectric grease on my speaker terminals right after I thoroughly clean them with electronics cleaner?

 

Well serious I am trying to make up my mind. We maintain some prox S/W that are exposed outside the ones I fill with DEG last longer then the ones I dont. This is not a over night observation I have 14 years on the same job and it rains alot here. However they are 120v also work with 4~20mv, 24v and I know for fact clean connections before throwing parts at it.

 

I've been working in electronics for over 35 years, been at my present job just over 27, I use "DEG" quite a bit, no it's not a cure all, and you should clean the connections before it's applied. I live in Florida, plenty of rain and moisture here, I have never pulled apart a connection with DEG and seen any kind of corrosion, but I have pulled apart several without it that had to be completely redone. Use it correctly and it's some good stuff.

 

I been using it for years without any problems. As a matter of fact that's one of the first maintenance things I do is pull connectors apart and apply DEG.

 

Ditto dielectric grease is a good thing in moderation,been working in defense aviation for 30a plus years and it just amazes me the cheap connectors and over electrical product used on HD motorcycles that are exposed to all elements.For what these bikes cost they could use better quality parts,but it cuts into profits.

 

My thoughts on it...

DEG will help keep good connections good. It will not repair dirty, corroded connections.

I'm just a dumb *** that's been using it long enough to see the benefits.

 

Been bustin' wrenches for a long time and used to have a lot of certifications. I've always been of the same mind as OP and still am. The 2012 Harley Touring Owners Manual (pg. 194) recommends a film of "Electrical Contact Lubricant" on the contacts when replacing bulbs. It could be that some folks see a statement like that and think "DEG".

I would never presume to know more than experienced guys like In2It or dbell66253 or doubt what they've seen with their own eyes... just thinking out loud.

 

Dielectric grease will not fix a poor connection and the connection should be clean. The rest of the OP post is pretty much BS and that comes from 40 years of experience. When I pull a light bulb that was installed 5 years before without DEG it is pretty much guaranteed to have corrosion. If it was installed using DEG then it will not be. Never had a problem with it interfering with ecm connections (or any others if they were clean to start with) and I've used it several times when retrofitting EFI onto older cars. If there is enough of a film to keep a connection from working then the connection itself needs to be repaired. I'll continue to use it and will continue to advise others to do so if they want to prevent their connections from getting corroded.