Dear U.S. Diver,

Hope you're well and stay so! Wiring harness connectors do fail, but that's usually the result of force being over-applied to old and so embrittled plastic, when separating a connector from, say, a relay.

If corrosion bonds a connector's metal terminals to a relay's terminals, using force to separate them can break the plastic connector housing. Rather than trying to pry apart a "bonded" item, it is best to apply a corrosion-dissolving aerosol, e.g., Deoxit, and allow it time to work.

Much as do penetrating oils (e.g., PB Blaster, Kroil) when applied to rusted nuts or bolts, corrosion-dissolving aerosols penetrate micro-channels in the corrosion that bonds electrical items. This may take some time. Those, who try to "speed-up" the process by using force, can do damage.

To reduce the risk of corrosion-bonding on electrical connectors, separate them after applying an anti-corrosion aerosol and giving it time to work. Then apply a thin coating of di-electric grease to the metal contacts. This will keep humidity from reaching and corroding the metal.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook