DAE ever fix something just by cleaning a connector?

So this morning, a regular brought in his truck saying it wouldn't start sometimes. I hooked up the scanner, but no codes came up. Checked the fuel pump relay, and it looked fine from the outside. On a hunch, I pulled the connector and saw some green corrosion on the pins. Cleaned it with contact cleaner, put it back, and it fired right up. Took maybe ten minutes total, but the customer was really happy. It's these quick fixes that keep me going in this job. How do you guys deal with weird no-start issues? Do you check connectors first too?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarar671mo ago

Is it really that big of a deal? I see posts like this and wonder if we're making too much of a simple fix. Sure, @the_tessa says the green stuff hides, but how often does it actually cause a no-start? I've seen cars with nasty connectors that still run fine. Maybe we're just catching the easy ones and calling it a win. Not every weird issue is a hidden corrosion problem.

the_tessa1mo ago

That green stuff hides inside connectors even when the outside looks fine.

adam_thompson531mo ago

My basement storage shelves look totally organized until you open a bin, then it's just a chaos of old cables and random adapters. Kinda like that green gunk, where the surface level tells you nothing about the hidden disaster. I'm basically a human version of a corroded connector lol. Outside seems alright, but the internal wiring is a complete mess. That sneaky corrosion is the worst because it tricks you into thinking you're in the clear.