electrical contact cleaner

[winguyjo]

does it actually do anything for us ? seems to me it's more for (indoor) circuit boards and such that aren't exposed to the heavier oxidation that outdoor connectors endure. i went through a can a while back and it certainly doesn't produce any visible results. wondering if i should just invest in a points file or something like that ? i am thinking specifically of the small female spade connectors here; larger surfaces can, and should, be cleaned with sandpaper/file/steel wool/etc.

your thoughts ?

[joecoolsuncle]

its good for blowing off the residue after cleaning the connectors with brush or whatever. it may even wash some green fuzzy stuff away also. but typically i use it to blast immediately after cleaning and before soldering.

[WingAdmin]

It depends. My everyday contact cleaner is CRC QD Electronic Cleaner, which will clean grime and dust off of contacts very well. If there is oxidation, it's not going to do much.

For oxidized connectors, you need something like CAIG Deoxit which chemically removes oxidation and sulfation from terminals. CAIG Deoxit is not cheap, but it works. There are special versions of it for gold contacts, silver contacts, and conductive plastic contacts.

[MikeB]

does it actually do anything for us ? seems to me it's more for (indoor) circuit boards and such that aren't exposed to the heavier oxidation that outdoor connectors endure. i went through a can a while back and it certainly doesn't produce any visible results. wondering if i should just invest in a points file or something like that ? i am thinking specifically of the small female spade connectors here; larger surfaces can, and should, be cleaned with sandpaper/file/steel wool/etc.

your thoughts ?

If you need to abrade the surface to clean it, I suggest something like this from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099X ... UTF8&psc=1

Steel wool is not really a great product to use on electrical connectors. Maybe a wet or dry paper such as Crocus cloth but these small retractable scrubbers work really well to remove oxidation and corrosion. And they get into the tightest places.

[pyahoom]

The cruise control ON/OFF switch on my 2004 GL1800 was refusing to stay ON when I bought the bike used 8 years ago. For the last several years I have had a flat piece of plastic jammed into the side of the button to keep it in so that it was ON all of the time. Last week I pulled the plastic out with a pair of needle nose pliers and sprayed electronic contact cleaner into as many crevices as I could. I now have a working switch.

[Gnarly]

.........For oxidized connectors, you need something like CAIG Deoxit which chemically removes oxidation and sulfation from terminals. CAIG Deoxit is not cheap, but it works. There are special versions of it for gold contacts, silver contacts, and conductive plastic contacts.

Agree!

Also a fan of the Deoxit Shield, after the Deoxit Contact Cleaner / Deoxidizer has a bit to dry.
It's recommended for Severe Environments.

Because most everything about a motorcycle, at one time or another, is gonna be exposed to some severe environments!

CAIG Deoxit ain't cheap, but IMO: worth it.

[WingAdmin]

Whatever you do, do NOT use WD-40, which is not a contact cleaner at all. It's intended to prevent oxidation by displacing water and leaves behind an oily coating. This sticky, oily coating attracts dust and grit like crazy, and your electrical contacts will soon no longer be working as a result.

[jsmithrmga]

I don't have a recommendation for "best" contact cleaner, but I do have a testimonial. I had taken my bike apart to replace the air filter. When I put it back together, one of the buttons that lets me change the time on the clock wasn't working. I thought maybe a loose connector, so I dug back into it and checked; no issues, and no joy. I thought maybe the switch had gone bad. I decided to try contact cleaner, so I went down to Lowes and bought a can of CRC. After a good shot around the switch, it started working flawlessly. Score one for contact cleaner!

[Dirtrack650]

I've been using WD-40 followed up with compressed air on all the bikes I've owned: dirt, street, adventure. Never had a problem, never let me down.

WD has a cleaner specifically for contacts.