gw204

I recently completed the process of taking apart the driver's door on my '00 to repair the wiring harness and power window switches. Had several broken wires in the harness and a few broken solder joints in the switches. After I got the wiring straightened out, I had a coworker re-solder the switch for me.

Before putting the switch cover back on, I disassembled each individual switch, cleaned the parts thoroughly, lubed the contacts with dielectric grease and put it all back together. This was end end result:



Got it all back together and for a few days everything worked flawlessly. Then today, the window in my driver's door wouldn't go up. So, opened up the door panel again, pulled the switch, popped the cover and discovered this:



The above shot was taken after I blotted off some of the dielectric. That allowed the switch to work again and I was able to get the window up. It's kind of hard to quantify exactly how much grease I put on there, and I certainly I don't think it was excessive, but you can see I didn't achieve the desired result. I figured I was doing a good thing.

Should I not have put any dielectric on those contacts? Is that meant more for stationary connections? I'm already planning to pull the switches apart again so I can get them all cleaned up, just wondering what the best practice is for putting them back together. Grease, no grease and just a teeny tiny bit?

Thanks.

4OHI6

While dielectric grease will help prevent corrosion it does nothing to promote conductivity; the definition of dielectric is anything that is electrically non-conductive!

So Yes, dielectric grease actually is inhibiting good connections!

Larry's XJ

Must never had worked on an engine with points ignition. They have to be clean.
Diegrease does work good on plugs and such. A tight connection will push vast majority of grease out. Helps keep water and corrosion out.
I use it on spark plug caps on my ATVs.

BlueRidgeMark

Dielectric grease is a great thing on push-type or compression-type connections. The pressure of the connection pushes out the majority of the grease and leaves a microscopically thin film which will inhibit corrosion and NOT interfere with conductivity. That's what it's made for.

On switches? Nope, doesn't belong on switches. They don't have enough contact pressure to create that thin film.

4OHI6

It's a non-conductive silicone grease that should not be used on electrical connections. Good for sealing to keep water out of a connector and on the rubber boot of spark plug, but never on the electrical connection where conductivity would be inhibited.

peligro113

correct

dielectric, insulating material or a very poor conductor of electric current. When dielectrics are placed in an electric field, practically no current flows in them because, unlike metals, they have no loosely bound, or free, electrons that may drift through the material. Instead, electric polarization occurs.

It is not recommended to be applied to the actual electrical conductive contacts of the connector because it could interfere with the electrical signals passing through the connector in cases where the contact pressure is very low.

gw204

Thanks.

I was aware that dielectric was non-conductive, but apparently not aware of when and where it should be used.

As stated, I'm going to clean it all off and reassemble the switches. I will still use a dab for lubrication on the spring loaded pins (those don't do any conducting) that keep pressure on the arm shown, but i'll leave it off of the contact surfaces.

On other question. There is a contact on the bottom of the arm that maintains constant pressure and is the pivot point for the arm itself. Would that be an appropriate spot for some dielectric?

CCKen

Did it come from the factory with Dielectric grease at this point?

CCKen

Dielectric Grease...my favorite subject.

gw204

That's one of those things I now wish I would have paid closer attention to during disassembly...

cruiser54

OxGard used sparingly is conductive and inhibits corrosion. Lowe's has it.

Turbo X_J

It's not the quantity of dielectric grease that matters, it's the application, with spark plug boots being a strong #1.

For any else electrical:

cruiser54

That stuff rocks!!!

cruiser54

Ever see my Renix tool kit?

gw204

I went ahead and reassembled with no grease on the contacts and a tiny dab only on the spring loaded pins that move the arm. It's working perfectly again.

At least I learned something from this... Thanks all!