I just had to chuckle!

[Jeremy airjer W]

I had a customer bring in there 500 the other day for an oil change and to check the drivers side headlamp inop. It also noted that the customer had already replaced the bulb and it still did not work.

Upon opening the hood this is what I saw.

Can you see the problem?

The moral of the story, if your going to do it do it right! this customer could have saved himself about $60 if he would have spent a couple dollars for some proper heat shrink butt connectors.

[pureinsanity]

one wire isn't even connected to the other..

[Jeremy airjer W]

I know. The scotch tape didn't hold very well! The repair is right next to the hedlamp, you would have to see it if you changed the bulb.

[pureinsanity]

what ever happened to good ol solder? I solder everything!

[Jeremy airjer W]

Anything PCM related I solder. Everything else gets a good heat shrink butt connector that is the correct size for the repair. I have yet to get burned using one. Properly installed there should never be an issue.

[vister]

maybe they should have used duct tape!

[1968]

Shrink butts are OK as far as butt connectors go. I have seen them rot out from a break in the shell, possibly made during crimping. I've also seen too little crimp pressure cause connections problems even though the connector feels tight because of the glue. They sure beat wire nuts though! I've seen up to 11 of those at the front end of a 4 wire trailer harness. Gee, don't know why the lights don't work...

I prefer solder and glue lined heavy wall shrink tube on every splice. If the wire is black or green at all, soldering is the only way to make a reliable connection without replacing as much wire as it takes to find clean copper. Just make sure you sand the strands first so the solder gets a good grip on clean copper. I also flow/drip enough solder thru the seasoned wire so that it helps wash out impurities that sanding didn't get.

[MNmikew]

I know. The scotch tape didn't hold very well! The repair is right next to the hedlamp, you would have to see it if you changed the bulb.

When I first bought my house, we were painting the bathroom and took down the medicine cabinet. The wire to the light went into a hole in the wall where we found a hot wire TAPED to the prongs of the plug. And yes, it was scotch tape. Pure genius I tell ya.

[BobT]

When I bought our farm (literally) it had the old fusestat service entrance. I kid you not, there was not one fuse rated less than 30A. In addition, the main disconnect out on the power pole had two cigar fuses. Each one was rated for 100A even though the disconnect and service entrance cable was only rated at 60A. How that house never burned to the ground is beyond me.