03 Nov Cleaning Electrical Connections to Improve Performance
I was performing the annual service on my Beetle this weekend, which included changing the oil and filter, checking the timing, greasing the front beam, oiling the hinges and lubing the locks.
One thing I did differently this year was to clean every electrical contact. The process involved systematically removing EVERY electrical connection and bulb, cleaning them with a combination of a soft brass brush/Q Tip and vinegar. I also removed both ground straps (off of the transmission nose cone and battery) and cleaned them. In addition, I chased the larger contacts with some dialectic tune-up grease.
Why did I bother doing this? After 41 years, my car was due for it. Being a European ’67 1300, it’s still 6 volt, and losing even 1 volt due to resistance is significant. This manifested in issues, for example, with running my headlights with the turn signals and brake lights on, which would cause the flasher relay not to work until my foot came off of the brake pedal. I’d also get the odd high speed miss with the headlights on. The headlights seemed a bit dim as well (even for a 6 volt car).
As time consuming as this project may seem, it wasn’t that bad, only taking a couple of evenings after work. Put some good music on the stereo and get into a Zen-like state. Besides, being a 6 volt car, it doesn’t have a lot of wiring. It also helps that I don’t have any accessories (with the exception of a tachometer and CDI unit).
The results were amazing, with much brighter headlights (the high beams are now almost bright) and no more turn signal issue while running the turn signals, headlights and brake lights at the same time.
