New Flasher Unit & Dielectric Grease

[antsaint]

New flasher arrived today (same as the old flasher, but can't complain about the price) . Should I put some dielectric grease on the prongs before plugging it in?

[Wallybob]

No. Dielectic grease will help waterproof an existing connection, but is not a conductor of electricity itself. Bad Juju.

[antsaint]

Thanks Wallybob. I've seen where a lot of guys carry some dielectric grease in their rigs, but I'm not yet clear on all its uses (and what not to use it on).

Grease-free new flasher unit has been plugged in and hey, working turn signals! Back in bidness.

[Wallybob]

I am almost as much of a fan of Dielectric grease as I am of blue Loctite. Locktite is much more of my friend, given the quirks of a Ural. Dielectric grease ain't far behind.

Mind you, all is good with a nice beer.

Ps. Keep an APOC flasher unit as a spare, 'cause it will fail sooner or later.
Bulbs are good also. Oh, yeah, electrical tape also.


Wheeeeeeeee.

[csbdr]

New flasher arrived today (same as the old flasher, but can't complain about the price) . Should I put some dielectric grease on the prongs before plugging it in?

when this one fails, get an electronic flasher. Cut the ring connections off and put spade connectors on and plug in. My flashers are now reliable, and I swear are brighter. Chris

[antsaint]

when this one fails, get an electronic flasher. Cut the ring connections off and put spade connectors on and plug in. My flashers are now reliable, and I swear are brighter. Chris

Errr... huh? As in do something different with the prongs? (this is where my gumshoeness will really be showing)

[catfish]

Anthony .Chris didn't read the year of your bike.His is older and has a mechanical thermal flasher with ring screw terminals and yours being a 2007 has a electronic flasher with plug in terminals.You got it right and it should be okay.

CATFISH

[mapperjay]

Waaaaaaaaaait a minute!

Is Dieletric grease a gooey substance that might've been found on the original flasher unit? Because I had some gooey stuff applied on the prongs to the original flasher that crapped out. Now I'm wondering if that is what caused the crap out and if I clean the goo off, it just might work again.

[wooden nickel]

Mapperjay,
The dielectric grease just keeps moisture out of the contacts. If the switch or connection has any wiping action at all, it will push the grease out of the way of metal to metal contact. I was a electrician in the coal mines 16 years and in Hawaii for 5 years and we put silicone grease on every connection we could to keep them from corroding.

[mapperjay]

Hawaii for 5 years and we put silicone grease on every connection we could to keep them from corroding.

Cool. Thanks for the info.
I was born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands and this year I'll be headed over to the big island itself for the first time.

[S 854]

So...

You fill the female end of the spade connector with d-grease and push it onto the tab... right? And if the connection is tight enough the tab and the connector make a good electrical connection?

I had an old GMC van and all the light bulbs had some kind of grease in their sockets (semi clear/yellowish stuff) and the lights all worked... do you put d-grease in the bulb sockets on the Ural?

[wooden nickel]

Mapperjay,
I lived 5 miles above Hilo for 4years and Kauai 1 year.

S 854,
Yea, that's what I do to spade connectors. If the connection us too loose to push the grease out of the way, it's too loose . Coat bulb bases too. About the only switch that won't benefit from silicone grease is one where the contacts hit flat and parallel to each other. In an emergency, I have used Number 2 grease, but that will degrade plastic and is flammable. The point is too exclude moisture.

[S 854]

I was born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands and this year I'll be headed over to the big island itself for the first time.

Hey Jay, didn't you and Deana just get back from Spain?

And before that, you bought a beautiful new Patrol...

And now you're going to Hawaii?

Sheesh...

When are you two gonna settle down?

..ok... I admit... I'm envious...

[mapperjay]

Hey Jay, didn't you and Deana just get back from Spain?

And before that, you bought a beautiful new Patrol...

And now you're going to Hawaii?

Yeah, we're DINKs to be sure. No kids makes many things possible.

One of my wedding vows to Deana was to "put many stamps in her passport." So we've been doing our best to see the world before settling down.