Just thought I would share an experience with anyone on the forum who carries out their own maintenance specifically when it involves disconnecting multi pin electrical plugs / connectors.
I noticed a while ago my rear brake pads were down to 4mm. I had nothing to do on Saturday morning so decided to change them.
Right hand rear went without a hitch but when I came to the left hand, I found the securing clip to be broken on the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) Actuator loom connector. I assumed this had been broken since manufacture as it’s never been disturbed before (to my knowledge anyway). How the connector stayed on for the last 28+K miles is a miracle. No point in a warranty claim as some may say I damaged it while changing the pads. From past experience over the years these connector types are not always the most durable of components.
I managed to wedge the broken clip into position and the connector locked in place. Placed a large ‘Ty-wrap’ around the top of the connector and around the actuator body so it’s held in place in case the clip should fail (no way is that going to come apart). Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my silicone sealant tube at the time as I was going to coat the actuator connector body in silicone before assembly (I found it Sunday morning!). This stuff tends to stick quite well and will absorb a certain amount of shock and can be taken apart in the future as well as being watertight (don’t need any issues with brakes as my 1st MOT is coming up in the spring).
Just thought I would post this as I have been approached by many people at work with similar issues with auto electrics (I’m a time served electrician so tend to get many auto electrical repair requests). In some cases people tell me they have been advised by garages and workshops to have looms replaced at great expense when the problem could be a relatively quick and cheap fix (some auto connector types can be sourced on the internet, which may be my next step).
In this case I’m not sure if the EPB loom (L/H) is integral to a larger loom assembly or just a small replaceable cable assembly (might ask Dan at Duckworth’s for advice).
Chris Gone:
2002 FL1 TD4 GS Zambezi Silver
2007 FL2 TD4 GS Izmir Blue