Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Trucks, Tractors & Machinery
Dielectric vs Conductive Grease
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="greybeard" data-source="post: 1412056" data-attributes="member: 18945"><p>True dielectric grease is an insulator. Much of the grease today labeled dielelectric is not real dielectric grease but a combination of conductive enhancement and water repellant. </p><p>Probably depends on how much current/voltage is present and required. If the circuit is just being used to light a 12v bulb, it won't make much difference, as 12v is considered high voltage in an automotive accessory (non-ignition) circuit nowadays. We've all pulled a brake light bulb out of an older vehicle and seen the white OEM grease on the bulb and in the socket. That's conductive grease used to ensure a good contact on the ground side of the bulb. The old trailer brake controllers, (like most 'electronics' of the time) used some form of physically adjustable rheostat that changed the voltage. They were kind of funky as you moved the lever back and forth depending on load you were pulling. The rheostats themselves had no lubricant along the slide area--you've seen them I'm sure. A serrated copper bar that provided different resistance as you moved the slide along the bar. The rheostats of this type generally went from zero resistance to infinity resistance, with infinity basically meaning the unit passed zero voltage and zero resistance passing the full battery/charging system voltage.</p><p></p><p>The current ones, use integrated circuit boards that are very sensitive to voltage and current and I would be hesitant to use a true dielectric on the prongs of the connectors of a vehicle that had a modern brake controller. The controller can not pass as much voltage to the brake as it is intended to do as set up by the design. On the other hand, a true conductive grease gobbed into the trailer wiring receptacle can pass voltage from the tail light/brake light circuit to the prong of the brake circuit. Moderation....</p><p></p><p>Engine and transmission sensors are another place you have to be careful about using dielectric or conductive grease. Usually, a one wire sensor like most O2 sensors, you want to use conductive grease and not dielectric, as the sensor uses the threaded portion of the sensor to get a good source to ground.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="greybeard, post: 1412056, member: 18945"] True dielectric grease is an insulator. Much of the grease today labeled dielelectric is not real dielectric grease but a combination of conductive enhancement and water repellant. Probably depends on how much current/voltage is present and required. If the circuit is just being used to light a 12v bulb, it won't make much difference, as 12v is considered high voltage in an automotive accessory (non-ignition) circuit nowadays. We've all pulled a brake light bulb out of an older vehicle and seen the white OEM grease on the bulb and in the socket. That's conductive grease used to ensure a good contact on the ground side of the bulb. The old trailer brake controllers, (like most 'electronics' of the time) used some form of physically adjustable rheostat that changed the voltage. They were kind of funky as you moved the lever back and forth depending on load you were pulling. The rheostats themselves had no lubricant along the slide area--you've seen them I'm sure. A serrated copper bar that provided different resistance as you moved the slide along the bar. The rheostats of this type generally went from zero resistance to infinity resistance, with infinity basically meaning the unit passed zero voltage and zero resistance passing the full battery/charging system voltage. The current ones, use integrated circuit boards that are very sensitive to voltage and current and I would be hesitant to use a true dielectric on the prongs of the connectors of a vehicle that had a modern brake controller. The controller can not pass as much voltage to the brake as it is intended to do as set up by the design. On the other hand, a true conductive grease gobbed into the trailer wiring receptacle can pass voltage from the tail light/brake light circuit to the prong of the brake circuit. Moderation.... Engine and transmission sensors are another place you have to be careful about using dielectric or conductive grease. Usually, a one wire sensor like most O2 sensors, you want to use conductive grease and not dielectric, as the sensor uses the threaded portion of the sensor to get a good source to ground. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Trucks, Tractors & Machinery
Dielectric vs Conductive Grease
Top