To spray or not to spray, 7 pin connector

**Keebler** · 08-05-2019, 11:04 AM

There are a number of WD 40 "Specialist" products. This includes an Electrical Contact Cleaner: https://www.amazon.com/WD-40-Special...s%2C455&sr=8-3

There are also other specialty products, including a dry lube that resists dirt.

**tubastew** · 08-10-2019, 03:42 PM

Do you have a major voltage fall off?
Do your brakes and lights work properly?
Do you see any lights flickering while driving?
Do you see any white or green corrosion on your plug?
Do you get any error messages from your brake controller?
If none of the above are true, why fix something that’s not broken.

**Saldog** · 08-10-2019, 04:01 PM

As Gene addressed earlier, contact cleaner and dielectric grease are what you want to use. Dielectric grease reduces oxidation, displaces moisture and is electrically conductive. Products like WD40 are better suited to loosen corroded fasteners.

**Jerryr** · 08-10-2019, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by tubastew

Do you have a major voltage fall off?
Do your brakes and lights work properly?
Do you see any lights flickering while driving?
Do you see any white or green corrosion on your plug?
Do you get any error messages from your brake controller?
If none of the above are true, why fix something that’s not broken.

PREVENTION. A quick shot of something like Corrosion-X will PREVENT any corrosion, maintain good electrical connection and reliability. Corrosion-X will not attract dirt or dust. I’ve been using it for years on aircraft in coastal Florida. Why wait until there’s a problem?

**bear** · 08-10-2019, 04:13 PM

WD-40 is really more of a cleaner than a lubricant from what i understand. Just a very small amount of dielectric goes a long ways.

**tubastew** · 08-10-2019, 04:17 PM

By all means, do all the preventative maintenance you need to to. However, sometimes a good visual inspection can save both time and money.

**Siuslaw7** · 08-10-2019, 04:25 PM

Dielectric is not conductive. It does seal out moisture and oxygen.

**cygnussailor** · 08-10-2019, 04:49 PM

I was going to say the same thing, but ToppDogg beat me to it!!!

**stikman51** · 08-10-2019, 06:16 PM

I use a noncoductive die-electric grease never had any problems with it, may collect some dirt but over all best way to protect the conections.

**Devin4242** · 08-10-2019, 06:24 PM

I'm not sure i cotton to the WD-40 solution for contact maintenance - I keep a can of electrical contact cleaner in the toolbox in addition to the ubiquitous WD-40 can. That said, I've only had consistent results pulling out my pocket knife and scuffing the contacts gently until I see clean metal, paying particular attention to the semi-circular center contact. THEN I'll hit it with the contact cleaner to remove any tiny filings. That's the only method I've found to avoid the "in truck" error that my trailer connection has disconnected. It's kind of a pain in the neck and requires some measured patience, but it works. I don't know, or I should say I have not been introduced to, and spray on Chem that will truly clean the connectors. Echo the comment about keeping the 7 point "points down" when not in use so no moisture can accumulate.