Fretting corrosion in electrical contacts

What is Fretting Corrosion

GM and other car makers have issued service bulletins discussing the effects of fretting corrosion in electrical systems. Fretting is caused by vibration and rubbing between two electrical contacts that produces a fine dust that spreads and conducts electrical signals between other conductors in the connector. That causes strange difficult to diagnose electrical problems.

The electrical issues may be permanent or intermittent. If you run across strange electrical behavior, your fist step should be to open the electrical connectors and look for evidence of fretting corrosion. You may need a magnifying glass to find it. To fix the problem apply a thin coat of dielectric grease, Deoxit Gold or Stabilant 22

Electrical contact enhancer

Dielectric grease

©, 2014 Rick Muscoplat