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Why solder wires??

8K views 62 replies 37 participants last post by  CE9A 
#1 ·
I think about 99% of threads I read with people having a gauge read incorrectly or another electrical component working incorrectly is blamed on not soldering the wires. My question is why? Other then the chips in a car, I don't think there is one wire soldered in any vehicle any place from the factory. Every thing is done with a crimp connector. If the maf, knock sensor, cam sensors, etc work just fine on every type of vehicle, why should any extra add on electronics HAVE to be soldered. I'm not saying just twisted and taped is good one bit. But if you have a good set of crimping pliers and do not ghetto rig it, I think they are both equal. I've been told by a stereo shop that crimping is actually better due to the solder releasing oils over time and becoming a cold solder or something like that.

Please don't rag on me for this, if you don't agree please give evidence as to why solder is better as apposed to a properly crimped wire.
 
#4 ·
Because solder is a way better conductor than connectors? There is nothing better than having two wires put direcly together and having them wrapped in an extremely conductive filament. However, for sure ease of use, I use male/ female disconnectors; it keeps all my installs hella clean.
 
#6 ·
1gawd4g63 said:
Agree'd, i prefer to do things correct once, and only once. I do a lot of work on other people's car's, so i can't be using butt connectors everywhere, doesn't look very professional. Solder and heat shrink.
I most definately agree, but I change things around alot and it's also easier to sell things when the wires aren't all chopped up and six inches shorter than they should be because they been snipped and resoldered. But seeing as this is just my car, and I know my tendancy to change shit, I just cut to the chase and use the m/f's.
 
#8 · (Edited)
The stereo shop saying that crimps are better was only justifying why they don't take the time to solder connections.

When the solder flows around the wires it creates an electrical connection that has very low resistance.

Most sensors work on some type of resistance input, so you can see how this is important.
The flux (those oils that the shop was talking about) allows the solder to flow better making for a better connection. There is no way for the flux to make a connection go bad over time. A solder joint is either a Good joint or a Cold joint to begin with, but won't become a cold solder joint over time.
A cold solder joint is caused by not having enough flux to have the solder flow properly or by not having heated up the solder enough to get it to flow.

I work on aircraft avionics equipment and aircraft electrical systems, for some time now. There are VERY few, if any, systems in an aircraft that will function properly if the connections are not correctly soldered. This is because a crimp connection, on its best day, will never be able to achieve the low resistance that soldering does. That is why on sensitive circut cards its is a must for solder.
Now not everything needs to be soldered, but it is very possible to get an incorrect reading from a resistance based sensor that does not have a good connection.
A wideband and egt fall into this category, requiring a solid low resistance connection, because any unnecessary resistance in the connections will throw off the reading. Hope this was enough to answer the question, if I missed something just ask.
 
#10 ·
Wire taps or twisting wires CAN come loose, make intermittant contact, or provide poor current flow. For critical parts like a fuel pump rewire, SAFC install, COP, or other wiring repair on parts which could interfere with proper vehicle performance should be soldered.

I know that I wouldn't want my car to shit out on me when I'm trying to make a left turn in front of another car or similar dangerous situation. Maybe for a stereo or undercar neon lights you could get away with wire taps. I frankly solder ALL my wiring connections, even for my stereo installs. I want all the connections to have the best possible transfer of power/signal as they can for the best performance.

You decide where you want to put your life. In an iffy wire tap or a 100% solid soldered connection.
 
#11 ·
Also, to add to lazylasers point, the only other way oil can effect your solders is if you don't properly clean your connections before. A little bit of alcohol cleans them up before the solder. Also keeping you solder tip in good condition and always tinning it after every use makes better solders. You cant get a good flow going if you cant properly heat up the wires.

Ive taken classes at work for soldering. All of our wiring in our tools have to be class three. No indicators. This means aerospace standards.
 
#12 ·
Soldering may take some time, but is well worth it. I had to solder all my gauge connections, and the connections at the SAFCII (when I had it, I now have LINK) because I didn't take the time to do it right. Now since they are all soldered, I don't have to worry about the connections coming apart.

Hmm...would I like a nice, accurate display on my WB o2 gauge so I prevent blowing up my engine? I think so.

Solder + shrink wrap = FTMFW
 
#13 ·
OK now for my.02 on the subject. Most people that go out and get the nice set of crimping pliers and crimps don't bother to get enviromental crimps that you would need to use in the engine compartment. With out that style crimp you will get corosion and all sorts funky problems down the line. Just my .02.
 
#14 ·
Dragonstalon said:
OK now for my.02 on the subject. Most people that go out and get the nice set of crimping pliers and crimps don't bother to get enviromental crimps that you would need to use in the engine compartment. With out that style crimp you will get corosion and all sorts funky problems down the line. Just my .02.

Never thought about corrosion. On an oil pressure sending unit, when there is a threaded stud sticking out the end, how do you go about connecting the wire to this? Crimp + solder + heat shrink over it?
 
#18 ·
1gawd4g63 said:
Agree'd, i prefer to do things correct once, and only once. I do a lot of work on other people's car's, so i can't be using butt connectors everywhere, doesn't look very professional. Solder and heat shrink.

I'd love to see you solder all the connections while installing a RS/A on a Jaguar, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, etc...

I'll bet you'd burn your arm while trying to solder those connections under the dash.


T-taps have their place. Soldering has it's place. I install mobile electronics for a living.

I'm NOT gunna risk burning myself with a hot soldering iron trying to solder connections, upside down under a dash for a measley $200.00. It's not worth it to me. If it's risky to solder a connection, I use a T-tap connection with a male spade connector made by 3M, and I make sure that I can't pull it apart when I'm done with it. I solder what I can safely solder without risking getting burned.

It's mostly crack heads on audio forums that say "solder all your connections and use heat-shrink tubing"

I know for damn sure they don't solder all their connections.....I've fixed hundreds of other people's messes.
 
#19 ·
I solder all my connections. Not only is it a lot cleaner, but also it will not come apart. I have found that crimp connectors come loose over time and allow wires to carrode over time. I have a friend who lost his gauge lights due to a crimp connector. We soldered it and now no worries.

For those that say soldering is too perminant because they redo things is mistakin. All you have to do is cut the shrink tube off with a razor and then heat the connection back up again and it comes undone.

This is if you solder correctly. Twisting the wires together and adding solder is not correct and this is half the reason you have problems. You need to tin the two wire ends and then connect the two together by using the soldering iron.

Also I have soldering guns, they are junk! A good Weller soldering iron is the way to go. The $20.00 you save in crap connectors for one project, go and spend $50.00 on ebay and never buy them again.
 
#20 ·
DROOPY209 said:
I'd love to see you solder all the connections while installing a RS/A on a Jaguar, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, etc...

I'll bet you'd burn your arm while trying to solder those connections under the dash.
Soldered remote starts and alarms in Merc, BMW, Volvo, Volkswagens all day long! Never dripped on anything I couldn't cover up. Never burned myself either. The only draw back for under dash work breathing in those fumes... Lead solder after awhile not good.
 
#21 ·
All the wire to wire connections on a dsm are soldered. Just ask me how I know, I'll tell you anyways. I have went through every wire in a dsm 1g or 2ga and checked. Why? Because its that much more reliable. 300+ solders later, I had a wiring harness with only what I needed but thats a diferant story. Its like that in most cars, that stereo shop doesnt have to worry about sensor accuracy.
 
#25 ·
4g64fiero said:
All the wire to wire connections on a dsm are soldered. Just ask me how I know, I'll tell you anyways. I have went through every wire in a dsm 1g or 2ga and checked. Why? Because its that much more reliable. 300+ solders later, I had a wiring harness with only what I needed but thats a diferant story. Its like that in most cars, that stereo shop doesnt have to worry about sensor accuracy.
What about the 4 large plugs with 90 or so wires going into the ecu? Every wire in the plugs has a crimped end on it inside the plug. Your factory o2 sensors have about 3 feet of wire, a crimp, the plastic plug, another crimp, and the rest of the wire to the ecu to yet, another crimp. Every time I hear of an o2 sensor failing, it the sensor going bad or the wire itselt gets cut some place. So solder except inside the ecu.
 
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