Hi all, I have just recently picked up my new van and tow vehicle. I am finding that the 12 pin male to female connector is extremely tight. I have had several vans and trailers in the past but have never come across one so tight. Any suggestions on how to fix this issue. It is a real fight to join both together so that the spring clip falls in position to indicate both are fully connected Do I spray" whatever" on the pins or should I look at" sandpapering the plastic case of the male end" and then rub whatever onto it. Naturally the solution needs to be so that it is not detrimental to interfere with the pin connectors. Hope I have outlined my question so it is clear to follow .Thanks for any feedback.
Possum3 said
07:49 AM Jul 27, 2021
Your problem often occurs when using connectors from differing manufacturers - You could try changing either plug or socket to a matching brand or persevere with "tight" connection, which in reality can be a good thing ensuring positive connection - That said I have "tight" connectors on my Anderson plug and I use silicon spray to assist.
Kebbin said
09:21 AM Jul 27, 2021
Just use WD40 or similar as you will need Electrical Silicone spray as ordinary Silicone spray can cause problems with contacts.
PeterD said
10:40 AM Jul 27, 2021
I don't see any problem, the pins will get looser with wear. After a while, you will have to retension them by sliding a knife down through them.
Are We Lost said
11:51 AM Jul 27, 2021
It's possibly the pins binding, but more likely the plastic housing. To check, try smearing a bit of lubricant on the plastic. Wash it off afterwards so it can't affect the electrical connections. I had one where the male moulding had sharper corners than the more rounded ones on the female socket. Maybe sanding or shaving off the corners will help in that case.
If you think it's coming from the pins, a few insertions and removals may improve it. Maybe someone opened the split in the pins too far. Just be careful you don't adjust them so they don't make full contact. They should be tight and require a bit of effort .... there are 12 of them that all need to fit tightly.
dabbler said
04:08 PM Jul 27, 2021
I'm going with the plastic housings too. It might improve over time as edges are bevelled with wear. I'd try the suggestions that are aimed to improving plug and socket mating rather than contacts mating. If you wiggle a plug as you try to join or remove it, you're likely to squeeze or bend the outermost plug contacts. That leads to the plug and socket mating but no electrical contact and a new set if troubleshooting skills. I don't have a huge amount of experience with different 12- and 7-pin trailer connectors but I've worked with DC currents all my life, on all manner of projects and using all manner of plug/socket types. The only plug/socket combinations that regularly showed dodgy contact connection due to size were the ones you assembled yourself from scratch. Typically, this was when contacts floated within housings making alignment awkward and ultimately that was always due to the housing/shell (even from the same manufacturer). Off the shelf connectors just requiring wiring rarely have issues with the contacts themselves. Happy to be corrected wrt trailer connectors.
Sparkster said
04:09 PM Jul 27, 2021
Kebbin wrote:
Just use WD40 or similar as you will need Electrical Silicone spray as ordinary Silicone spray can cause problems with contacts.
What problems can 'ordinary Silicone Spray' cause?
I stay clear of WD40 and the like as the oily residue can collect dirt etc causind other obvious problems.
If the pins are too tight for too long the female contact can be pushed through into the housing leaving no contact so I would persevere finding the true cause, the pins or the plastic moulding.
Keith.
Mike Harding said
07:29 AM Jul 28, 2021
Good suggestions by others.
I rate these as the second worse connector on the planet closely following the automotive 12V cigar lighter, why they were mandated in the Australian Standard is beyond me. Although one may note that Standards committees invariably include members of the relevant commercial interests.
PeterD said
11:33 AM Jul 28, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:Although one may note that Standards committees invariably include members of the relevant commercial interests.
That is being a bit disingenuous. The standard has nothing to do with commercial interests. It is more to do with what was on the market at the time. Back in the 1950s and 60s, three pin power plugs were used for trailer wiring (turn indicators and reversing lights came along later.) The only other connectors around at the time were Jones plugs or the expensive military quality ones. There were others that were only suitable for audio work like the DIN series
Sometime around that time or a bit later, Utilux introduced the round diecast connectors and Britax introduced the plastic flat ones. At first, there was no standard for the wiring, particularly when clones came on the market. The AS/NZS standards were introduced to sort that out. Semi-trailer connectors were popular in SA and Vic for some time but the caravan industry has gone off those. If you are chasing "reliability" you could always use those.
There have been attempts to introduce better products. I'm not sure of the timing, it was possibly in the early 1990s, one company introduced an excellent pair of connectors. They had large flat pins. When you inserted the plug you would engage the top of the plug with the socket and hinge it down into the socket. That way the flat male connectors slid into the socket and the wiping action thoroughly cleaned the contacts. If you forgot to remove the plug before driving off the wiring would unhinge the plug and it would separate without damage. They were an excellent product but the price reflected the quality so they did not last long. That is what happens when you attempt to introduce something better. The hip pocket nerve reigns supreme.
Mike Harding said
12:47 PM Jul 28, 2021
PeterD wrote:
Mike Harding wrote:Although one may note that Standards committees invariably include members of the relevant commercial interests.
That is being a bit disingenuous. The standard has nothing to do with commercial interests.
Oh Peter... such naivete :)
Many (most/all?) standards committees comprise a range of interested parties which usually (always?) include the major commercial interests - such people understand the problem, the technicalities and the commercial realities. They are the people who will have to implement the standard.
However: they also have their own agenda and that is to ensure the standard maximises the opportunities for *their* company. As there are usually representatives of a few competing companies on the committee their individual influence is kept in check, generally.
Some years past when I was in a powerful role in relation to certain safety products I made a, supportable, decision that the components used in a particular product did not meet that *specifically required* by the relevant standard, I was not a popular bunny after that - but my decision was correct.
The manufacturer of said product was on the standards committee and persuaded the committee to make an exemption for them - it was nicely done and left wiggle room to argue but, nevertheless, allowed the failed product to be put back on the market - it was defined as a "Committee Ruling". Such "rulings" are not published and, as far as I know, there is no way for the public to become aware of them. This was a case of "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours".
Whilst I am a big fan of Australian Standards don't *ever* try to persuade me they are always above commercial interests,
oldbloke said
09:41 PM Jul 28, 2021
Mike is correct. It is a good system but there is often a conflict of interest for the reasons Mike explained.
dabbler said
10:58 PM Jul 28, 2021
Commercial interests or not, when there are only a few major players in any field, profitmaking groups are the repository of knowledge and experience. It's my experience that standards developed in the absence of expertise are unworkable and standards developed in the absence of profitmaking groups typically are trusted by the general public and end-users. For whatever reason, a large number of Australians don't trust people who freely give their time and knowledge for betterment.
Hi all, I have just recently picked up my new van and tow vehicle. I am finding that the 12 pin male to female connector is extremely tight. I have had several vans and trailers in the past but have never come across one so tight. Any suggestions on how to fix this issue. It is a real fight to join both together so that the spring clip falls in position to indicate both are fully connected Do I spray" whatever" on the pins or should I look at" sandpapering the plastic case of the male end" and then rub whatever onto it. Naturally the solution needs to be so that it is not detrimental to interfere with the pin connectors. Hope I have outlined my question so it is clear to follow .Thanks for any feedback.
If you think it's coming from the pins, a few insertions and removals may improve it. Maybe someone opened the split in the pins too far. Just be careful you don't adjust them so they don't make full contact. They should be tight and require a bit of effort .... there are 12 of them that all need to fit tightly.
What problems can 'ordinary Silicone Spray' cause?
I stay clear of WD40 and the like as the oily residue can collect dirt etc causind other obvious problems.
If the pins are too tight for too long the female contact can be pushed through into the housing leaving no contact so I would persevere finding the true cause, the pins or the plastic moulding.
Keith.
Good suggestions by others.
I rate these as the second worse connector on the planet closely following the automotive 12V cigar lighter, why they were mandated in the Australian Standard is beyond me. Although one may note that Standards committees invariably include members of the relevant commercial interests.
That is being a bit disingenuous. The standard has nothing to do with commercial interests. It is more to do with what was on the market at the time. Back in the 1950s and 60s, three pin power plugs were used for trailer wiring (turn indicators and reversing lights came along later.) The only other connectors around at the time were Jones plugs or the expensive military quality ones. There were others that were only suitable for audio work like the DIN series
Sometime around that time or a bit later, Utilux introduced the round diecast connectors and Britax introduced the plastic flat ones. At first, there was no standard for the wiring, particularly when clones came on the market. The AS/NZS standards were introduced to sort that out. Semi-trailer connectors were popular in SA and Vic for some time but the caravan industry has gone off those. If you are chasing "reliability" you could always use those.
There have been attempts to introduce better products. I'm not sure of the timing, it was possibly in the early 1990s, one company introduced an excellent pair of connectors. They had large flat pins. When you inserted the plug you would engage the top of the plug with the socket and hinge it down into the socket. That way the flat male connectors slid into the socket and the wiping action thoroughly cleaned the contacts. If you forgot to remove the plug before driving off the wiring would unhinge the plug and it would separate without damage. They were an excellent product but the price reflected the quality so they did not last long. That is what happens when you attempt to introduce something better. The hip pocket nerve reigns supreme.
Oh Peter... such naivete :)
Many (most/all?) standards committees comprise a range of interested parties which usually (always?) include the major commercial interests - such people understand the problem, the technicalities and the commercial realities. They are the people who will have to implement the standard.
However: they also have their own agenda and that is to ensure the standard maximises the opportunities for *their* company. As there are usually representatives of a few competing companies on the committee their individual influence is kept in check, generally.
Some years past when I was in a powerful role in relation to certain safety products I made a, supportable, decision that the components used in a particular product did not meet that *specifically required* by the relevant standard, I was not a popular bunny after that - but my decision was correct.
The manufacturer of said product was on the standards committee and persuaded the committee to make an exemption for them - it was nicely done and left wiggle room to argue but, nevertheless, allowed the failed product to be put back on the market - it was defined as a "Committee Ruling". Such "rulings" are not published and, as far as I know, there is no way for the public to become aware of them. This was a case of "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours".
Whilst I am a big fan of Australian Standards don't *ever* try to persuade me they are always above commercial interests,