Exterior Connector Failure from Corrosion

 

We had to repair an HVAC unit on an Elise that was not operating reliably.  It turns out that the wiring had failed.  More specifically, a connector failed due to corrosion.  Of course, it was an intermittent failure that had us stumped for a bit!  Note how the pin has fallen out of the connector in the bottom image.  Sometimes it has continuity and other times it did not.

The front of these cars are exposed to water and weather.  Typically a manufacturer will use connectors that are sealed and designed for exterior use.  In this case, an older style connector was employed that allows water ingress.  These were commonly used in the 80s and started to get obsoleted in the 90s as connector tech improved.  

We repaired the connector and added some dielectric grease to better protect it from moisture.  Though this is not the best solution, it is one that you might consider if you are trying to keep your car original - as this client requested.

One of our common services, for the Elise/Exige, is a HVAC resistor pack update.  We may need to add a connector update service as well!  For clients that want a sealed solution, we can offer that easily.