Electrical upgrades list

Layne

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As for other things to repair, the grounds are a big weak point on this car. Anywhere there's a ring terminal screwed to the body with a little sheet metal screw, you'd be wise to redo it. (several in the nose area, one below the trunk floor covering, one for each power window, one on the rear deck for the defroster, one near the fusebox)
I searched high and low for a purpose built grounding stud, but there's nothing out there. Would be nice if it was silver plated copper or something. So I assembled stainless bolts with toothed lock washers similar to the picture below, except I used toothed washers on both sides of the chassis and another one where the flat washer is shown. And I don't use nyloc nuts for electrical work, just plain SS. I used the same assemblies from M5 to M10 for various locations. Drill the hole, grind the paint off both sides around the hole, install, paint or undercoat over the head of the bolt if it's sticking out under the car. Possibly paint around the nut side carefully without getting it on the bolt threads if the whole assembly is exterior to the car.

stud.gif
 

Layne

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Thanks Layne, encouraged that my problem seems figured out. Wonder if this occurred because my bulbs draw too much, resistance in the circuit, etc? I will redo these with Relays as Steve suggested.

Resistance in the connector is why it melted that particular location. Possibly exacerbated by someone installing higher wattage bulbs. Cleaning them helps lower resistance of course, but using relays will drop the current on the control circuit so low it won't matter. Of course your relay setup needs to be low resistance or it will just melt elsewhere. A loose connection is basically like a small wire. If you install a smaller wire than is supposed to be there, the fuse can't prevent it from melting. Same with the connection, except the 'size' of it (the resistance) is subject to random change at all times.
 

Gary Knox

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Bfeng,

Yep, I use it for every connection I dis-connect when I reconnect it. Also doing the same thing on my recently acquired e31 - which is ONLY 20 years old.

By the way, I should have mentioned there is a product name 'Corrosion Block' that appears to be the same product with the same results. I however have not used it.
 

rsporsche

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Bfeng,

Yep, I use it for every connection I dis-connect when I reconnect it. Also doing the same thing on my recently acquired e31 - which is ONLY 20 years old.

By the way, I should have mentioned there is a product name 'Corrosion Block' that appears to be the same product with the same results. I however have not used it.
Gary, which of the 3 products do you use - the standard anti-corrosion + lubricant, the HD or the Aviation? do you find the aerosol or the trigger spray is better?
 

Gary Knox

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Scott,

I bought both the aerosol and the trigger spray Corrosion X about a dozen years ago. I still have each of them. I like the trigger spray, as I can gently squeeze the trigger and get one drop at the outlet, allowing me to spread that around on the female portion of the connector. Thus re-connecting pushes the fluid into that portion fairly uniformly as well as making contact with the male inserts. I only use the aerosol when there is a connection I can't get in contact with the trigger spray.

Hope that's helpful.
 
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m_thompson

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So I assembled stainless bolts with toothed lock washers similar to the picture below, except I used toothed washers on both sides of the chassis and another one where the flat washer is shown.

I just debugged a computer power supply problem where toothed washers were causing a huge voltage drop. The contact surface between the sheet metal and the lug/ring terminal is significantly reduced by the toothed washer. We found it better to clean the sheet metal and ring terminal, apply anti-corrosion, and tighten the nut very tight. A toothed or lock washer between the lug/ring terminal and the nut is OK.
 
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