MTFCA Forum

I hooked up the trailer to get some mulch. Now that winter is coming to a close I see the wire connectors are turning green. I know the salt did not help much either.

Just wipe with a Qtip and spray some CRC electronic cleaner on it?

Are you referencing the male/female connecting
plugs from the tow vehicle/trailer ?

If so - the corrosion may have spread past
the connector(s) back into the wire under
the insulation.

If in doubt - replace.

FJ

Pour one cup of vinegar in a bowl and add a tablespoon of salt. Put the connector in the solution including an inch or so of wiring in case corrosion has progressed up into the wiring. Let soak for a good while. If green does not come off by itself you may need to scrub connectors with a firm bristled tooth brush. After it is clean, mix a solution of baking soda in water to neutralize the acidic vinegar solution. Rinse with water and let dry. Jim Patrick

Whether you clean or replace the plugs, putting a little dielectric grease on the contacts will prevent moisture/dust/salt intrusion and corrosion. If the plugs have some kind of dust caps, doors, etc, they should be in good condition, as should any gaskets or O-rings that may be present.

I suggest visiting a sporting store or gun shop. Ask for the bore cleaning brushes, specifically 17 size or 0.172. Since the size of the pins in a 4 connector plug are 0.176 the small wire brush will work fine.

If you are using a standard 7 pin connector, you can purchase a cleaning brush on line or most places that sell truck connectors. This brush will clean all 7 socket connectors at one time. They sell other sizes as well, but I have not seen the small brush single for some time now.

I second the recommendation for using dielectric grease on both male and female parts of the connectors. A little dab is fine. Too much will attract dirt and dust thus, needing cleaning more often. Q-tip with the cotton pulled off always works for me in the socket portion. Do your best to keep the connectors covered when not in use as this is when most of the corrosion seems to happen to me. I purchased some connector caps that go on like the mating half of the connector. They work very well at stopping the corrosion and dirt/dust.

Good Luck

DHort wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 12, 2023 6:07 pm

I hooked up the trailer to get some mulch. Now that winter is coming to a close I see the wire connectors are turning green. I know the salt did not help much either.

Just wipe with a Qtip and spray some CRC electronic cleaner on it?

Its always best to include a picture to help understand the issue. Turning green could be mildew or copper oxidizing.
CRC QD Electronic cleaner should do it. The aerosol should blow out lots of dirt (were safety googles) If it doesn't work they try some of the other recommendations.