Why you should NEVER solder wires on your car.

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

A good crimp junction is better than a bad solder joint. I like to solder sometimes, but on somethings, I would rather crimp. I know that experienced technicians know how to make a good solder joint. They know what size solder to use (including core type and percentage) what size iron or gun to use and how hot it needs to be. If you get all those right & tin the wires before connecting them, there will be no need to twist them, and being pre-tinned will mean you don't have to add as much solder when making the joint, which means less time with the iron on the wire. More surface contact between the tip and wire decreases time also. Beyond that, aluminum makes the best heat sink. It conducts heat very well, but doesn't hold the heat very long. But, everything between the iron and the heat sink will get hot, so moving them to the end of the insulation will also deter the solder from creeping up the wire. HOWEVER, it's very likely that most DIYers are not going to have the soldering skills of an experienced A/P mechanic, or electronic technician. Crimping can be mastered much easier and quicker than soldering, which makes it the best option for most people.

[@RotaryDaddy]

Totally agree! So many frustrations come up when trying to produce a good solder and there's a lot more variables to watch for that I normally recommend crimping for anyone not interested in learning a good amount about electrical work! Thanks for watching 🤘🏼

[@momoq4]

Never twist wires together. I don't care if it's a crimped or soldered connection. IPC which is the authority for soldering and crimping does not permit that bullshit way of doing things.

[@momoq4]

Have you ever taken a certification course for soldering (J-STD) or Crimping (IPC620)?

[@caseytbss]

How about no? If you don’t know how to solder, don’t do it!

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

@@caseytbss That's sort of what I said. Those who can, solder. Those who can't solder, crimp. Crimping is fairly easy, as long as one knows to use the proper tools. (Pliers of any type make a very poor crimp tool.) Of course, someone who wants to solder will never learn until he tries it. One interesting thing I've learned is some people are good with tools, and some people are outright masters regarding tool use. Either way, new tools usually come with instructions. I watched my dad become a self-taught master trim carpenter & cabinet maker. The interesting part is his method. First: He bought the tools (beginning with a power miter saw.) The included instruction sheet on how to use the tool was his first course in carpentry. Then, next tool ... Second: Get it right or try again. It's just like playing guitar. If you practice a mistake, you'll learn a mistake, therefore play a mistake. So for someone who wants to know how to solder, buy a soldering iron, read the instructions, learn. Then, next step ...

[@michaelhope007]

As an ex Air Force missile technician I was trained to solder to NASA HRHS (High Reliability Hand Soldering) technique. You can crimp all you want I will continue to solder without failure.

[@Scheminhos]

Spoken like the hardworker you are not the shortcut lames that want that half ass connection! Been soldering car audio obvious difference in low end sound!!

[@natosuperman1]

3m micro mini soldering and circuit board repair class

[@biglew1161]

6 years in the Marines doing aviation radio repair, I'll solder all electrical connections in vehicle.

[@tittyrino]

@@Scheminhos Same.I solder all of my Vehicle and Home Audio and have honestly never had a failure in over 25 years.

[@IraqiSniper107]

Dude your crazy

[@mechlabman]

I am 74 years old. I built my first crystal radio at age 8. I have spent my entire life in consumer and industrial electronics. I solder EVERYTHING. I usually even solder crimp terminals. If you are having problems soldering items together, use the best solder, always use solder flux, always prepare the work target-wire-terminals-get them clean and shiny. Use a good clean soldering iron ( or gun, love my 25 year old weller gun for big stuff ). Don't rush an iron, let it get to temperature. Always remember you are soldering the wire, not the solder. The objective is to get the work piece hot enough to flow the solder onto it. Learn how to solder.

[@idontwantcorporateretaliat6301]

yup, I solder all uninsulated crimps. Gotta watch out so the solder doesn't wick up the wire past the joint though

[@toywrench1]

His point isn't the quality of the solder joint but the reliability in an automobile where the motor mounts allow a little back and forth movement and where vibration is ever present. Diesel engines are the best vehicle vibrators.

[@NaughtiusMaximu5]

pretty much exactly what my dad taught me as a kid 20 years ago when i got interested in electronics and repair, he HATED rosin core solder and so do i after trying it a few times. I always add flux to the wire, then pure solder

[@psdaengr911]

I'm a 75 year old electrical engineer and serviced everything from computers to heavy power conductors. The right technique and tools for any job is always dictated by the job and circumstances, not the worker's preferences. You must have worked with 24 to 18 gauge conductors under easy access conditions and not need to pin a multi-conductor connector with many fine conductors designed for precision crimping of tiny gold plated pins, had to splice a damaged conductor in a location where you couldn't get a soldering iron, micro-torch or match into position, or serviced heavier gauge inline power circuits - in the field. Virtually all fine and heavy power conductors are connected and repaired with compression/crimping terminals, not soldering.

[@BROKExx]

i solder crimp terminals as well.

[@Gamix10]

Just because you can’t solder properly doesn’t mean soldering is bad.

[@marcseclecticstuff9497]

Man, I've been doing it wrong for 50 years. Thank you for your insight and showing me the error of my ways. In a prior life I used to do mobile electronics installations (audio, 2-way radio's) and I soldered all wiring under 16ga. The technique I always used was to clean/flux/tin the wires, apply heat shrink tubing to each individual joint, and if possible, another larger piece of tubing over the entire cable, lay the wires parallel (never twist - makes the joint too large), solder them together with LEADED solder - no-lead solder is a lot more brittle. Rinse/repeat for all the other wires, apply dielectric grease over the joints, slide the HS over the joint & shrink with hot air - NEVER use an open flame. The excess grease should squeeze out the ends. Once all the individual wires have been soldered/greased/shrunk then apply an additional layer of dielectric grease over/around all the splices, then slide the outer tubing over the repaired area and shrink that down. If it's in a harness, I still pack the joints with grease then use high quality electrical tape over the entire harness to help protect the joints. For wiring that's more exposed, I'll use 3M mastic tape instead of electrical tape for addition protection. I've found that it works better if I heat it up with my heat gun before applying it. Once the repairs are complete, I use plenty of wire ties to mechanically secure the harness from flapping in the breeze to prevent stresses on the wiring to concentrate at the joints. If it's just a few wires I'll take a bit of larger, solid wire and tape it parallel with the wire(s) extending past the joint on both sides to provide mechanical support and prevent any flexing @ the joints. I've done thousands of joints on cars, trucks, boats, trailers, motorcycles, mowers, CNC forklifts, machining centers etc. using these techniques and as far as I know, not a single joint has ever failed. To be clear, I use crimp connectors & ferrules all the time, but usually when it's in a dry environment, and typically to terminate wiring, rarely for splicing. The bottom line is it doesn't matter if you crimp or solder the connections as long as you do it correctly. Just because a lot of folks do it wrong doesn't mean you should "NEVER" do it as you imply. In fact, in the 50 years I've been working on things, I've had several orders of magnitude more issues with people's crimp connections than I have soldered ones. If you do nothing to protect the joint from the elements, a crimped connection will fail quicker than a soldered one due to moisture ingress and corrosion. This is especially true up here in the north where tons of salt is dumped on the roads in the winter. I've seen exposed crimped connections fail in less than a year due to salt corrosion. Crimped connections do tolerate mechanical stresses better, but again it's down to proper technique and providing mechanical support. But the most often missed step on exposed connections is dielectric grease. I don't think I've ever seen anybody doing 'repair' videos use it. I see some folks like this video advocating adhesive lined shrink tubing and it's certainly better than nothing but not something I'd recommend. Besides being a lot less common and more expensive than plain HS tubing, it's only going to be effective if your wiring is clean, and only if it's a single, individual wire that the tubing can shrink completely down to without any gaps. Too often I'm doing multiple wires or different sized wires where I won't get a complete seal with the tubing. If you use dielectric grease then it doesn't matter if there's any gaps, the grease completely fills the voids when it gets shrunk down. The butt splice connectors that come with DE grease and shrink tubing that you showed are pricey, but the best alternative for folks that don't do this sort of work often.

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

It's too bad these younger generations weren't here to tell you the right way to do it! Then you wouldn't have been fuckin' up for 50 years! LOL ! I like your splint made with a larger, stiff wire., I do that sometimes, when necessary. On really small wires, if the heat shrink doesn't shrink enough to stay in position, I have cut a sliver off a hot glue stick and slid it into the HS tube beside the splice. Shrinking the tube melts the glue and that splice is permanent. It will not come apart. The wire will not flex enough to break it where it might be hardened from soldering. I usually replace damaged power cords, but when I need one fixed now, without disassembling the tool, I splice with solder, wire nuts, etc. (whatever I have, because the tool is currently being used.) But when I am taping my splice, I cut a piece of mule tape longer than the splice and add it after I wrap the first layer of tape. But I will slightly bend the cord at the splice, then tape both ends of the mule tape first. That takes all of the stress off of my splice or spot where the outer sheath is damaged leaving the conductors exposed. That's a temporary patch, but sometimes it has to last for a day or two.

[@marcseclecticstuff9497]

@@SteveWhiteDallas The circle of life Steve! Young kids always think the older generation are a bunch of fools. Youth know better with their 2 years of experience than the older generation with decades. This video is a good example. He's basing his conclusion that soldering wires should never be done based on his experience with repairing stuff that folks with no clue what they're doing totally screwed up and came to the incorrect conclusion that it was because they were soldered instead of the correct assessment that they were simply done by hacks.

[@JohnDolschenko]

Sorry Dude. I am DOT, Nuke, and Manned space flight certified. (30 years expired) The Guy did a piss poor job as he taught you the right way. HAHAHAHAHHAHA.

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

​@@JohnDolschenko I'm not sure what "30 years expired" means, but I know very well how to recognize immaturity when I see it. I also know how much easier it is to say "you're wrong" than it is to say what is right. DOT, Nuke, Manned space flight ... You might be the only one who doesn't see how those 3 descriptions don't match. You would have been a little more convincing if you had stopped with DOT. Either way, the HAHA... did nothing to suggest any credibility. Don't you have a video game to play, or homework to do?

[@JohnDolschenko]

@@SteveWhiteDallas Just like all professional certifications, they do expire without ancillary training. I passed a DOT electronic soldering /crimp test in the 90s Easy Squeezy, and a military 3-month test that required perfect solder joints at X100 mag of everything you could think of, and a few you would never think of like: repairing integrated circuits @ X500 mag, and crimping in 1986. I stand by what I said. the shown crimp and soldering is wrong. He has been doing it wrong for a very very very very long time. When you teach, you teach perfection, and let the home student do it to whatever they want to settle for. Are my joints all 100/500 perfect? Hell no. That is not required for any automotive, cell phone, or communication work. But, what is shown does not make a DOT grade. PERIOD. You do not melt the shielding for one. Do I use crimps like that overpriced Chinese-made snap-on piece? Yep, for job security. You let idiots use them so I am forced to repair their fixes. Just so you know, When a South East Pennsylvania Transit Authority train crashed, I was shitting bricks for a few days. I inspected those trains. Ended up tossing the trip-stop equipment because it was expensive to maintain. Fun Fact? All Nuclear missile codes for ground-launched Nukes from 1968 through the late 90s were 00000000 Funny as Hell. any, one winger pinger in the USAF could launch a nuke by himself with a nail, wooden dowl, and about 6 feet of boot shoelaces.

[@pmdoit]

As a 40 year electric forklifts mechanic I soldered connections for used in all kinds of corrosive environments. I never had a failure as opposed to some of my counterparts who relied on crimp joints that saw failures. Properly soldered and installed wire connections will not fail. Crimped connections also fail due to heat from bad connection.

[@aude2177]

Yeah, I never crimp wires under the hood of a car. Solder with dielectric grease and heat shrink tubing and I've never had a problem in thirty years. Crimps just do not last and are an easy point of failure. Ask me how I know.

[@RotaryDaddy]

A poorly performed crimp will always fail. Get a good set of crimpers with the appropriately sized splice and you will never have an issue. The issue with saying that you've done this for a long time is that the correct crimpers have been becoming more and more available recently so I'm not surprised you've seen connections fail.

[@dingpongchi632]

Try to crimp joint on a marine engine, customer will come back to you soon.

[@whiskeyweekly7533]

I also work on industrial equipment which includes forklifts. I've never once had a soldered joint fail but I've seen plenty of crimped connections fail. I've noticed most technicians use crimping because it's quicker and easier. I use Deutsch connectors when a connector is needed.

[@greggunninghamkite1079]

@@madmotoadv6595 can you post the spec of the crimp joints you recommend?

[@philmann3476]

Nearly sixty years ago, my Dad taught me how to solder. He'd been a radar technician on a carrier in WWII and learned the importance of making a strong mechanical connection before actually soldering. Admittedly, warship techniques may be overkill for ordinary work, but I've never had a proper solder joint fail, which is more than I can say for crimp connections.

[@uiopuiop3472]

germany doesnt exist

[@SirFuseable]

No, warship techniques are not overkill for ordinary work. You're dead right about having to have a strong mechanical joint before soldering. Soldering is for conductivity, not physical strength (unless you're a plumber and don't care about leaks).

[@yeders]

Can you teach us?

[@uiopuiop3472]

@@yeders sorry i cannot i only know shabiddy toilette and encadenent

[@SirFuseable]

@@yeders Not now. My hands and eyesight are no longer up to it.

[@floorpizza8074]

While your soldering joint is OK, a couple of tips... 1. Use flux. Liberally apply flux to the wires before soldering. The rosin core of your solder isn't enough. 2. Twist the wires into a Lineman's Splice before soldering. The Lineman's Splice is stronger than the wires themselves. This step insures that there is no way the splice will fail before the wire will. Adding the solder to the Lineman's Splice will aid in lowering electrical resistance. Adding this step to your soldered wire joints is a complete game changer, and it is not difficult to do. Using flux, a Lineman's Splice, and solder will result in a joint with less electrical resistance than any crimped solution out there, and far stronger than crimping. And it might very well be over kill. There's nothing wrong with a properly crimped joint, either. This is a situation in which there is no real "correct" answer. Properly soldered or properly crimped is just fine for automotive electrical work, as long as either joint type is done correctly. Source: I'm 56 years old, and have been soldering and/or crimping wiring harnesses on a wide variety of things... cars, trucks, tractors, trailers, RV's since I was 16. I have also done a lot of car audio installations. While I do stand by my above statement about there being no one "correct" solution, there is an exception to that rule: I *always* have and *always* will solder connections for car audio or alarm system installations to achieve the lowest electrical resistance possible across a joint.

[@Breakfast_of_Champions]

Flux! As shown here, the wires are still fully covered in their own oxide. It isn't really soldering, the solder acts more like glue here. Such connections are still going to reliably rot away, speed depending on humidity and temperature.

[@joeschmo622]

By "lineman's splice" you mean a Western Union joint, right? Yep, that's exactly what I've done forever, and there ain't any way that splice is ever coming apart before the wire itself snaps.

[@floorpizza8074]

@@joeschmo622 Yes. The full name would be "Western Union Lineman's Splice," which is commonly shortened to "Western Union joint/splice" or "Lineman's splice." And as you and I stated, it is stronger than the wires themselves. Done correctly, the solder is optional, but does help to decrease electrical resistance.

[@nothankyou5524]

Rosin core solder has the Flux inside of the solder. Stick to what you know.

[@nothankyou5524]

Ooooh! Way to tell 'em

[@Quiet-storm]

Take it from an Engineer who worked for a company that makes terminals for the automotive industry. A solder joint is superior to a crimped terminal which is done by a machine. In testing, over time and in different environments the crimped joint will have a voltage drop, meaning the resistance begins to increase till failure occurs. A solder joint is literally good forever. Now you throw in people that crimp as a diy project and the quality of any of these crimps will be less then desirable. In an outdoor environment they will usually fail quickly.

[@mikef.1000]

Exactly, well said.

[@AutoBat1]

Don't forget to put the heatshrink tubing on BEFORE you crimp! Ask me how I know!

[@RotaryDaddy]

I've done that far too many times 😂

[@settingshadow]

no you should put the heat shrink tubes before you crimp🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@psdaengr911]

There are literally solutions for insulating connections that have already been made. It's done frequently to protect many solder joins on circuit boards - conformal coatings. The same can be done with field repairs - liquid electrical tape and RTV work well if the surface is prepped and there's enough time allowed for them to cure.

[@kirkdarling4120]

You're making soldering sound harder than it really is. It's not "rocket surgery." In my 60 years of doing radio building, I've never heard anyone who knows how to solder claim that any kind of crimping is ever inherently better than soldering. Quicker, yes, easier, yes, "good enough for the purpose," maybe; but inherently _better?_ Never.

[@LordHolley]

Yes, it took me about 15 minutes to teach my 7 YO son how to solder. Soldering is how you make quality, long-lasting connections. Crimping is for fast and dirty connections. Although, the new high-quality crimps actually have solder in the units. You crimp, heat them up, and the solder creates a permanent connection to the wire.Nice!

[@KentuckyRanger]

I worked for a company, that manufactured control computers, for nuclear reactors. We had a meeting about crimping vs soldering. It was determined, that twisted pairs need solder with moisture barrier heat shrink, and that crimp connectors should also be soldered, for redundancy. I was part of that team, and was the one who suggested these processes. DIY crimping, over time, will work the mechanical connection loose, causing connection issues down the road. "But Ranger, all connectors in plugs used in vehicles are crimped!" True, and most will last the lifetime of the vehicle, but some don't and need replacing. Any mechanic with a year or two under their belts will tell you stories, of how multiple wire connector plugs, have needed to be replaced, from mechanical failure. In fact, a good mechanic, knows how to replace the one or two bad pins, instead of the entire connector plug.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

In the aviation electronics industry, we were taught (as inspectors) to be aware of solder migrating under the insulation, for the exact reasons you stated- after some vibration, the wire will break. Good video! Thanks.

[@LTVoyager]

If you wick solder past the wire insulation, it is due to very poor tools and/or technique. This usually is caused by using too small a wattage iron which means you have to heat the wire far too long letting the heat extend well down the wire. It can also be caused by simply adding in far too much solder. A high wattage iron will heat the join area very quickly and the soldering will be done before the heat and solder can wick down the wire under the insulation. And you need very little solder. And if you apply shrink tube to provide some additional strain relief past the insulation, issues with vibration and fatigue breakage simply aren’t an issue. These issues are due to poor technique. A quick summary: 1. Poor soldering is a bad way to splice wires. 2. Poor crimping is a bad way to splice wires. 3. Good soldering is a good way to splice wires. 4. Good crimping is a good way to splice wires. I personally like both methods, but use crimping more simply due to its convenience and speed. You can work in the field without need for electrical power of any sort and crimping is pretty fast with the right tools and a little practice. However, if I need a super reliable, super strong and low resistance connection, I will use solder every time. One thing I have wanted to do, but have yet to invest time in is testing soldered splices vs. crimped splices for both resistance and pull strength. I strongly suspect that solder would win both contests and I saw one KZbinr who did the resistance test and solder clearly won that, but, as I recall, he did not strength test the connections which would have completed the puzzle.

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

The wire will break before a good solder joint. If a solder joint fails before the wire breaks, it was a bad solder joint or the wire is too big to solder. For example, 2/0 AWG is too big to solder. However, if the proper crimps and crimper are used, the wire will never slip out of the crimps. If properly soldered or crimped, 16 AWG will break before the joint fails. Transmission lines are neither soldered nor crimped and rarely (if ever) fail in done properly. The best joint method depends on wire type and size. If signal passing through a splice is an issue, you should avoid splices or install the proper equipment to repeat the signal.

[@ihdieselman]

​@@SteveWhiteDallasI always solder 2/0 battery cables into copper lugs. I've never had one fail. Even on big diesels in Alaska winter.

[@Mr.Jaysick]

Thanks for the advice homie! I’ve connected 100’s of wires working on classic cars over 20 years and if you use good thick shrink tubing, that wire is not gonna bend at the solder point causing a break like you illustrate in my experience. Having said that, sometime I just don’t have the space to solder. If I use a crimp connector, also use good shrink tubing but if it’s on the outside of the car I’ll also add liquid electrical “tape” on top of that. Never had a problem

[@helomech1973]

Been a aircraft tech for 30 years, and that crimp connection will break easier at the crimp than the solder one will. We do crimp on aircraft, but they are environmental crimps with crimpers that are calibrated. I still prefer a good hot solder to any crimp. We used to use those crimps you like on our strobe lights, but got away from them. Failure rate was high. I will never be convinced a crimp is better than a solder. Twist that crimp joint like you did with the solder joint.

[@wim0104]

don't worry, plenty of car mechs disagree with this dude. they do get their soldering right.

[@v4vauxhall498]

Brad you just answered the question mate, good quality crimps with good quality crimp tool. Crimping wins hand down over soldering by a country mile in automotive wiring. so we have to disagree on that one ,but nice comment thanks

[@helomech1973]

@@v4vauxhall498 I don't care what crimp you use it isn't better than a solder. Unless you don't know how to solder. I use some if the best crimper around being in aviation, they are calibrated every year. And no they don't make a better connection. Just a faster one

[@RotaryDaddy]

@@helomech1973 you'd be surprised about how many people don't know how to Solder 😉

[@helomech1973]

@@RotaryDaddy lmao, you right. Offhand I would say all these people saying connections are better.

[@ronaldbarry1889]

I’ve been an industrial robot technician for over 30 years. They move and vibrate on top of hard running machinery 24/7. We crimp connector pins because that is what they are designed for. For every other in line type wire connection we solder. I have never had or seen a properly soldered connection fail. NEVER. I have seen dozens of crimps fail.

[@pfuller136]

Having over 40 years experience working in electronics and being a backyard mechanic I think the most important message you could give would be that you should do what not only works best for you but has the best chance of long term success. There are places I wouldn't trust solder, and for simplicity a lot of my work uses a good quality heat shrink crimp. But anything I can bench I still prefer to use solder.

[@troubleshooter1975]

GREAT VIDEO! Tip for basic crimp connector shown at 9:00 & 10:40 : There is provision for an insulation crimp; beyond the metal barrel about midway on the belled ends. Some of the flat metal style crimpers have another 'die' at the tip marked 'ins'. This will add some support to the wire. I agree with much of what you say. I am a professional, and I prefer soldering, but I totally agree that a DIY MUST have sufficient skills and 'finesse' if they are going to solder connections. The huge issue is having CLEAN copper wires. Many repairs are on old or existing wire, which are aged, and have a tarnish fro air and insulation outgassing. This MUST be cleaned until the wires shine like a new penny for the solder to actually bond properly. (should look like brand new striped wire gleam). Small wire brush (toothbrush) or sand paper. And if it is stranded, then you have to 'squash' the strands flat from multiple directions, cleaning it each time, to get to the interior strand surfaces (very difficult BTDT). Otherwise the solder is only going to grab the outside surface strands (and only on their outside faces), and only the outside strands will be conduction the current! Two technical tips: Iron tip life can be shortened by overly frequent tinning. Solder slowly dissolves the iron cladding (or very fast on copper, in the case of solid copper tips). If it looks as good as the tip you showed, and takes solder readily while soldering, then I would use it as is. When it has scale or solder beads up and does not flow onto the tip while soldering, clean or re-tin it then. [sometimes if the tip gets neglected or won't tin, I wire-wheel it, followed with proper tinning...] With experience and skill, you can limit how far the solder 'wicks' up inside the insulation. This is difficult to do in one motion without getting a 'cold' joint in the center (bad, 'unstuck' solder). This is done adding minimal solder to the center and staying there a second or two until it penetrates there and bonds. Then add more solder running the tip out to the ends, tinning the entire joint, and stopping when you see it reach the insulation. Remove the tip then before it runs up under the insulation too far. Your technique is very good.

[@davidfisher8951]

The fellow who does a hack job with soldering is also likely to do the same with the crimp. Attention to detail is key with anything and if you don't have that, the end result will be the same.

[@psdaengr911]

When you haven't the training you don't know what to pay attention to.

[@em0_tion]

Exactly. Which is also why I saw his "what is soldering" by the book demonstration and laughed so hard at the melted insulation achieved around the joint and the holder clamps. Ofc I'll forsake soldering too with such unreliable results. 😁 Just like OEM is not always the best way, so is "by the book". I saw no flux (rosin) used and no pre-tinning - that is not called soldering. ✌

[@bjorn1583]

@@psdaengr911 if you dont have the training you shouldn't be doing any work on electrical wiring

[@uiopuiop3472]

@@bjorn1583 ​uiop uiopwhen will you stop doing skibidi toilet things

[@bjorn1583]

@@uiopuiop3472 when will you learn to spell

[@Supernumerary]

You are an intelligent guy and you have excellent ability to explain how you arrive at a conclusion. Nonetheless, I will continue to solder when & where possible. However, after watching your presentation I have much greater trust in crimped connections.

[@jdtractorman7445]

When I worked for GM, they would include the crimp/seal splices in connector repair kits. They included in their electrical repair kits that were shipped to the dealer with a set of ratcheting crimpers. They work perfect and never failed me once. That's why I bought a pair online from crimp supply. They are a little pricey, but worth the money because of how well they work.

[@andrewt9204]

I've started to crimp more wires now than solder the last handful of years exactly because of the problem you showed with the wire breaking. Solder is brittle and can create a sharp bend radius point and break the wire as well. If you have good strain relief and wire securement, this can be nearly eliminated. I've also learned somewhat recently how much of a difference a good iron makes. A digital soldering iron like you have that regulates temp can make a way better joint. One thing I do to make sure my crimps don't develop any corrosion and/or resistance is to dip the wire end in dielectric grease. That fills in the microscopic voids in the metal to keep out air and moisture. The pressure of the crimp moves the grease out of the way from metal-to-metal contact. I can't measure any resistance difference. Then I'll follow up (after a pull test) with some adhesive lined heat shrink.

[@Artsplore]

"will never hold a soldering iron within 5 feet of a car".... is another way of saying.... "I can only park one vehicle in my two car garage". Quite a demonstration of character and commitment to ones convictions!

[@houstonfirefox]

Or it might be another way of saying "I'm not experienced enough with soldering to get consistent results". Avionics Tech here

[@francd2981]

More like learning and realizing what superior connections really are

[@chribm]

Essentially ran across this by accident, but I'm glad I did. I have run into the problems that you've described, this is really good information. I have some electrical work to do in my car and have been worried by the integrity of the connection exactly as you've described. This is very good information.

[@AnthonyJ350]

For joining wire ends, crimping makes a ton of sense. For integration I prefer solder since it would require you to cut the factory wire. Different techniques for different applications. Great video!

[@DFWKen]

I've always been a solder guy . . . . and I am trained and experienced at making good solder joints. I must add that I've been working electronics and wiring for more than 60 years and counting, so I think my process is good. I can't remember a soldered joint failing that I've made failing; at least not at the joint itself. I have seen stranded wires break where the solder stopped wicking into the strands. I consider myself pen-minded. Now, you've convince me that there's more than one way to make a wiring joint that won't fail. Most of the joints I make are on Harley motorcycles for myself and friends. And I HAVE seen broken wires due to vibration near the joints. You've convinced me to buy the proper tool and open-barrel crimp things and will change my ways. Thank you.

[@stephenwhite5444]

I wish you would have tested the resistance of the various connectors and the solder.....that is a very important aspect, especially if you're dealing with something like a signal wire.

[@timotheusmiller]

exactly

[@toywrench1]

The resistance is most likely going to be the same. But.... in the automotive world, we care more about voltage drop. It is a more accurate measurement of wattage loss at the connection.

[@psdaengr911]

The most critical analog signals in a modern car are sensors. All of them have plugs - mated pairs of mechanical connectors.

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

If resistance is that critical, splicing wires might not be a good option regardless of the method used

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

@@toywrench1 On a 10 amp circuit, 0.10Ω will consume 1 volt. That's approximately an 8% voltage drop on a 12 volt system. Voltage = current x resistance (volts=amps x ohms) Power = voltage x current (Watts = volts x amps)

[@trentbain4988]

very good video, totally agree with ya on soldering. few people do it right, also takes longer. but as a retired service tech for MOPAR products, i always crimped and soldered splices with sealing heat shrink. which was per MOPAR wire repair standard.

[@706d]

OEMs use crimps because it's quicker than trying to heat up every single connection and solder it. For speaker wires crimps are fine but for larger gauge cables and heavier currents, you should definitely solder stuff. It's not about how strong the connection is, but how much current can flow through, and what your resistance looks like.

[@sethreign8103]

It takes me way longer to get a crimp twist the wires together & squeeze than it does to tap wires with solder 🤷‍♂️

[@danlscan]

Fast charging industrial batteries are best served by terminals that are crimped and soldered.

[@psdaengr911]

So solder to your battery posts?

[@utb3]

@@psdaengr911 ofc its most good, but too much heat is not good for lithum** batts.. so ppl avoiding.

[@jaywelker5566]

No, you should definitely crimp. And with a proper tool. Nobody solders welding leads or battery cables for a very obvious reason...lol....solder is beyond awful for those high amperage applications. It's always some sort of mechanical connection if you want best results.

[@julesviolin]

I've been soldering and crimping auto wires for 50 years and no problems, depends on the location. If the soldered joint is part of a bunched loom then vibration won't be a problem as the repaired wire is supported by all the other cables Even if the joint isn't waterproof (which it should be in cars) a correctly soldered joint will survive. The wire around it will rot leaving the solder joint still intact.⚠️ The ultimate joint would be a soldered crimp which I carry out if heavy currents are involved like on starter circuits or glow plug ccts. Very good demo at the end though. Fair play to ya 👏

[@kjnkjnkjhkjhjk8465]

Thanks for the video Irvin, we don't splice wires using soldering either on aircraft, we use Tyco Raychem D-200 MiniSeal Crimp Splices, which are similar to what you demonstrated.

[@RotaryDaddy]

I absolutely love the d200's! Little harder to get as they aren't sold in stores but that is one of the prime splice methods IMO

[@lwierd]

Not entirely true. We definitely do solder in some places of the aircraft

[@elebeu]

I'm am glad to see that many of the comments agree with my experience... soldered connections are superior to a crimped connection. The failures noted in soldered connections are from incomplete and/or improper procedures, just as incomplete or improper crimping can result in failure.

[@2stroke4ever]

If you´re working in the dashboard or other place inside the car´s habitacle crimping is acceptable although I always prefer soldering. But if you´re working outside the car´s habitacle when the wires are more exposed to the elements then soldering is definitely the way to go because copper and brass oxidize over the years increasing the joint´s resistance. If you´re worried about breaking the soldered joint just solder a smaller length with less solder wire and don´t stay all that time with the soldering iron in contact with the joint, this will result in spreading the solder into the wire´s interior ruining the flexibility. Make a smaller joint, use some solder paste flux to accelerate the soldering process and you will see that the flexibility of the soldered joint will be pretty much the same as a crimped joint. Add some heatshrink tube and you´re good to go. You don´t need nothing very fancy, just a normal soldering iron, paste flux and normal solder will do, no need for flux core solder if you´re using paste flux. The trick is to solder the joint only in a couple of seconds to avoid too much spreading of the solder. The wire will stay flexible and the connection will have low resistance pretty much forever.

[@biopsiesbeanieboos55]

I’ve watched a lot of vids on this topic as a diy’er, and I’ve def changed my opinion on crimping. I’m going to invest in some better gear now. But, your comment raises one point I still haven’t found a convincing answer to. Is soldering going to be better for undercar/exposed joints that will perhaps experience salt water (boat trailers) and lots of contamination from all the stuff we unknowingly drive through. Are really nice open barrel crimped connectors still the best for those situations or would a well supported solder joint be better in a that type of high corrosion environment ?

[@RotaryDaddy]

@@biopsiesbeanieboos55 main thing to worry about in that case is weathersealing. Getting a good adhesive lined heat shrink over any joint that's going to be exposed to the elements is a must! The nice thing about the higher end butt connectors is that they come with that already and it's a simple case of crimping the connector and shrinking the provided heat shrink.

[@patriciomunoz2830]

Totally agreed those crimped wires causes so much problems when exposed to elements, and the example this guy gives is unreal what part of a harness will bent 45° or 90° like he did? I have solder some wires in my car like 10 years ago the solder is still intact

[@rickdeckard1075]

@@RotaryDaddy why not do both solder AND crimp lol

[@jeff666p]

Heat shrink with weather proofing adhesive

[@quantumleap359]

Crimping, when done correctly, and with a good quality terminal, is the BEST way to connect wires to each other, and to terminals. Period. Gas tight joints result, which is what you want, and is what all the car manufacturers use. Good video.

[@WesB1972]

Car manufacture use crimp terminals because they are cheaper and require no skill and can be done on automatic machinery.

[@Sembazuru]

Nice video. I would like to add that the ratcheting feature of the better crimper will help ensure repeatably good crimps. When doing a bunch of crimping one's hand can get tired. So without the ratchet feature the first crimp is likely to be a better crimp than the last. The ratcheting crimpers don't let go if you don't crimp hard enough. Go for a quality ratcheting crimper all the time, and it is good that the ratcheting crimp tools aren't $300+ each anymore.

[@psdaengr911]

The connectors being matched to the conductors and the tool is as important as the crimper.

[@emmettturner9452]

That wasn’t the weak point you demonstrated on the soldered joint. Yes, the solidly soldered part is brittle and doesn’t bend, but it’s the stranded part bending against the rigid part that is weakest. Yes, the crimp is rigid too where the stranded wire going into it transitions but the stranded wire is all crimped tightly in the same spot, reinforcing each strand with the resistance of its neighboring strands. The place where vibration will fray the wire is where the solder transitions to unsoldered strands at varying lengths inside the insulation. Because you have no control over where the solder will thin for each strand, the brittle transition point from flexible to rigid ends up being in a slightly different place for each strand. This lets the furthest strand take all the force of the vibration until it breaks, putting all the vibration into the next-furthest strand and making it thinner and thinner with each failed strand. This allows it to bounce/move more with the same amount of vibrational force being put into it fatiguing the remaining strands even quicker. When the last strand gives you will find the breaks millimeters apart proving the vibration did not ever need to overcome the strongest part (where you broke it).

[@TRAVERSE_ADV]

Spent a year building vehicles for the Australian air force as an Auto electrician. If it wasn't soldered, it was not accepted. Most crimping I ever do , I solder the wire to the crimp as a backup. Most aftermarket crimps are unreliable long term. The only ones the RAAF accepts are Deutsch connectors for any after market applications. You never solder near a flex point in a wire, you solder, seat shink, tape then cable tie the area thats jointed so it cannot move.

[@jobsearch5871]

in all my years of crimping , you've taught me something new

[@JCortes001]

Well... I've been doing electrical work on cars for a long time....and for the first years I did a lot of twisting and electrical tape... I'm not proud of it.. but it work.. in a perfect world I would use your method, but a lot of times the place the repair needs to be made is tight. Either soldering or crimping make the joint rigid and can break.. for thick cables I crimp with a hydraulic crimper... everything else I solder... and about a year ago I started using the heat shrink that has built in solder ring and weather proof ends. In my opinion, way better than conventional soldering and wayyyyy better than crimping. More flexible, easier to do, look a lot more professional....

[@RotaryDaddy]

I do respect those heatshrink solder sleeves a lot more than just normal solder but I still think crimping is the best way to join wires in most applications 🤘

[@gregoryv.zimansr4031]

I did electronic repair in the army so I did learn the correct way to solder wires. Your solder methods are right on. Thanks for the video. It did cover crimping wires and i did learn from it.

[@howlinhog]

I've been a professional mechanic for over forty years, so commenting on idiots making "how to" youtube videos is not unknown for me to do. LOL. So when I saw this one I decided, let's see how I can rip this guy a new one. Great job Irvin!!!! Well done. However, every splice no matter how it's done will end with a hard point that with vibration or flexing will break at that point. Heat shrink that extends beyond the hard point will serve as a flexible strain relief whether it is soldered or crimped. You are correct about solder creep, you just have to be conservative with the solder which can be really tough to do when you turn the splice over and see a bare spot. If it is a highly flexed area I would replace the whole section of harness so that the splice can be in an area that can be zip tied down P.S. the thickness of the Snap On crimp/strippers is also the length of bare wire you should have after stripping. So when you put the wire in the stripping area, don't let it protrude any more than the thickness of the handle.

[@johnrackiewicz286]

As an MECP Master #10 , 1994 , and having installed tens of thousands of aftermarket remote starters with a 0.00% failure rate , I believe I can speak with authority on this issue. Soldering is ABSOLUTELY the best electrical connection one can do for a TAP connection. Especially for old school ,dyeing breed high current ignition switches Having done tens of thousands of soldered tap connections at a high current ignition switch harness , of course you have to take flexibility into account when you are dealing with a tilt/tele coulomb. Its simple, just make sure my harness moves like the factory harness .

[@colt5189]

You should have checked out where he recommends to buy these open barrel butt splices from, as they are BRASS. Which is not good to use as the signal/power doesn't travel through brass as well as it does the copper. Now I have no idea if they compensated for this by making the brass terminals 3x thicker than needed, but I doubt it.

[@howlinhog]

@@colt5189 Interesting point on the brass. Clamping strength doesn't necessarily compute to an impedance gain or loss. Have you found a copper alternative? I did buy a bunch of the connectors and they do have their place, but I agree with your conclusion and would rather have copper.

[@colt5189]

@@howlinhog It's not necessarily about strength. It's about when using brass, it needs to be 3x thicker to carry the same current that copper can carry. Now, will this affect anything? I'm not sure. But I know they don't use brass wire, so no point in having the current pass to brass. I think these are brass because it's probably cheaper than pure copper.

[@bosinious]

LOL! This had me rolling.

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

Hi, from England, UK. I learned to solder in primary school when I was nine year old, and I've soldered loads of connections on vehicle wiring without any dreadful consequences because I know how to do it properly, and I think you'll find that a temperature controlled soldering station is actually designed for servicing factory made circuit boards where a more basic hobbyist type soldering iron is not powerful enough, so when soldering vehicle wiring I normally use a pistol type high powered soldering gun type tool, usually rated at 140 watts which is great for joining heavier wiring like that used in vehicle charging circuits. And in my experience some crimp connections don't always grip the wire firmly enough which is dangerous because that can lead to arcing which can cause a fire, and of course when soldering the wire, and any connectors used must be thoroughly CLEAN or else the soldering simply won't work, again causing a fire hazard. And it's good to see that you're wearing gloves so you don't get any finger grease on the connecting surfaces which can also compromise the quality of a soldered joint. And of course with crimp connections it's vital to know and use the correct size of connector for the wire being joined. And I've also found that some crimp connectors have some kind of fancy plating which won't accept solder so wherever possible I prefer to use bare brass connectors which readily accept solder.

[@LTVoyager]

I agree completely on the open barrel crimps and terminals. Far superior. And if you really want a reliable, low resistance connection, solder the ends of the wires together at the middle of the open barrel crimp connector. That is a connection that can’t be beat either electrically or mechanically.

[@adrianpolley6709]

Good idea, never thought of that

[@PeaceK3Y]

Thanks I needed this video. Even though I used the solder techniques you show for a great solder, a lot of the times on the vehicles it really isn’t great for me especially in hard to reach places and flexible places which is 90% of the car. I was just always under the impression that crimping was lazy, cheap and not weather proof. I’m definitely going to do that a lot more now, even got one of those expensive auto crimpers!

[@slipagent6]

I like soldering. I do a good job of it and I cant recall anything I’ve ever soldered failing.

[@em0_tion]

My ex boss thought he could solder. He didn't even know what flux is and what it does. He crimped everything, also poorly, I might add. 😂

[@carpandrei7493]

Being an automotive engineer (the electronics kind, on the design side of things), I learned this: strain relief and keep the "elements" out. No matter how you mate two wires together, strain relief is paramount to your joint, either crimped or soldered. If you crimp, get a good crimper, and use crimps that have two sets of ears for each wire connection, one for the copper, one for the insulation. This will ensure that there's less flex at the interface between wires and crimp area. Same for soldered joints. If you can provide some strain relief (like with a glue lined heat shrink tube) to keep the flexing of the wire away from the rigid area of the solder joint (including the area underneath the insulation, where solder has wicked through the copper strands). And yes, keep the elements out, especially water. Anytime you have to connect two wires together, seal the joint as good as possible. Water will wick through the copper strands, and in time it will cause all sorts of nasty things. Now, this is what I leaner during my years in the field... I'm not claiming I'm 100% right. The experience of others may be vastly different.

[@damu1337]

The reason behind tinning is so you don't end up getting an oxidation layer on your iron. Also you should be doing it AFTER every time you use the iron

[@RotaryDaddy]

I do it before and after! It also helps transfer heat from your iron when you have a nice tinned tip! 🤘

[@CameronDC-Grimes]

Everyone can calm down, both crimping and soldering is effective if done correctly. ECM's in your car have solder, wiring harness connector pins have crimp. I have seen both fail equally from factory parts. When soldering I add Flux to the wires first, then cross strand wires together, heat wire and touch solder to other side not touching solder to iron tip. I make sure it soaks into the wires fully but don't gob it. After I use quality heatshrink but put dielectric grease around soldered wires before shrinking the shrink tubing over it. This prevents corrosion and further waterproofing. Crimping I use heat shrink. I've also used self soldering shrink butt connectors with no issues.

[@andrewconrad1563]

And here we have someone without a clue, spouting B.S. A proper solder connection is without a doubt the best way to connect electrical wires. Just because YOU can't solder properly doesn't mean others can't and/or shouldn't. Seems more like you should never touch cars or give out advice kiddo.

[@gerardlunow567]

I started out as a service thechnician with old pinball machines with NO electronics. I soldered 1000's connections. The Medical Equipment with Tubes. Propably another 1000 at least. BSEE now and tested continuity based on frequency. Then plumbing with copper. Then brazing with Acetylene, then MIG welding with gas. There is just no substitude for mechanically tight connection, SOLDERED. Then heat shrink it with vulcinized heat shrink. Now we have quality.

[@802Garage]

Agreed. I also like heat shrink butt connectors as my general use splice connection. I'd definitely recommend getting ratcheting crimpers for insulated connectors though. It really doesn't take much to step up to the next level of wiring with open barrel crimps like you showed. People need to watch a few tutorial videos and buy a couple tools. When people with knowledge say crimping is better, they aren't talking about hardware store crimps with hard plastic open ended insulation and a $5 thin metal crimping tool. The issues with both connection methods generally boil down to user error and incorrect equipment. Trying to solder with bad technique or the wrong tip will usually result in a bad joint. Trying to crimp without the enough knowledge or the correct crimping tool can also result in a bad connection. As a general rule, crimping is harder to mess up and easier to check for correct application. There is less overall room for error. That said, most people don't even do the bare minimum of research and tool investment for crimping. Wiring really takes some learning above all else. I did add a dab of solder to some spade terminals recently after crimping 10 gauge wire into them. I only did it because I didn't have the exact right crimping tool and did not want the wire to be able to wiggle. The key is I still made sure to heat the wire and terminal to melt the solder rather than using the iron. I also only applied just enough solder to surround the wire in the crimp and did not allow any to wick past the strain relief. Very rarely will I solder anything automotive.

[@kenlewis2353]

Sorry but I am a solder man. I was amused when Steve white in the comment said a good crimp joint is better than a bad solder joint that applies the other way as well

[@AcceleronSBK]

Great video, got another race loom to do and was finding more tips and tricks. Been soldering my race looms for years and with the heavy vibrations and crashes they break at the ends of the solder all the time . However my crimps always have the flex to keep the connection. A national super bike team told me never to solder a race bike as there's too much stress's and vibrations on the loom at 300km/hr . Paid an auto electrician to put in a trailer wire loom they soldered and guess what it failed within 5 years on the solder joints. . ten years later my crimps still hold.

[@laingconley5316]

There is one reason and only one reason why OE manufacturers crimp instead of solder - it costs less to crimp. If soldering was less expensive, the OE manufacturers would solder. It has nothing to do with crimping being "superior" to soldering. Circuit boards are soldered because it is the least expensive way to produce them. I solder small gauge wires (after crimping them if using a connector) and I hydraulic crimp large gauge wires for my car. It is harder and more time consuming to make a good looking wire to wire solder joint (mostly in the twisting of the wires), but somehow more satisfying.

[@txmits507]

good enough for oem would be the case. good enough for aviation as well.

[@jeff666p]

Oem crimps for speed and because it’s easier to do a proper crimp. A poorly the soldered joint will fail from the vibration vehicles go through. Circuit boards are soldered because you cant crimp to them.

[@jeff666p]

@@txmits507 nasa and race teams also crimp due to the chance of failure from vibration with soldering

[@johnlucier5654]

​@@jeff666p NASA-STD-8739.3. specifically allows soldering. Who told you they only crimp?

[@pcno2832]

The only crimps that have ever worked consistently well for me are those bare copper ones they sell at Home Depot which look like little (maybe 1/4" to 3/8") segments of copper tubing. Everything else has seemed hit or miss, maybe because, as a DIYer I never develop a consistent habit of matching the crimps to the crimping tool. One other thing that has always worked perfectly for me was to cut the leads to different, complimentary lengths, so that the connections are offset from each other, then square-knot one pair, twist and tape it, square-knot the other pair, twist and tape that, then put either tape or heat shrink tubing around the whole thing. The knots guarantee a strong, permanent, self-tightening connection while the offset protects against shorts. The one caveat is that you have to know how to make a square knot with very short lengths of wire.

[@thomasdickmeyer9380]

Thank you so much for this video. I was dreading the thought of soldering hundreds of 22 ga wires cut from an auto harness. Using the open barrel crimp method will reduce the time needed by 10x! Works great.

[@thomasdickmeyer9380]

Haha, I've been reading all the fiery comments. Both crimping and soldering have their place. I've seen thousands of oem connections that are just like the ones I'm making now. ... and yes some might fail someday. Thx again.

[@Mr.Thermistor7228]

Lmaooo! Yea good luck crimping those hundreds of connections! Soldering is infinitly faster than crimping tiny ass crimpers

[@beepaw57]

My experience is installing car audio, home audio, bench reparing, and design, fabrication and management from 1983 to 2003. I was taught by a certified bench technician proper soldering methods including heat management. I have soldered tweeter voice coil leads back onto speaker terminals. My teacher twisted bare wires and sealed with scotch 3m super 33 taped it. His twist of an untwisted straight pair and folded back over itself technique held so good once bundled, we gave a lifetime warranty on installation. We repaired all the engineers', and electricians' work daily. I soldered power connections on an Audiovox 5 band 40 watt power booster /e.q. I had wondered how well solder would hold up in an automobile with hot, cold ,humidity and environmental factors. My findings: the taped and specially twisted connections were almost impossible to pull apart. I'm a stocky strong fellow. The.soldered connections were all broke or were breaking. Including cold and defective looking. So solder away all you over thinking engineers. I 'll crimp away properly by crimping with the tool's tooth on opposite of the crimp connector's seam. Knowing how to connect wires period is the basic thing. Also car solderers like circuit city used to do, always would end with solder burns in carpet. As far as I know no engineer has outdone my practical experienced work. Do your own science, don't believe me. One year only in a car for for lead, tin and rosin flux to corrode. Who would ever think lead and tin could corride fast ? My reasoning to find out was because on the repair bench I saw bad solder everyday for 20 years. My repairs and installs were lasting longer than the cars. Helis and planes and military failures still happen. Calculus never made soldering better. Molex connections best for me if needed.

[@supergnaw]

"solder joints break after a few flexes" *cuts video after tons of flexing to hide how wrong opinion is*

[@noelongoria6267]

You are a great instructor. Clear explanations with demos. Hope to see more videos like this. Thank you.

[@ragnar-r4107]

Dont really work with wires much, but i am changing out some lights in the future so nice to know!☺️

[@RotaryDaddy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@7071SydcHome]

Recently had to fix a 50 amp(+ side) Anderson Plug - by SOLDERING! Checked the negative - I was able to pull the negative crimp connection apart by hand ! This work had originally been done by (i would hope) professional auto electricians. Soldering WINS!

[@tonyhothersall3766]

I have three crimping tools, not one of them will crimp terminals tight enough so that pulling on them will not pull them apart. Soldering is a different matter, pull as much as you like, the terminal will not come apart. Look at any crimped joint that has been in use for a while, the joint is full of crud, you'll also notice frayed wires, not with soldered terminals. It is often said soldering is no good because the copper hardens and the copper wire will fracture because it is not flexible. That's true, however, the copper only hardens for around 10-12mm after the terminal. Who the hell leaves as little cable as that free. Typically, in cars there is 10 times that amount of free cable after a terminal. Crimp terminals are rubbish and for amateurs. If you want a strong, weatherproof and professional looking terminal, solder it and apply heatshrink. I use crimp terminal, but rather than crimp them, I remove the plastic insulating material, solder the wires in place and apply heatshrink. For non insulated terminals, I crimp them small joint, then solder it, then crimp the larger joint around the insulation. I've been doing it this way on cars and bikes for over 50years, I've. Never had one failure. Wish I could say the same for crimp connections applied by auto electricians. Crimp terminals are used commercially because it is simply the quickest and cheapest way of doing it. What do you want, a quick cheap connection that will eventually fail, or a proper, failsafe connection that will outlast you?

[@psdaengr911]

A crimped connection that can be seen to be full of crud was either full of crud to start or left exposed to the environment. The same is true of a corroded solder join.

[@tonyhothersall3766]

@@psdaengr911 Well unfortunately, crimped connections are quite often left in the open: Trailers caravans, motorbikes, etc, so while they may start out clean and unfrayed they don't stay that way long. Soldered joints on the other hand are for all intents and purposes 'sealed joints' no crud can get in there.

[@galinstan5603]

I am impressed by the quality of the crimp you produced and will explore it further. I am an old solder guy. I use a 12 volt soldering iron that crimps onto the battery.

[@davidlorson3292]

Never had a problem with correctly soldered connections. Crimped connections work for a while but they develop surface corrosion between the wire and terminal over time. The corrosion interferes with conductivity and causes high resistance. Many electrical problems are the result.

[@toywrench1]

David, have you seen that with the weatherproof pink butt connectors he showed? I have never had one come back to me after years of using them.

[@fredflintstone8048]

I agree with your list of things that can go wrong with solder joints based on the inability of the person doing the job to do it properly. However at the same time there's a right way and a wrong way to do crimping, and a right tool and the wrong tool for crimping as well. You're no better off with an incorrectly made crimp connection than you are with an incorrectly made solder joint. A good way to do a joint is with a good quality crimp connector, the right tool, and then flowing some solder into the joint, and then slipping the goo filled shrink wrap over the connection once it's complete. Especially on a car that's going to have it's wiring exposed to moisture / humidity and start growing green crusties on the connections over time. Sealing out moisture is one of the best things you can do. If you're wiring boats, and especially boats that will be in salt water this is critical..

[@Cire3PC]

The reason that wire didn’t suck up that solder is no flux. You use good flux, that would have been the strongest part of the water. Soldered for 30+ years, do component level repairs. I have never had a solder joint go bad, but have soldered too many $hit crimps. You can like crimps all you want, but don’t solder wrong and claim it’s bad. Well if was bad, but you get the point.

[@henryhill2333]

I have been involved in electronics for 40+ years and am quite familiar with proper soldering practices. My preference with wiring is to solder and dual wall heat shrink connections over crimping. OEM machine crimps found on vehicles are a far cry better than is achievable with consumer grade crimp hand tools unless you spend over $400 and get calibrated ones for correct crimp pressure and shape for a particular terminal type but that is beyond most DIYers and really not feasible for small jobs spending a fortune on tools. The points that Irwin makes are very valid in my opinion and really boil down to skill for a particular process and he is quite correct when stating that crimping is better than soldering in the case of those that can't solder well (although many just can't crimp well either). The soldered joint shown that was potentially "brittle" was over-soldered causing wicking (as accurately described). However a properly solder connection will not have the lengthy rigid area shown. Wires should not be left to float around either and should be tie wrapped together which reduces strain significantly for either solder or crimped connections, therefore the joint whether soldered or crimped should never fail from stress (only poor workmanship). I have seen crimped connection fail from movement, also moisture incursion creating oxidation against the crimped surfaces causing failure. A soldered joint will not be prone to a degraded connection from moisture, only surface discoloration. That being said any connection needs to be well insulated and the dual wall heatshrink properly applied is at the top of the list for reliability. All in all a good video but the point that should be taken from it is the process you use really depends on your skill level. As a side note, a reasonable quality plug in solder iron (Weller Professional Series) will have an internal temperature switch built into the pencil and maintain a stable temperature. I also agree the butane units are difficult to use as they really don't have the BTU's to maintain the tip temperature in most cases. But then again it depends on your skill level using the tool. One final note on soldering, if you want to do it reliably with good results use 63/37 rosin core solder, use lead free solder as it is difficult to use for the beginner and it's dull appearance when cool can be hard to distinguish from a cold solder joint. As far as solder thickness ? thinner will require more (measured by length) to be applied but easier to gauge the final outcome, while thicker solder will take less but be easier to over apply. Unless you are soldering battery cable lugs, 0.031 to 0.040 should be good for most people.

[@NordicDan]

Crimping or properly splicing a wire or connector gives you the mechanical hold, while soldering reinforces the electrical connection. As someone experienced in both automotive and electronic/electrical repair, I can guarantee that a spliced/crimped, soldered (PROPERLY!) and then protected (adhesive lined shrink wrap is my preference) is the most reliable, long term repair you can achieve. Where the problem lies is there are far too many hack soldering jobs where a booger of a cold solder joint is left hanging uninsulated as the sole "repair" to the connection, or the connection deteriorates and introduces way too much resistance into the circuit over time.

[@pfuller136]

Excellent information here, a good splice, crimp, solder, with an adhesive shrink wrap is where If ind the most success. Soldering takes a lot of practice to get right and doing a poor job even with the above mentioned connection can cause be the sole cause of that type of connection to fail. But when done right, you can expect that connection to outlive the cars useful life.

[@psdaengr911]

A proper inline solder slice starts with a basic trapeze grip "2 hands gripping wrists" connection that is reinforced against easy separation by the solder - and newer solders are stringer than the old tin-lead ones. The problem with connections is lack of training.

[@MrHBSoftware]

a proper solder joint requires a good mechanical and electrical connection first, the solder is then added...this video must be talking about those solder jobs we see on those fake free energy videos or those "arts and crafts diy creative build your own whatever " were they touch the soldering iron on 2 wires or 2 components and blob them together...thats not soldering

[@Marcel-ot5zz]

Yes, you are absolutely right that a correctly done crimp is a lot better than soldering wires. During my mobile installation specialist training i was told this time and time again and I have seen many installation issues because of connections breaking because they were soldered. These soldered connections always seem to break near the soldering. It reminds me of a broken weld on a piece of steel, the weld never breaks, it is always near the weld.

[@wingerrrrrrrrr]

6:55 The solder spike on the joint is something to watch out for also; that can happen with insufficiently heated joints as the iron pulls away and leaves with the solder trailing behind. Or if the wire wrapping isn't done carefully, with individual strands of wire poking outwards. That can end up piercing the heat shrink and could potentially short out to something.

[@andrewmccarthy4144]

I check my soldered splices and if I see the signs you mention, I just squeeze them with a plier to fix them.

[@WHMAGuy]

@@andrewmccarthy4144a helpful hint here: if you get a slider spike it means you’ve cooked off your flux. Reflow it easily by heating the joint and touching a little more solder (with flux core) to the joint and pull the heat and solder away once all solder has fully wetted. Another way is to add a small amount of flux to the joint and reheat but this is not my preferred method as it requires cleaning more residue. Usually 1-1.5 seconds at 600 Fahrenheit depending on the joint. Could be longer based on the wire size, soldering equipment, or strand type. Also be sure to keep that tip clean, and tinned with solder. Contamination from burnt flux, overheated solder, insulation material, or substrate coatings will prevent your tip from effectively transmitting heat energy to the joint. Happy soldering hope this helps!!

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

@@WHMAGuyRight!

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

A good way to get a spike is not tin your wires. Get a holding device, tin your wires, tin your clean tip, then let the solder hold the wires together. There is no need to wrap them, stick them through a hole in a terminal or anything like that. Put each wire in a clamp, bump them together, heat, add a little solder, get off of it, watch the shine fade as it cools. Just enough solder that you can't see the strands of the wire but not enough to make a fat ball, oblong bead or a drip hanging down below.

[@seamichoo]

As a Chrysler technician, the standard wiring repair procedure we're taught is to crimp with open barrel crimps (they come in the kit with the heat shrink tubes) and then solder over them afterward.

[@TheJustinM]

Bro, this is the best way to join two automotive wires! Been doing it for years and you just can't get better 👌 all these comments 'I've been soldering for 30 years...bla bla bla' are stubborn and aren't interested in change. Yes solder works but crimping is the ultimate, you won't find a solder joint on any OE manufactured vehicle today!

[@RotaryDaddy]

EXACTLY! One of my biggest pet peeves in this industry is people that flaunt how long they've been doing it. Like 30 years means nothing if you aren't constantly learning and adapting to changing technology. Thanks for watching! 🤘🏼

[@mkusiak7551]

The reason no new car built today uses soldered wire terminations is that it is quicker and cheaper to crimp, not because it makes a better connection. I have worked on 1950's cars with original soldered wire terminal connections and not one has ever failed. On the other hand, some 1980's cars with original crimped connections are all going bad, with intermittent open circuits. In these cases the crimps have lost compression of the wire, allowing moisture to corrode the interface between the wire and terminal. This does not happen with the soldered joint because it does not rely on pressure to maintain electrical continuity.

[@dcgo44r]

Also want to add that you can also can tin/solder the terminal and crimp with barrel crimps. I realized this as one time was pulling apart a throttle cable, that I needed to remove and the one end terminal had a barrel at the end of the cable. First I thought that the barrel (some aluminum alloy) was forge/fused on the cable, after further inspection I saw a mark on the other side of the barrel like if the barrel was drilled all the way and the cable inserted. I applied heat and a blob of solder came out releasing the cable. Then I could see that there was small diameter hole for the cable and on the other side it was bigger, allowing the strands to expand and pull apart of each other then it could be filled with solder. Ingenious! that means that the only way for this to come undone was to apply heat or exceed a force way greater that what it was designed for; as the solder between strands are 3:23 holding the strands apart in the bigger hole the cable can't slip through the small hole, intercepting both forces.

[@adamrodenberg1557]

I've noticed that some of the cheaper non-heat shrink insulated butt connectors have a split seam (which is hard to see from the ends) that runs the length of the connector, and I think it's important to clock that seam to the top and bottom of the crimper jaws. If you have the seam on one side or the other, it ends up in a weaker flattened out "C"/clamshell shaped crimp that is very weak. Usually when I have a wire pull out of someone's previous work, it was crimped sideways with weak crimpers.

[@FerenzeeBlazingReapr]

Many years ago I bought a set of heavy duty jumper cables made by a reputable brand. I used them when I got home to start my truck that I had ran dead playing the radio while I was working. I had to let the truck charge with the doner car running for for five minutes before it would start, keep in mind by trucks battery wasnt completely dead. I carried them with me and used them often over the next couple of years, all the while developing many more broken wires till eventually one of the clamps finally broke off. I still used them by just clamping the wire to the target with the clamp and that worked okay. Then another clamp broke off. I thought about buying a new set (50 ish bucks down the drain) but decided instead to solder the wires into the clamps. 14 years later, and I can use those cables to crank that same truck off of a good battery sitting on the ground, with the battery in the truck disconnected, and not a single broken wire in sight.

[@vazz22]

Great work with experiments to prove it!

[@RotaryDaddy]

I appreciate that! 🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@vazz22]

@@RotaryDaddy good luck with your you tube channel buddy!

[@cayankeelord3730]

Bought a complete Paladin crimping system kit when I was an IBEW apprentice 30 years ago. Added various dies as I added communications to my training including fiber optics. Not cheap (Got about $300 into the kit total) but, you pay for what you get. Works as good as the day I bought it all 30+ years ago.

[@rustyshackleford6934]

I just went out and did this on my car and it was really easy. Thanks for posting this man, it was really helpful :)

[@RotaryDaddy]

Glad it helped! 🤘🏼

[@tuga2112]

good video. reminds me of my journey through doing auto electrics in my car. Istarted off by doing crimps.. then moved up to soldering.. and then reverted back to crimps. very good to see the tool your using, it made me realise i need to upgrade mine to get it completely right.

[@BogdanSzczurek]

16:50 Wow! The electrical current will be very happy knowing that the wire it cruises through can hold so much weight 😜😉. But jokes aside, mechanical strength is important, but so are the electrical characteristics. Although I am a fan of crimping when it comes to high power (especially high current) connections, I do prefer soldering for low power applications, such as digital and analogue signal cables. And let's face it: crimped connections are as susceptible to breaking on the edges as are the soldered ones. Without proper strain relief both are pretty much the same. It wasn't a bad video and I can agree with most of your claims, but: 1. you are waaaay to wary of soldering. Come on, mate! It's electronics 101! It is not that hard. On the contrary: once you know the proper basics, it's quite hard to botch. Even with a cheap, crappy soldering iron. Heck! Even with a lighter and a bottle cap! 2. If you want to make a really good comparison between soldered and crimped joints, do some electrical comparison as well. I admit: mechanical strength is important, but it's only a half of the story. Get a thermometer (thermocouple or thermovision camera), put some amps over the connection and measure the temperature. Do that a couple of times (at least 20-odd) each time giving the connection some time to properly cool off and then gather the results. Lousy crimped connection can be just as useless/dangerous as a bad soldering. Sometimes even more so, because it “looks nice” weather it was done correctly or not. “Tug test” may also be inconclusive although it's not useless either. Anyhow, if the connection wasn't crimped strongly enough to form a proper “cold-weld” it will degrade over time much quicker than any soldered joint.

[@Doomer17018]

There is a reason oem companies don't use solder in their harnesses. The only place for it is SMD components. I have been soldering wires forever and have recently been converted to crimps. You can too lol.

[@RotaryDaddy]

I can't say that I'm personally too wary of soldering, just over the years I've seen quite a few failed soldering joints made by people who probably just didn't know what they were doing. As far as processes go, getting a good crimper and good connectors is all you need to make a reliable crimp connection. I just think the barrier to entry is a bit lower. And you're totally right there are better ways to test the connection along with different metrics that can be used to prove a joint's ability to transfer energy. Might make another video later doing some more tests!

[@Diamonddrake]

@@Doomer17018 the reason is soldering is labor intensive and crimping can be automated. But we are talking splices in this video. There should be zero splices from the manufacture, and ideally zero in your work if you can avoid it.

[@scottraines7419]

Well, I've been soldering wires/terminals/connections also for years. It is, without a doubt, a tedious process. And, if done correctly, yes, it's a great connection/joint. If not done correctly, as shown, it can result in a faulty connection and that is why many DIY types won't even attempt soldering because they've never learned and or shown, the correct way and see the correct results. However, with the demonstration(s) shown in the video, using the correct/proper open or closed barrel, non-insulated terminals/connectors, with the proper/correct crimpers, you will obtain the proper and efficient connection sought after. I was a firm believer in soldering over crimping. I thought it was by far, the best way. But, in doing some recent research, experimenting, practice, it has become sufficiently clear that using higher quality non-insulated connectors/terminals, and using the higher end, nicer and more proficient crimpers, that the results obtained are at least to me, who wants to keep a good rep with myself and friends, every single bit as good as a soldered joint, only without the hassle of soldering. This, like many, many things in life, is a choice. You do what you think is best. I found Irvin's video to be a great example of instructional aid in this matter.

[@rosslawrence4628]

It is difficult learn how to solder, but the solder joint done properly, is the better electrical joint.

[@julesw4037]

I bought a new premade wring harness for my 1969 Triumph 500 motorcycle as I would be commuting approximately 100 miles a day, and reliability was required. Some of the crimped connectors failed. When I later designed and made a separate wiring harness to add indicators to it, I soldered the bullet connectors on. There was zero failures, and this was on a motorcycle which had engine vibration and is not so compliant on poor bumpy road surfaces which we have here in the UK.

[@justaskhow]

Lack of soldering almost caused a fire in my car. Always solder properly. If you can't, find someone who can (been soldering for over 50 years).

[@Jez1963UK]

Why would lack of soldering cause a fire? In some locations, soldering simply isn't possible.

[@slackleashdogtraining3598]

for over 6 decades I’ve built and flown; fixed and rotary wing UAS’s; my Dad was in Aerospace manufacturing and taught me to soldier and the use of heatshrink…. this is how I’ve handled all the electronic installs for these flying models, my car repairs, and radio installations of substantial Amps and amplification. I don’t recall any solder joints coming apart or breaks where the solder ends. That being said after watching this I’m breaking out my crimper and crimps for High amperage and voltage radio operations. My instructor in this has seen heat sources liquify solder joints so it’s widely accepted to crimp or fasten key features of these radio installations.

[@edwardpaulsen1074]

There are pros and cons to BOTH types of connections... most of the cons involve "user error"... basically not taking the time to do the process correctly. Solder joints are better at resisting corrosion (if done properly) but they also need to be well secured in a location with little to no movement of the joint or lots of vibration. This is because the solder makes the wires stiff and brittle and can lead to the joint failing early where the solder stops on the wire. Crimped joints are better for movement and vibration but they are highly susceptible to corrosion wicking up the wiring and of course, bad crimping techniques. Mostly with people crimping the insulation where it is supposed to only be the wire, and/or the wire being under the part that should crimp the insulation. Nearly ALL electrical joints should have heat shrink tubing (make sure it is ON the wire before making the joint!), self sealing rubber tape is next best and plain electrical tape being a sorry third and really should only be used for short term protection... I completely agree that wire nuts are crap for any long term connection, *but* it can be handy for emergency connections to get you out of a bad situation when you don't have the proper tools... like a breakdown on the side of the road... replace them as soon as possible when you get to a place with proper tools.

[@em0_tion]

Couldn't have said it better! 👌

[@Ghost_moto_WPN]

10 years as a field and workshop Audio visual technician, a gas soldering iron was glued to me, they get plenty hot, made working on cars heaps easier not having a big cable too. And with the gas exhaust port it made heat shrinking super easy. If you’re not familiar or not good at soldering I’d recommend crimping, but you can’t convince me a crimp is a better connection than a decent solder joint especially once it’s heat shrinked and sealed. I do agree with your statement about regular moving wires, but also in that case your wire should be secured anyway and then the connection type based on movement becomes irrelevant.

[@vicpetrishak7705]

Class 8 truck / trailer mechanic . I find most problems are from corrosion . 3M Scotchkote FD is a coating designed for electrical underground splices , works very well and is expensive . Some problems realized around trucks are the pressure sensitive electrical terminals . Mechanics aggressively probing and deforming electrical terminal ends causing high resistance and eventually failing .

[@drummerboy3786]

Everything about this video was amazing! Straight to the point and informative, showed what you meant as well as explained what you meant, and packed it with good info. Thanks for this!

[@geraldzuckier]

The switch from lead-containing solder to no-lead solder has made soldering a lot more difficult, for me anyway. A lot of soldering tools, electric or butane, just don't seem to get hot enough for the new formulations, even though they're in the store right next to the no-lead solder. And no, I don't want to go back to the old style; I remember as a kid seeing that the age of death for electronic repairmen was relatively young compared to similar jobs for some unknown reason, and that bothered me, since I really liked repairing electronics.

[@evanescecse]

When joining wires solder all the way less chance of resistance 👍

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

Crimping is widely used in vehicle wiring manufacture simply because it's the most economical method for the manufacturers as it can be done rapidly by robotic machines on a production line, or even if it's done manually it's still quicker than soldering so therefore cheaper. But you do have a valid point about flexibility of wiring, so soldering of joints should be done with some careful thought about where the wiring is going to be used, obviously soldering could possibly be a hazard where the wiring often flexes, like where it crosses from a pillar to a door for instance for stuff like central locking, or electric windows etc.

[@argistof]

I don't know if anyone else commented this, but on the Tip maintenance, one thing I run into a lot, Is that people don't know is that the tips of a iron actually have a different metal plating at the tip. While tinning is an important part, one SUPER IMPORTANT thing NOT to do is use sandpaper on your tip to clean it. If you remove that plating, your tip have several different issues (ie the solder will not stick to the tip and trouble heating, esp after the insulating oxidation layer forms). If you notice your tip, it has a nice clean line a bit back from the tip. This is a sign of a good tip with the plating still intact. But I've seen people who take sand paper to "clean" the tip ruining their tips and having trouble soldering because it's gone.

[@Edsdrafts]

Thanks for sharing. Crimp is not only the way to go for a solid connection but also looks good and is a total pleasure to do if you just spend 5min to learn to do it right.

[@randyduncan795]

Here is one more who has been soldering connections in automotive applications since I well into the last century. Zero failures. It's a small data set but two of these vehicles were purchased new in 91 and 94. But he's absolutely right about proper tools. I use professional crimpers on anything that requires a crimp and have had good success with those as well.

[@williamogilvie6909]

The big problem with crimp connections is corrosion. Over time humidity gets inside the crimp and eventually corrode the wire so much there is no longer an electrical connection. The other problem with crimp connectors is wire will sometimes pull out. You have to use the right crimp tool and the right crimp connector for the wire size. Most people just use the yellow handle all purpose crimp/strip/cut tool sold in hardware stores. I have a tool box full of crimp tools that I use for electronics work. I threw out the yellow handle tools a long time ago. The worst crimp fiasco I have ever seen was on my first sailboat. None of the running lights worked. All the connections were crimped and completely corroded away. In fact most of the wires had turned to green Copper carbonate. I replaced all the wires and went with soldered connections.. I wrapped each splice with #30 Silver plated wire before I soldered it. Then I covered the solder with 3M 5200 and heatshrink. That sealed it so no moisture could get in.

[@samuellord8576]

Very good demo. I would add a temperature warning: in areas with extreme heat, like in an engine fire or just a _running_ engine, you can melt the solder, whereas crimp joints will be still be useful. Heatshink quality and thickness will matter in each case.

[@ytwhite5930]

Very informative video... I won't be soldering any more joints on my cars! I normally use heatshrink butt connectors,but damn,are they expensive. You made one statement that said it all..."manufacturers use double crimp connectors on all joints"...You are absolutely right and laid it out in black and white for us. Thanks again!

[@richc9503]

Good video and good explanation, thank you. My rule of thumb, if it has solder it get solder (factory), if it's crimped, I crimp it. Having said that I've never had anyone show me how to properly crimp a join (and I'm old), I'll trust them a lot more now!

[@m1chi13l]

Irvin, thanks for showing the open barrel crimp process. It's amazing how many other videos that KZbin search algorithm bring up gloss right over it I'm currently using cheap Amazon ratchet crimpers and dodgy Amazon connectors. I think it's time to stump up some cash for better quality I agree that crimping is the way to go for automotive use, especially when you can use oem style connectors