My GOD, it's full of Crimps!...

Hello fellow inmates!
Happy to say my '05 flew through it's MOT with just an advisory on the SA80 quick release clamps....
Anyhows, I honestly have not seen these before [a bit behind the times?] but they would have saved me a bucket load of
hassle over the decades!



preview.tinyurl.com/y4rob5yg

Been around for quite a while in one form or another, the favourite of the quick connection goes by the name scotchlok.
They can be devil's own in automotive use as over time they don't perform that we'll, leading to broken or poor electrical connection.
The main issues are that it's not watertight and can corrode, It also gets mismatched to the cable size by the user. If placed and used correctly they do work, but more often they are inappropriately used leading to issues later in life.


Me, I won't touch them. I splice solder and heat shrink all my automotive T connections.

I personally do not like these, because they tend to make trouble that is then hard to find. They damage original wire and the connection is not very good and in case of corrosion any fault is hard to find.

When I was fitting alarm systems, I avoided these like the plague. Poor connection at best that quickly corroded and caused high resistance in the circuits leading to intermittent and then total failure.

Roger

SA80 quick release clamps! You've rifle racks fitted?
Yep scotlocks a useful temporary fix ...but after a while the ingress of water can cause you to meet interesting people, usually belonging to the recovery services ... Oh and a French ferry shunter driver who will drag your sorry alternator less people carrier on to the ferry at speeds not assocaiated with towing on a webbing strap!

Still believe in the old way to wire tap. That way i know a fault is not at a connection that I made or where i spliced into a wire as they will be properly soldered in. These crimps leave you stranded when you least expect it.

Sent from my SM-A505F using Tapatalk

As mentioned above these are okay, especially if you can get them to close up and click in place first time, but they are not as good as a joint.

Soldering outside is a bit hit and miss you need a really hot iron and total lack of wind and I am not in favour of heat shrink tubing, it is very difficult to apply correctly outside, much better to use self amalgamating tape.

If you don't fancy soldering, or it is in a tight spot then try a Butt Splice crimp.


Just cut the original wire, strip both ends, twist the new wire to one end of the original and then insert in the crimp. Tape over it with self amalgamting tape. Once crimped it will be nearly as good as a solder joint, after all your car is full of crimp connections and BT gave up on soldered joints in favour of crimps when Busby was on the go.

Buy a bag or two of these..
www.aliexpress.com/item/32901957638.html....240b3c00PheXbt&mp=1
Best thing since whatever.
With a cheap pair of crimpers, solder and heatshrink, you can't beat it.

Or you could use soldering connectors with heat shrink sleeve.

I perfere to connect at the end or beginning of a cable instead of in the middle.

Jelly crims are my go-to if I am in a pinch and need a quick water tight connection:

www.dcdi.co.uk/shop/8a-jelly-crimps-pack...TDlj4P8aAs50EALw_wcB

Otherwise, I always solder and heat shrink when time and space allow.

I am impressed with the crimping pliers in the Aliexpress kits. They appear to be machined cast/forged plated steel. Obviously Chinese but the quality, from my own experience, is very high.

Roger