Harness full of goo

[azkkr]

I was replacing a solenoid in my TSI and the harness(Connector or terminal) that goes into the solenoid has some kind of light brown color goo or substance in it. Is this normal?

 

[luv2rallye]

Connectors are supposed to have a dialectric (conducting) paste in them to prevent corrosion. It's usually clear. Yours sounds like water and muck got washed into it which does turn brown color goo. I'd disconnect it and try to remove it (try blowing it out towards the harness side (to not get any on the pin surfaces) with air gun or any way you can. Then wipe off each pin wth dry rag on a tiny screwdriver. Get it as clean and dry as you can. Then get some clear Dialectric Silicon Compound from Napa and put in there all in and around the pins (comes in a small squeeze tube).

 

[azkkr]

Connectors are supposed to have a dialectric (conducting) paste in them to prevent corrosion. It's usually clear. Yours sounds like water and muck got washed into it which does turn brown color goo. I'd disconnect it and try to remove it (try blowing it out towards the harness side (to not get any on the pin surfaces) with air gun or any way you can. Then wipe off each pin wth dry rag on a tiny screwdriver. Get it as clean and dry as you can. Then get some clear Dialectric Silicon Compound from Napa and put in there all in and around the pins (comes in a small squeeze tube).

thanks for the reply. I think I'm getting a short circuit because of this.

 

[luv2rallye]

Obviously for a multiple wire connector you don't want wires shorting to each other through a dialectric gel either so to prevent corrosion you should either use a water proof connector (like using a rubber boot) or just put the dialectric gel on each individual pin to it's mating pin (don't put it across any 2 adjacent pins or you WILL have a short!). If you have water/muck in there I agree that could easily be a short or partial short.