salt air corrodes electric window switches -help

"Tony Hwang" > wrote in message
news:JkeNb.91514$JQ1.73783@pd7tw1no...
>
>
> Richard Crowley wrote:
>
> > "Mike Romain" wrote ...
> >
> >>I could be wrong, but vaseline is a petroleum grease
> >>that does conduct electricity.
> >
> >
> > *IF* it does conduct, it is very high impedance and won't
> > have any practical (or discernable) effect in a vehicle power
> > window switch (low voltage and high current).
> >
> Hi,
> Another solution may be to spray the switch with foam spray out of
> can sealing the whole assembly.
> Tony
>

That'll just make a big mess, that stuff is nasty.

Roughly 1/14/04 08:20, Richard Crowley's monkeys randomly typed:

> "Mike Romain" wrote ...
>> I could be wrong, but vaseline is a petroleum grease
>> that does conduct electricity.
>
> *IF* it does conduct, it is very high impedance and won't
> have any practical (or discernable) effect in a vehicle power
> window switch (low voltage and high current).
>
>
If vaseline gets warm, it has the bad habit of flowing
into gaps, becoming a somewhat modest insulator and
fouling up the electricals. Dielectric grease is
designed not to do this...and is quite widely available
particularly in a resort town.

L0nD0t.$t0we11 wrote:
> Roughly 1/14/04 08:20, Richard Crowley's monkeys randomly typed:
>
>
>>"Mike Romain" wrote ...
>>
>>>I could be wrong, but vaseline is a petroleum grease
>>>that does conduct electricity.
>>
>>*IF* it does conduct, it is very high impedance and won't
>>have any practical (or discernable) effect in a vehicle power
>>window switch (low voltage and high current).
>>
>>
>
> If vaseline gets warm, it has the bad habit of flowing
> into gaps, becoming a somewhat modest insulator and
> fouling up the electricals. Dielectric grease is
> designed not to do this...and is quite widely available
> particularly in a resort town.
>
Hi,
Better idea. Use RTV silicone sealant. Use gobs of it to seal
switch assembly.
Tony

Roughly 1/14/04 17:43, Tony Hwang's monkeys randomly typed:

> Hi,
> Better idea. Use RTV silicone sealant. Use gobs of it to seal
> switch assembly.
> Tony
>
Some of the curing agents in silicone tend to do really really
nasty things to electricals. If you are gonna use a silicone
sealant, get it from an electronics place, not a car or home
improvement store. But then consider just how much of a PITA
it will be if you ever need to get into that connector or
switch and how much fun it will be if that stuff gets between
the contacts and then cures.

The nice thing about dielectric grease is that it tends to
stay put, and will politely move out of the way with the
slightest contact pressure.

L0nD0t.$t0we11 wrote:
> Roughly 1/14/04 17:43, Tony Hwang's monkeys randomly typed:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>Better idea. Use RTV silicone sealant. Use gobs of it to seal
>>switch assembly.
>>Tony
>>
>
> Some of the curing agents in silicone tend to do really really
> nasty things to electricals. If you are gonna use a silicone
> sealant, get it from an electronics place, not a car or home
> improvement store. But then consider just how much of a PITA
> it will be if you ever need to get into that connector or
> switch and how much fun it will be if that stuff gets between
> the contacts and then cures.
>
> The nice thing about dielectric grease is that it tends to
> stay put, and will politely move out of the way with the
> slightest contact pressure.
Hi,
12V low curret situation, it's not much of a concern.
Tony

"Tony Hwang" wrote ...
> Another solution may be to spray the switch with
> foam spray out of can sealing the whole assembly.

The only way to *completely* protect it would
be to seal the button and all. Of course, that would
render the switch useless.

OTOH, grease protects the metal surfaces while still
alowing them to touch when needed.

Tony Hwang wrote:
>
> L0nD0t.$t0we11 wrote:
> > Roughly 1/14/04 17:43, Tony Hwang's monkeys randomly typed:
> >
> >
> >>Hi,
> >>Better idea. Use RTV silicone sealant. Use gobs of it to seal
> >>switch assembly.
> >>Tony
> >>
> >
> > Some of the curing agents in silicone tend to do really really
> > nasty things to electricals. If you are gonna use a silicone
> > sealant, get it from an electronics place, not a car or home
> > improvement store. But then consider just how much of a PITA
> > it will be if you ever need to get into that connector or
> > switch and how much fun it will be if that stuff gets between
> > the contacts and then cures.
> >
> > The nice thing about dielectric grease is that it tends to
> > stay put, and will politely move out of the way with the
> > slightest contact pressure.
> Hi,
> 12V low curret situation, it's not much of a concern.
> Tony

LOL!

Just try to get 12 volts to pass through RTV silicone...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Richard Crowley wrote:
>
> "Mike Romain" wrote ...
> > I could be wrong, but vaseline is a petroleum grease
> > that does conduct electricity.
>
> *IF* it does conduct, it is very high impedance and won't
> have any practical (or discernable) effect in a vehicle power
> window switch (low voltage and high current).

I will use dielectric, it's cheaper even.

Vaseline also flows at very low temps and the OP mentioned a warm
climate.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Tony Hwang > writes:

> L0nD0t.$t0we11 wrote:
> > Roughly 1/14/04 08:20, Richard Crowley's monkeys randomly typed:
> >
> >>"Mike Romain" wrote ...
> >>
> >>>I could be wrong, but vaseline is a petroleum grease
> >>>that does conduct electricity.
> >>
> >>*IF* it does conduct, it is very high impedance and won't
> >>have any practical (or discernable) effect in a vehicle power
> >>window switch (low voltage and high current).
> >>
> >>
> > If vaseline gets warm, it has the bad habit of flowing
> > into gaps, becoming a somewhat modest insulator and
> > fouling up the electricals. Dielectric grease is
> > designed not to do this...and is quite widely available
> > particularly in a resort town.
> >
> Hi,
> Better idea. Use RTV silicone sealant. Use gobs of it to seal
> switch assembly.

Well, the problem with sealing like that is that eventually it will
fail. Then it serves to keep moisture in, rather than out. Stuff that
remains gooey has the advantage that it will tend to heal itself, or
at least to do no harm.

--
-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not
represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.

Roughly 1/15/04 07:16, Mike Romain's monkeys randomly typed:

> Tony Hwang wrote:
>>
>> L0nD0t.$t0we11 wrote:
>> > Roughly 1/14/04 17:43, Tony Hwang's monkeys randomly typed:
>> >
>> >
>> >>Hi,
>> >>Better idea. Use RTV silicone sealant. Use gobs of it to seal
>> >>switch assembly.
>> >>Tony
>> >>
>> >
>> > Some of the curing agents in silicone tend to do really really
>> > nasty things to electricals. If you are gonna use a silicone
>> > sealant, get it from an electronics place, not a car or home
>> > improvement store. But then consider just how much of a PITA
>> > it will be if you ever need to get into that connector or
>> > switch and how much fun it will be if that stuff gets between
>> > the contacts and then cures.
>> >
>> > The nice thing about dielectric grease is that it tends to
>> > stay put, and will politely move out of the way with the
>> > slightest contact pressure.
>> Hi,
>> 12V low curret situation, it's not much of a concern.
>> Tony
>
> LOL!
>
> Just try to get 12 volts to pass through RTV silicone...

Good point, I was still so bumfuzzled at the concept of
a 12 volt car system being "low current" that piece of
lunacy just went whizzing overhead on the back of the
whoosh bird.