When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
I see lots of recommendations on here to clean up electrical connections/grounds etc and apply dielectric grease while doing so. It should also be stated for clarity that you do not apply the grease to the connecting pins/blades/tabs etc where metal to metal makes the electrical connection. Dielectric grease is an insulator and does not conduct electricity. While I know people have applied it to these and their systems all seem to work due to the metal to metal contact scrapes away the grease and makes a connection. Problem is it may not be a good connection and can cause gremlins down the road. You apply the grease after the connection is made sealing the connection from moisture etc.
You are repeating an old wives tale. It's been perpetuated by people failing to clean the old hardened petroleum-based grease out of connectors and then having poor contacts when reassembling. Current quality silicon grease doesn't have this problem. Anyone pulling apart the C101 or bulkhead penetrator behind a Renix fusebox has seen this mess of hardened goo. I believe the manufacturers of the dielectric grease who state to apply directly to the contacts.
I can understand the confusion. If the connector is well sealed, then in theory you don't need to apply it to the pins. If it's not, then the grease keeps oxygen and moisture away from the contact surfaces and prevents the oxidation that makes the contact fail. Light sockets for example are not usually sealed.
Permatex is not an old wife, they are a maker an seller of dielectric grease. I gave you my source under the quote from their instructions in how to use their product.
Permatex is not an old wife, they are a maker an seller of dielectric grease. I gave you my source under the quote from their instructions in how to use their product.
I believe lawsoncl was referring to the "do not put on contacts" as an old wives tale.
I believe the manufacturers of the dielectric grease who state to apply directly to the contacts.
I believe lawsoncl was referring to the "do not put on contacts" as an old wives tale.
Um, both Permatex and I said you do put it on the contacts, so now I am lost as to what old wives tale I am allegedly perpetuating.
Second sentence in his OP It should also be stated for clarity that you do not apply the grease to the connecting pins/blades/tabs etc where metal to metal makes the electrical connection.
Um, both Permatex and I said you do put it on the contacts, so now I am lost as to what old wives tale I am allegedly perpetuating.
Second sentence in his OP It should also be stated for clarity that you do not apply the grease to the connecting pins/blades/tabs etc where metal to metal makes the electrical connection.
Permatex says otherwise.
Lawsoncl's not the OP and agrees with what you are saying. Do not put on contacts is the wives tail lawson was referring to.
Originally dielectric grease was used when mating two dissimilar metals so that corrosion and/or metal breakdown would not occur. It was never an inhibitor of electricity in any sense of the word, or it would have never been used in the electrical trade.
The real message is to make sure you are making metal to metal contact and the area around that connection is sealed. I stated in my first post that the contacts, if tight, will scrape the dielectric grease off and make a connection. If this scraping isn't sufficient enough to make a solid connection you may introduce problems such as reducing the voltage traveling through that circuit.
On connectors I have less of an issue applying to the contacts but things like the body/block grounds I would not put it on until everything is terminated then cover in dielectric grease.
I must admit I was little skeptical also when cleaning up all the grounding connections and applying this stuff all over the metal connectors before assembling, but that's how I did it last year and my 89 XJ has ran flawless since.
Instead of dielectric grease, I used Ox-Gard due to recommendation of one of the members here!
"When the connection is tightened, the grease is displaced, leaving a layer of zinc filling in the surface imperfections of the interface. This has a twofold effect; it improves electrical conductivity and it improves thermal conductivity. This reduces the connection temperature under high power conditions by a reduced voltage drop and by providing a heat conductivity path to the connection's substrate."
I must admit I was little skeptical also when cleaning up all the grounding connections and applying this stuff all over the metal connectors before assembling, but that's how I did it last year and my 89 XJ has ran flawless since.
Instead of dielectric grease, I used Ox-Gard due to recommendation of one of the members here!
"When the connection is tightened, the grease is displaced, leaving a layer of zinc filling in the surface imperfections of the interface. This has a twofold effect; it improves electrical conductivity and it improves thermal conductivity. This reduces the connection temperature under high power conditions by a reduced voltage drop and by providing a heat conductivity path to the connection's substrate."
So far so good!
Just beware that ox-guard is conductive and should not be used on conductors where it can short pins. It is good stuff for ground connections though.
Yeah, when I posted above, I was saying the OP was perpetuating the myth and posted a few manf links saying as much. :}
Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Oh, this tired old crap again. I just read the first post, and noticed the Ox Guard recommendation. I can't stand to wade through the rest, so, if this was covered, great, and my apologies.
If not, well, let's try a little education (if that's possible).
Dielectric grease is made for one purpose, and one purpose only - to protect electrical contacts from corrosion. Yes, it is intended to be applied to metal electric contacts. That is its entire reason for existing.
Yes, it's an insulator.... until the contacts spread it so thin that it no longer insulates.
And no, neither OxGuard nor any other metal-containing grease is conductive. Not one bit more than standard dielectric grease. Their conductivity is EXACTLY THE SAME. The powdered zinc in it is not there to create conductivity, but to act as a sacrificial anode to prevent corrosion in aluminum power connections. (Think house wiring. 240v.) It is not designed for low voltage (automotive) circuits.
It's okay to use it. It won't hurt, but it's messier than standard dielectric grease, and not one bit better for automotive use.
For those who want more education, see here, here, and most of all, here.
TL/DR: Use dielectric grease on all of your automotive electrical connections. Do not listen to the ignorant old wive's tales that say it's bad, or that NoAlox or OxGuard are better.
Last edited by BlueRidgeMark; 09-29-2019 at 07:16 PM.
And no, neither OxGuard nor any other metal-containing grease is conductive. Not one bit more than standard dielectric grease. Their conductivity is EXACTLY THE SAME. The powdered zinc in it is not there to create conductivity, but to act as a sacrificial anode to prevent corrosion in aluminum power connections. (Think house wiring. 240v.) It is not designed for low voltage (automotive) circuits.
If you read the manufacturer's literature, the zinc particles are also there to cut through the aluminum oxide layer and get smeared into the aluminum. It's only meant for clamped connections and not low tension multi-pin connectors. I agree it might work okay, but I prefer to use the products as recommended by the manufacturer. Besides, it's much messier.
It was cruiser54 who recommended using Ox-Gard for the ground connections in his "Mostly Renix Tips" site!
His tips have been very helpful and saved me lot of time when reviving 89 XJ that sat for 15 years in my garage, just waiting for the right timing to work on it.
09-29-2019, 12:52 PM
Dielectric grease
