How To Clean Wiring In A Car

Gasoline

Got the whole miles and miles of wiring harness from a 1996 F150. It is going in the Vanette stepvan. It is absolutely filthy, covered with oil and dirt.

My first thought was to put the dirty wiring harness in the dishwasher, merely I am currently married.

Any skilful ideas? I thought well-nigh soaking pieces of information technology in a 5 gallon bucket. Is it a problem if the connectors get done and moisture? I am not looking forrad to all the time this volition take to clean.

Spray it downward with contact cleaner. Drip dry on the fence.

Maybe have it to a car launder?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker

Beginning I cut all the wires I don't need and remove them.

Then... throw it in a bucket of pine sol and hot h2o for a couple hours.

Throw information technology in a bucket of water for a couple hours.

Rinse with the hose.

Get out in the sun to dry out for a day or two.

Re-wrap with corrugated plastic tubing amassed from under the hood of modernistic GM cars at the junkyard or bought by the 50' roll on eBay.

4cylndrfury

restriction cleaner, a few rags, and an afternoon of top gear on youtube in the garage

Tyler H

I utilize WD40 and a rag. I don't like the thought of submerging wiring or striking plastic/vinyl insulation with anything to volatile.

Curmudgeon

I've cleaned some from onetime Brit cars with that Purple Power and a spray canteen, soak the harness down expert, utilise a cheap paintbrush on the heavy crust then hose it off. The connectors: rinse them thoroughly to get the Purple Power out, and then immediately blow them out thoroughly with compressed air. Then hose them down with WD40, I hateful soak them skillful. You want the stuff to work its style down into the connector seals. When reassembling the connectors utilize dielectric grease.

dean1484

By a gallon of "oil eater" (google it I call up you tin go it on Amazon) bar non the best cleaner for oil dirt etc.

Cut 50/l with HOT water and silk in a 5 gal saucepan. I have taken diff oil out of carpets, trans fluid out of the dorsum of an explorer carpet.

It is biodegradable and non toxic too. Great product. The local Costco use to sell it just have since discontinued conveying it.

Sky_Render

4cylndrfury wrote: restriction cleaner, a few rags, and an afternoon of acme gear on youtube in the garage

Brake cleaner sounds like a bad idea. You lot've got plastic connectors and insulation there.

pres589

pres589 SuperDork
ii/21/xiii 8:43 a.m.

Tyler H wrote: I use WD40 and a rag. I don't like the thought of submerging wiring or hit plastic/vinyl insulation with anything to volatile.

... so why are you hit it with kerosene?

Restriction cleaner sounds alright equally long as it's the non-chlorinated stuff.

Tyler H

pres589 wrote:
Tyler H wrote: I use WD40 and a rag. I don't like the idea of submerging wiring or hitting plastic/vinyl insulation with anything to volatile.
... so why are yous striking information technology with kerosene? Brake cleaner sounds alright as long as it's the not-chlorinated stuff.

WD40 wrote: What does WD-xl Multi-Apply Product contain? While the ingredients in WD-40 Multi-Use Product are secret, we can tell you what information technology does NOT comprise. WD-xl Multi-Apply Product does non comprise silicone, kerosene, water, graphite, or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

To each their own. I love the stuff for cleaning, or getting water out of stuff I've cleaned. I've just had bad experiences with brake cleaner and breakable plastic. As long as all of the h2o is out, it probably doesn't affair what you clean information technology with. There is a lot of split-loom and tape for water to hide in on a harness.

4cylndrfury

pres589 wrote:
Tyler H wrote: I use WD40 and a rag. I don't similar the thought of submerging wiring or hit plastic/vinyl insulation with annihilation to volatile.
... so why are yous striking it with kerosene? Brake cleaner sounds alright every bit long as it's the non-chlorinated stuff.

this^^^

I use Sprayon EL749. Information technology'south an electrical degreaser made past Krylon. Leaves no residue any, is nonchlorinated, is not offensively evil-smelling (distressing, won't make you high), and cleans meliorate than real restriction cleaner. It'southward a flake on the $$ side though, similar $half-dozen a tin can.

Basil Exposition

I don't know if WD40 is such a skillful thought if yous want to continue the wiring harness clean. That stuff dries to a gummy consistency and tends to attract dirt.

My male parent used to repair clocks and he would always know when someone used WD40 to lubricate 1-- it would be absolutely filthy inside.

pres589

pres589 SuperDork
2/21/xiii 9:21 a.m.

The MSDS sheet for WD-40 says about 45% of the stuff is an unnamed "Aliphatic Hydrocarbon" then 25% is a "Petroleum Base Oil". Then about 15% is "LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon". And then I agree with the secret part, but I don't know how far removed they are from kerosene, I'k definitely not a pharmacist.

Only non sure how bully it is for this task. I think that the non-chlorinated brake cleaners out there are pretty mild on plastic and rubber parts. The sometime school stuff, sure, that'due south non a not bad deal.

For the aforementioned reason that I wont purchase flooded cars, I propose confronting any method where you submerge the ends of the wires in a water containing solution. Water wicking inside the wires is going to come back to haunt you.

Wipe downward with degreaser of your option. Solvent based stuff is going to piece of work best. Contact cleaner for the connectors themselves.

I have a dishwasher I saved from the trash out in the shop just for stuff like this.