Dielectric greasing electrical connections?

I got a lot of water in my cab last night so this morning i stripped it completely to allow the carpet to dry. While i was in the water i had some electrical gremlins appear. Mainly involving the toyota security system. I had to pull the horn fuse out. Right now ive pulled apart every plastic connection i can find in the center console, under the driver seat, and down by the driver and pass feet. I sprayed them out with connection cleaner and was about to dielectric grease them all because i heard that was the thing to do. But a quick search just now revealed that dielectric grease can only be used on high energy connections because it insolates too much. Is this true? If not, how much should i apply.

One connection, the one under the driver seat, had some type of grease in it. Seemed almost like white lithium grease. Very hard to get out... not sure if i should really clean it out before putting new grease or not.

As for the security system. It still seems a bit out of whack. The red light infront of the shofter wont go off. If i disconnect the battery will it reset the system?

Thanks. Any tips at this point would be appreciated.

 

I'd be surprised if it's true, since for years i heard "dielectric grease your connections" from various sources. But im not one to just do something without making sure first.

 

I worked for a company that made electrical control cables for cement pumping trucks. That stuff was all 12 volt and we had to put the dielectric grease on every single amphenol mil-spec connector. Never had any complaints so we must have been doing something right

 

Subbed too. I used to Offroad pretty hard in a lot of mud and deep water. I always used it on everything with no issues.

But, I'd like to hear from someone with some professional background and RWK.

 

can be used on all electric connections..as far a i know..
i never had a problem with it,.....
it is non conductive so if your connection was loose fitting or such then mabye you would have a problem but then it would not be the cause of your problem the loose connection would be....

 

Dialectric grease can be used in low and high voltage applications, it will not insulate the connection itself but instead forms a shield around it preventing water penetration

 

I have always have concern when I hear dielectric grease mentioned. The purpose is to have a good connection, therefore why introduce a dielectric material that might get between the two contacts. Clearly DG insulates more than normal grease or it would not be sold as a advertised product. Why not just use regular grease, as the purpose is to exclude water and air which cause corrosion? With circuitry in newer electronics carrying less and less current, I would think it would take less DG to cause a lost connection due to it's insulating value. Would love to hear from an electrical/industrial engineer on the matter.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_grease

Apparently Dielectric grease is a silicone grease. I didn't know that. I have always used silicone grease, Magic Lube, from pool stores, to lubricate rubber things, as it does not attck rubber like petroleum greases would.

 

All of my connections are fine after 2 years of having dielectric grease in them and after being wet a few times.

 

The purpose of dialectric grease in our application is not for a good connection, it is to keep water out. You can not use regular grease because it is not a dialectric (insulator)

 

Yes.....My husband and I use it all the time on exterior projects.

 

Sweet, okay. as long as people have used it and haven't had problems. So do I just slap a dab on the plug and then snap them together? Or is there a certain way to do it?

also, does anyone know where the OEM toyota security box is on the 1st gen tacos?

 

I should do the exterior too. Im doing interior right now since i have the entire cab stripped to the bone. Did you put the grease right on the plug prongs? or around the side of the male fitting so that it sealed against the female, but didn't touch the actual metal prongs inside?

 

I put Dielectric grease on every electrical connection that I have to unplug no matter what I am working on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5R1mTyYMuU&feature=related

 

I wouldn't use a petroleum based product on any rubber parts that I cared about. Never heard of PVC trailer plugs.

 

cool. good info guys.

anyone know were the security system is? or what it would be called in the FSM?

also, how many miles do you think i can go before changing the diff fluid? I changed it about 20k miles ago (last summer). Im not sure under what case the diff breather sucks water in. Is it if you turn the truck off and turn it on again while the diff is submerged? because i never shut the truck off.

 

Do your rear diff much more frequent then that. After my last fluid change Ill be toning it way back to 15k after what I saw when I went much longer. My fluid was toast and the plug was full of metal shavings.

I would say that 20-40 is good for the front depending on use.