Difficult electrical connectors

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I can remember having trouble with these before, but not as bad as this. Maybe I'm getting more bad-tempered in my declining years.

Needing at least three hands is inherent to the design, but no matter how much force I applied, that barb wasn't going to unlatch.

Any tricks?

Special tools?

Heres my current solution. If it loosens I'll put a cable tie around it.


 
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I struggle with those things. I find if you push it more together and then depress the tab and then pull apart it works a little better.
 
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What vehicle is that on? How old is the connector?

Maybe apply a little heat using a heat gun on low and keep it far enough away to soften up the plastic a bit. Just a little bit. You don't want to melt anything.
 
Sometimes you can get in with a little hook-pick or tiny flat screwdriver and pry it apart from the "other end" vs using the thumb-press part.
 
Originally Posted By: JC1
What vehicle is that on?



Don't see why that matters, but its a SYM Yue Leung (Wild Wolf) Classic (though it probably wasn't called a "classic" when it was made), which is quite like a Honda CB125

Originally Posted By: JC1


How old is the connector?




Don't see how I could know that for sure but its probably the same age as the machine, which, IIRC is maybe 20 years.

Originally Posted By: JC1


Maybe apply a little heat using a heat gun on low and keep it far enough away to soften up the plastic a bit. Just a little bit. You don't want to melt anything.


Don't have a heat gun. I have a gas blowtorch, but you're right, I don't want to melt anything.

Anyway, 'tis done now, but I can't remember cutting one before so I thought I'd better collect some more subtle methods, which perhaps I've forgotten, for the future.

The machine has had reverse polarity applied so there'll be quite a lot of electrical messing about (and probably a replacement reg/rectifier) in its future.
 
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
Find a younger person with stronger hands to do it for you.


Unacceptable, and also impossible.

There are no young people in Taiwan with the faintest idea how to do anything apart from mess around with thier smartphones, and a rather stereotyped form of break dancing.
 
Electrical connectors among the different manufacturers is a pet peeve of mine. Why can't they make them intuitive and easy to remove?... press an easy button and pull it apart. Why is it difficult to design that? Manufacturers really despise DIYers.
 
I see these connectors all the time on Japanese motorcycles.

Trick is to push them down with a small flat head screw driver, don't poke, rather push it down while pulling the tab outward.

Worst case, use silicone spray or something similar and it'll come lose.

Should not be too difficult, I hope!
 
That particular type of connector is not too hard to deal with by using slip-joint pliers to hold the whole harness side and squeeze the "button" part of the tab, which is intended to be pushed with fingers but will get hard to push as the plastic gets old. Or push in the slot with a screwdriver as others said.

There is no need to cut anything, don't be literally a hack mechanic and tear stuff up.
 
Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
I see these connectors all the time on Japanese motorcycles.

Trick is to push them down with a small flat head screw driver, don't poke, rather push it down while pulling the tab outward.

Worst case, use silicone spray or something similar and it'll come lose.

Should not be too difficult, I hope!


Did all that.

Didn't work.

Tried holding it with various types of pliers too.

Ditto.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Manufacturers really despise DIYers.


Taiwanese manufacturers don't.

They've never heard of them, because there aren't any.
 
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Originally Posted By: Ducked


I can remember having trouble with these before, but not as bad as this.




Maybe you last bothered with them 20 years ago.
smile.gif
 
When I do FINALLY get them apart, I use VLR or 303 or something close to clean & lube the plastic, then Cramolin or now DeOxit on the metal connectors so I only have to cuss once.
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
When I do FINALLY get them apart, I use VLR or 303 or something close to clean & lube the plastic, then Cramolin or now DeOxit on the metal connectors so I only have to cuss once.


I've heard of 303, but won't be able to get any of those here.

I was going to put vaseline on it with a cotton bud. Its already had WD40 or equivalent.

Maybe spray grease too?
 
At least those are soft plastic, and don't go ''click'' - broken. I use a pair of slip joint pliers to hold the tab down.
 
You think that's difficult? The fact that you can access it and easily see how easy it is, indicates you ain't seen nothin' yet. How about a connector mounted on a starter, AC compressor, alternator, etc. that is oriented away from the field of view? And working only by feel? So you don't know if it is a push or pull tab? So you can't get in a tool to insert? So you are standing on your head or using a mirror just to see it? Or up under the dash, etc.

A hacksaw? Geesh!!
 
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