Topic: dielectric grease vs vaseline

[mazingerzeca]

Hello all.
I went to local dealers, auto stores and so on and I could not find dielectric grease to protect the connections of my just finished electric wireharness. So, does the vaseline make the same function?
Thank you.

[dagersh]

I think Vaseline would attack the plastic of the wire's insulation.  Aren't petroleum products a no-no on plastics?

Gersh

[rhinoracer]

You'll find it in little envelopes like wetnaps to apply to sparkplug boots, also I think Loctite sells it in small tubes.

You can find it in electrical suppliers as silicone lubricant, it is used in electrical maintenance to protect lug connections. It is expensive though.

Don't know if vaseline works. One is silicone and the other is petroleum and petroleum disolves silicone, that's all I know.

[jensk]

I used vaseline on the electric connections of my car - a Peugeot 405 which was notoriously known for it's bad electical connections generation a lot of strange faults in the electronics. I had it for 10 years after the vaseline treatment without any problems and the climate here in Denmark is very damp/humid most of the year.

I haven't used vaseline on the CB550K yet but is planning to when my present restore is finished.

Haven't observed that the plastics should be attacked by the vaseline.

[hcritz]

Our local Autozone carries dielectric grease in small packages for spark plug boots and also in a small aresol can sort of like cheese whiz.

[mazingerzeca]

Hello. Thanks for all fast replies.
I could not find dielectric grease in any auto shop here, in Spain. In some shops they didn't know what is that. Does it have another name? In some wires and connections of my car (Peugeot 205) there was a white-transparent grease. Can it be dielectric grease or is vaseline? What does the dielectric grease look like?
Thank you.

[Bob Wessner]

It's basically a silicone grease. Here's one brand. Maybe if you approached it that way when shopping around you will find some. I;m sure you will.

http://www.silchem.com/silicone_compounds.htm

Sounds like others have used vaseline, but I would look for the silicone grease.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Vaseline aka petroleum jelly is a greasy yellowish substance. Dielectric grease is a whitish substance with a less greasy feel.

Where does dielectric grease get it's name ?? Isn't it a non-conductive substance?

[Bob Wessner]

Yes, it is non-conductive. It's primary purpose is to seal out moisture.

http://www.vectorbd.com/peugeot/archive/General/2004/Mar/0265.html

[texian_biker]

I've used vaseline to restore vinyl parts like motorcycle seats and car dashes for years.  Take your seat and cover with vaseline and let it sit in the sun till well liquefied.  It wipes off to an as new finish and the petroleum components supposedly replace some of the natural oils that have oxidized out.  Wipe it off for an natural looking as new finish with none of the silicone slipperies and feel the flexibility in the material.  I also use on the rubber bushings that sidecover studs plug into...JimJ

[feliz]

I've used Vaseline for years on the electrics of my bikes, cars, boats, and when when I had one I used it on my private aircraft with no ill effects though I'm sure there are better products.

All dielectric grease does is keep moisture out, it doesn't improve conductivity, it's called dielectrict for a reason.

[medic09]

I found it in Santa Fe in tubes labelled "Tune-up Grease".  There was a smaller subtitle (maybe just difficult to my aging eyes!) that said 'dielectric grease".

[aptech77]

DC4
also called
Dow Corning 4

http://www.dowcorning.com/applications/search/default.aspx?R=402EN