So, I've got the LR3 back and for now I'm sticking with it. I'm going to apply some liquid tape to the problem wiring behind the wheel well and add some extra protection on top of it. This is my Achilles heel and if I can remedy it, all should be fine. The LR4 is nice but the LR3 is paid for and set up the way I like it.
Corrosion is a beast to deal with. Cancer so to speak in an electrical system. I deal with this a lot in Hawaii due to salt air and humidity. I am also a helicopter mechanic so corrosion prevention is a daily routine of every job we do.
The key is treating and preventing or vice/versa if you will. Many times we clean the exposed portion of a connector but that does not rid the cancer. The corrosion will eventually work its way back to the same problem areas with the same results..........failure. To properly treat a corroded connector, it needs to be disassembled which can be a project.
I recommend if you find a corrosion prone area, you de-pin the connector and thoroughly clean and treat the entire male and female connection. Once thoroughly cleaned and treated, re-pin the connector and test it to ensure all is good. Once your operations check is complete and everything is working well, you can now perform the prevention process. Disconnect, use a good thin coat of dielectric grease on the inside of the connector and then reconnect. You may also pack the backside where the wires go in with dielectric grease which helps dissipate/repel water as some added protection.
Now seeing the tip on liquid electric tape by Plasti-Dip, I will be trying that on the backside and over the connectors instead of the dielectric grease on the outside. We use this stuff in aviation called pressure tape but is super expensive so its not necessary in all areas and I surely do not plan to use it on my LR...lol
I will still use the same cleaning and prepping on the interior of the connector as I always use.........can't go wrong.
Keep in mind, some connectors are quite busy with so many wires! My take is, if I find a known corrosion problem, the extra time taken with the above steps will save me tons of money and time in the long run. Generally, a quick cleaning and dielectric anytime I disconnect a connector will suffice! For those times I do find heavy corrosion or a known fault related to corrosion the above steps by completely disassembling, cleaning, treating, and preventing if performed correctly will get you back on track with no further issues in that specific area. Its just typical prevention after that.
Now that I know the wheel wells in the rear are a problem, when I do my TR bumper this weekend and the trailer harness, I'm going to take the time under the rear wells to properly treat for corrosion in those areas. I just added a few more hours to the job I guess!
Hope this helps, corrosion and electrical don't mix and surely make things frustrating.
