Connector "how-to" question..

[Andrew162]

Well, not having that much experience with these connectors, I wanted to ask how exactly to remove the wires from the connector.


This is the old connector from my thermo-fans... ignore the black thing on top of the connector, it's a securing plug of some sort for the connector to sit on.


Might be a bit hard to see, but it's just a 2-pin connector.

There doesn't seem to be any real obvious way of getting the wires out of this, so I wanted to know if anyone had any experience in tinkering with connectors of this type.

Thanks for any help.

[oldcorollas]

onthe mating side of the plug, just above each of the pins, there's a little channel.... if you look in there, there is usually a tab that you can bend back with a bobbypin (yes they are handy little buggers) and the pin and wire should slide out.... pull the rubber out of the other end too..

[The Witzl]

i also find pick tools or one of those farking tiny "jewelers" screwdrivers works really well at lifting the lock tabs up to pull the wire/pin out.

[gianttomato]

Yep, also recommend tiny jeweller's screwdriver for this job. Do it carefully and try not to damage the tab otherwise it will be nearly impossible to remove the pin/wire.

[BradW]

Any chance of a clearer second pic.

Some of these connectors have a piece that comes out of the center to reveal the locking tabs. Usually the removable piece is a different colour to the main plug.

As the others have said though, use a small stiff pin to push back the locking tab and pull the wire out the back of the plug.

[Andrew162]

Finally managed to get it apart, and yes it is one of those types of connectors that has an inner detachable section, so it made accessing the locking tabs (that had to be lifted to remove the pins) easier to get to. This one is the same colour unfortunately, which didn't help matters when trying to dismantle it.


Also unfortunately it's not going to be as easy as I thought to replace the wire that the pin connects to... it's crimped in a permanent fashion, which looks as though it can't be re-used. Just means I can't use this connector like I wanted to, doesn't matter though... it's just joining two wires together, and there's other ways around that. It just won't looks as 'factory' as before.

I'm open to suggestions if anyone can think of ways to preserve the pins originally used in this connector, if it can be done at all. Remember however, I don't have a great array of tools or even a garage to work within, as one could probably guess with my makeshift katana letter-opener and tweezers.

[BradW]

You can reuse these pins. What I do is open the tabs around the rubber boot and slide the boot off the wire. Now wriggle the wire around so the strands break at the end of the section where they are crimped. You can use a small pair of side cutters to clean up any extra strands that don't break off. What you will be left with is the terminal with wire under the crimped section still. Take your new wire and slip the rubber boot on it and strip back a length of insulation roughly as long as the old crimped section. Now neatly solder this to the terminal. Try not to get a big build up of solder on the terminal as it will be hard to get back into the connector. Let it cool, slip the rubber boot back up and crimp down the tabs onto the boot.

Solder the wire before crimping the boot into place or the heat will melt the boot.

Hope this makes sense. Good luck

[gianttomato]

You can buy new pins.

Not sure where you might buy them in Sydney, but JayDees Electronics in Bayswater (Melbourne) has them.

[Andrew162]

Thanks for the info Brad. gt, I've tried Jaycar here in Sydney and they don't have them.. there may be other places to try, but I don't know if I want to go through all the hassle. It is, after all, just one connector I guess...

[EldarO]

if its just a two peice connector, theres a remote control type pug called a deans connector, they're zero loss connectors, some of the best on the market.

just go to your local hobby store an pick up a pair, they come with heat shrink aswell, very easy to use.

"venom" make the same thing, the deans are red, venoms are green.

Eldar.O.

[Marc205]

That looks like a QK or QL connector. I don't know about the eastern states, but in WA you can get them from Alanco.

[Ben Wilson]

if its just a two peice connector, theres a remote control type pug called a deans connector, they're zero loss connectors, some of the best on the market.

just go to your local hobby store an pick up a pair, they come with heat shrink aswell, very easy to use.

"venom" make the same thing, the deans are red, venoms are green.

Eldar.O.

Remember to stick a small cable tie around them so they won't come undone...

[Andrew162]

Thanks for all the helpful replies guys. It appears to be a QL-type pin, but it appears you can only buy them in packs of 100. I only require two.

I think I've managed to sort it out now, as well as a few other engine bay bitz 'n' pieces...

[BradW]

It doesn't appear to be either the QK or QL connectors according to the images in the links.

Glad to hear you have it sorted though.

[Andrew162]

It doesn't appear to be either the QK or QL connectors according to the images in the links.

Well, that's why I said 'appears to be' that connector , whether it actually is or isn't... because it's the closest representation there is.

Regardless, the fan's wiring is sorted, as are a few other things in the engine bay now.