Some people have a misconception that dielectric grease promotes conduction. As you say, it actually is an insulator, acting as a barrier to water contamination and slowing corrosion. The metal contact sufaces are broad enough that a little grease doesn't harm, but ideally you don't want it there. I've met mechanics who put it on every electrical connector that they open, and I guess a point could be made there. But it gets a bit messy if you use it everywhere.
It is waterproof and I have used it for years on my car and my lawn equipment. However, I use a Q-Tip to put it on the spark boots. It works like a charm! Thanks for reminding me of this Donboy.
Yes, I agree. I see corona on most of the plugs I remove and I shrug it off as normal staining. I have assumed the mechanism is heat, with airborn dust collecting on the exposed part of the porcelain and baking to a brown stain on the white porcelain. I don't believe it's from arcing -- that usually leaves a thin black tracking sign along the length of the porcelain.
Great tip with the Dielectric grease, I always used in on my cars, dealing with 4, 6, or 8 plugs can cause some grief. I've never used it on my single cylinder engines on power equipment only because I didn't have it and couldn't justify the cost for 1 spark plug, but if it was in my tool box I sure would use it because it works.
Must read this story... I'm not good at working on cars but, I couldn't find out why my 351 van engine started not running well after I tuned it up 4 years ago . I didn't drive it much after. but it was ruff to drive. 4 years to this day , I just replaced everything to be tune-up. And it still ran stupit.. I just saw you on TH-cam and saw what I have been doing wrong for so long. I put the plug wire grease directly on tips of plugs and inside the other end thinking it was for a better gire connection . G D ... thank you for showing me where not to out plug wire grease on.
Hi Dony, I just wanted to heap a little praise on you fine teaching ability. Actually, you seem to be a natural. Very clear and precise presentations. Obvious extensive technical background. And maybe most importantly, you never try to be cute or condescending which is a great trait for teaching. Well done and thank you, Vern, retired college teacher and long time mechanic.
Besides spark plug boots, silicon dielectric grease prevents corrosion on all low voltage connection. Any electrical connection that could get wet (pretty much everything on a mower/tractor/snowblower/etc) will not corrode if is covered with that grease. I does take a bit more on these types of connections because they are open.
Silicone dielectric grease prevents "unwanted" high voltage arcing. It does not stop all arcing, which is good. It work well on the inside of a distributor cap (preventing arcing to the wrong terminal). It works well on the distributor end of spark plug wells. Dielectric grease also works well at preventing corrosion on low voltage electrical connection that are exposed to the weather, such as light bulbs.
The best dielectric grease is Dow Corning DC4. To cure weird electrical problems on multi plugs on your car, like the throttle body or MAF connectors, put a very small amount of dielectric grease on the pins then work the two connectors together a few times to spread the grease over the pins and then connect together. It keeps moisture out of the connectors and stops random electrical impulses jumping over two or more pins and giving you throttle body or MAF fault codes.
Great Idea! I have taken apart the plug connections of Lock/unlock SW7080 Door Switch on my ford ranger and found when these switches fail its usually due to corrosion in the female to male connection. After cleaning this connection contact points best I could to get the switch functioning again, the Dielectric Grease is what I would use when re-connecting the female harness plug to the Lock/Unlock Switch. (for info for some; test this switch with Continuity Tests between Black wire and Red/Yellow when pressing "Lock", and continuity between the Black wire and Red/Grey when pressing "Unlock" ... No Continuity, the switch inside contacts and/or switch plug connections are bad.). A new switch is $104.
There is a conductive grease/paste that is smeared on the battery connections (especially the + terminal). The grease promotes electrical conductivity, and (most importantly) it excludes the oxygen in the atmosphere. If the + terminal is treated with this paste it will not form the greenish oxidation crust that produces resistance and stops the battery from cranking the motor. This same paste can be used when joining Aluminum wire to Copper wire in your home. It prevents oxidation here too
This stuff is great. It's actually typically used directly on electrical connections to exclude water and prevent arcing. I typically put it in the boot (which I suppose keeps the rubber from during to the plug) and on the actual terminal. Pretty much any electrical connection that might be outside can benefit from this. (I'd keep it off your points in your old ignition though :-D ) Incidentally, it's also the recommended treatment for car door weather-stripping (right from my Saturn manual).
Dielectric grease is NONCONDUCTIVE (doesn't conduct electricity) so it is ideal for the application described in this video. For battery terminals, I recommend lithium grease, which will not inhibit the electrical connection like dielectric grease or vaseline could. To prevent the seizing of different bolts such as wheel lugs and nuts, I recommend Permatex anti-seize compound. For a brake job, use brake grease to insure proper brake operation.
yea just don't put it straight on the connections or you will have problems :p I like to use deoxit for the actual connectors as it is a actual conductivity enhancer.
Lithium grease is flammable. You would not want to put it in the presence of a spark, like a battery terminal. Your conductors are in direct physical contact with each other, so a thin film of dielectric grease on conductors, which is how electricians use it, will not interfere with electrical conduction, but it will inhibit corrosion.
Thanks for the tip. I looked up "dielectric" and found that it is a material that does not conduct electricity. It seems to me that if you are not careful, you could unintentionally and undesirably insulate the spark plug from the metal boot. Could this result in a plug not firing, or having a weak spark? I also noted there are a number of grease products that conduct electricity quite well. Would this be a wiser choice for spark plug boots? Of course too much could short out the plug
I rub a little bit on my spark plug insulators and the connector end of the spark plug. I use it sparingly. I used it on the terminals of a new start capacitor when I put it on my air conditioning unit, last week, to keep the connectors from corroding to the terminals.
Hi Dony, I know that this is an old video but I think what you were seeing on your car spark plug was blow-by, not arching. If it were arching, you would see it at both ends of the porcelain and it would likely be black.
Relatively straight to the point. Thank you. Why is it that some people say to put it on the terminal ends? Like were the metal touches metal? I thought it serves as an insulator.
Always use dielectric grease to protect against corrosion. Spark plug boots and electrical connections. It has to be non-conductive, otherwise it would short out the adjacent pins on the connector.
Can i also use it when instead of plug wires, the car has coil packs? I figure it wouldn't hurt on the electrical plugs at the top of the packs, but i am concerned about using it on the bottom that goes onto the plugs? As you can tell, i am no mechanic! Thanks for the help and the video!
I am thinking about using this on my coil packs, which have been wearing out too soon it seems. What parts of the coil pack/spark plugs did you apply the grease to and did you see good results?
I just smeared some inside the connection where the coil pack gets plugged in, and also inside the tube that goes on the plug. I haven't had any problems and I did this at least a year ago.
donny ive spent 4 days taking apart n cleaning n reasembling a evinrude 4hp outboard, with no luck keeps reving up and dying off . had it going for about 5mins any suggestions please m8 my heads wrecked ???? ps only one straight fuel line straight to carb.
I know this is a strange question...I have a Milwaukee m18 cordless drill I wanted to lubricate the drive gears at the same time I was replacing the motor anyway. I tried several different kinds of oil from sewing machine oil to lithium grease with no grease it seems OK. But all the other lubricants the drill gets hot fast and even smokes. I took apart a new one just to see whats inside its black and just a very small amount .please help thank you Jamilee
I tend to use solid plastic caps with a small seal at the end so ive not had that problem. I also use petrolium jelly/vasoline for the plastic speedo gears, and other similar stuff.
I have used it for years that and anti seize. Both together are great just don't mix them together. I finally got my governor problem I had a 5hp briggs 1991 carb on tank. No matter what I could do after the gov spring broke I ordered one from sears since the chipper was craftsman .After 1.5 years I found a 6.5 same year as mine. I took the tank and carb and put on my. I looked at the spring and it was different . The spring was wrong from sears . Now I know dont trust sears .
my echo back pack blower (pb-603) is giving me lots of trouble, not sure the problem but its extremely hard to get started so much so that even after a new spark plug and correct mixed gas i couldnt get it started after 1000 pulls until i held the throttle open and it slowly started up gradualy after about 10 pulls and smoked too much, and the old plug looked real dirty with oil and gas - any ideas - also the kill switch is bad so to turn it off ive just been choking it, could this be why im having problems? could choking it to kill it messed up the carb? it has a zima carb
Here's a comment from a guy who was a professional IBEW union marine-electrician journeyman-leadingman who pointed THIS out to me "Wonder why my power company guys don't use it.... Or try the logic from the other direction. If DG is so cheap and effective then why don't the OEM's use it? How deep does the conspiracy extend? I never had engineering instruction procedures to use DG."
I wonder if somebody can answer me I am from asia in usa over there we sometime put regular silicon greese in the crankcase. With pil change that helps engine rum smoother and queiter ,I wsk a mechanic here he almost had a heartattack explaining me not to do that,I said ok but I have been putting small chunk of greese with every oil change in my ford excursion and it not only runs smooth but I can feel its pulling strong...why am I not having any problems ?
I'd recommend against it - as a petroleum-based product it can break down some rubbers, plastics, and such, which might include the spark plug boot. (I suspect it also has a higher melting point) Getting a big tube of "tune up grease" will be not too expensive and last a while - one part number I found was Permatex 22058 Dielectric tune-up grease
Then why does it work. Your science is real weak. Its a coating. It allows current flow and prevents corrosion. Necessary for boating. check out video 'vaseline and dielecteic grease test '
Some people have a misconception that dielectric grease promotes conduction. As you say, it actually is an insulator, acting as a barrier to water contamination and slowing corrosion. The metal contact sufaces are broad enough that a little grease doesn't harm, but ideally you don't want it there. I've met mechanics who put it on every electrical connector that they open, and I guess a point could be made there. But it gets a bit messy if you use it everywhere.
Finally someone has the correct info on dielectric grease! Bravo!
It is waterproof and I have used it for years on my car and my lawn equipment. However, I use a Q-Tip to put it on the spark boots. It works like a charm! Thanks for reminding me of this Donboy.
Yes, I agree. I see corona on most of the plugs I remove and I shrug it off as normal staining. I have assumed the mechanism is heat, with airborn dust collecting on the exposed part of the porcelain and baking to a brown stain on the white porcelain. I don't believe it's from arcing -- that usually leaves a thin black tracking sign along the length of the porcelain.
Great tip with the Dielectric grease, I always used in on my cars, dealing with 4, 6, or 8 plugs can cause some grief. I've never used it on my single cylinder engines on power equipment only because I didn't have it and couldn't justify the cost for 1 spark plug, but if it was in my tool box I sure would use it because it works.
Must read this story... I'm not good at working on cars but, I couldn't find out why my 351 van engine started not running well after I tuned it up 4 years ago . I didn't drive it much after. but it was ruff to drive. 4 years to this day , I just replaced everything to be tune-up. And it still ran stupit.. I just saw you on TH-cam and saw what I have been doing wrong for so long. I put the plug wire grease directly on tips of plugs and inside the other end thinking it was for a better gire connection . G D ... thank you for showing me where not to out plug wire grease on.
Been doing this for decades, learned it from my Dad, it’s a good tip.
Hi Dony,
I just wanted to heap a little praise on you fine teaching ability. Actually, you seem to be a natural. Very clear and precise presentations. Obvious extensive technical background. And maybe most importantly, you never try to be cute or condescending which is a great trait for teaching.
Well done and thank you,
Vern, retired college teacher and long time mechanic.
Besides spark plug boots, silicon dielectric grease prevents corrosion on all low voltage connection. Any electrical connection that could get wet (pretty much everything on a mower/tractor/snowblower/etc) will not corrode if is covered with that grease. I does take a bit more on these types of connections because they are open.
It's also a good idea to put alil on the plug terminal aswell, been using this stuff for years and when put on the terminals I get better mileage
Silicone dielectric grease prevents "unwanted" high voltage arcing. It does not stop all arcing, which is good. It work well on the inside of a distributor cap (preventing arcing to the wrong terminal). It works well on the distributor end of spark plug wells.
Dielectric grease also works well at preventing corrosion on low voltage electrical connection that are exposed to the weather, such as light bulbs.
just got some to put on my motorcycle a T120 noticed the same arching marks as on your car plugs many thanks never to old to learn
The best dielectric grease is Dow Corning DC4. To cure weird electrical problems on multi plugs on your car, like the throttle body or MAF connectors, put a very small amount of dielectric grease on the pins then work the two connectors together a few times to spread the grease over the pins and then connect together. It keeps moisture out of the connectors and stops random electrical impulses jumping over two or more pins and giving you throttle body or MAF fault codes.
thank you so much for posting this. I was having a problem with the bolts on my snowblower seizing up. great video, great information, thanks again!
Awesome. I always used this because my dad said to but was never sure what it did.
Thanks for the info
Great Idea! I have taken apart the plug connections of Lock/unlock SW7080 Door Switch on my ford ranger and found when these switches fail its usually due to corrosion in the female to male connection. After cleaning this connection contact points best I could to get the switch functioning again, the Dielectric Grease is what I would use when re-connecting the female harness plug to the Lock/Unlock Switch. (for info for some; test this switch with Continuity Tests between Black wire and Red/Yellow when pressing "Lock", and continuity between the Black wire and Red/Grey when pressing "Unlock" ... No Continuity, the switch inside contacts and/or switch plug connections are bad.). A new switch is $104.
There is a conductive grease/paste that is smeared on the battery connections (especially the + terminal). The grease promotes electrical conductivity, and (most importantly) it excludes the oxygen in the atmosphere. If the + terminal is treated with this paste it will not form the greenish oxidation crust that produces resistance and stops the battery from cranking the motor. This same paste can be used when joining Aluminum wire to Copper wire in your home. It prevents oxidation here too
This stuff is great. It's actually typically used directly on electrical connections to exclude water and prevent arcing. I typically put it in the boot (which I suppose keeps the rubber from during to the plug) and on the actual terminal. Pretty much any electrical connection that might be outside can benefit from this. (I'd keep it off your points in your old ignition though :-D ) Incidentally, it's also the recommended treatment for car door weather-stripping (right from my Saturn manual).
wouldn't putting metal to metal run the risk of insulating the terminals? it IS non-conductive after all. Just wondering.
Dielectric grease is NONCONDUCTIVE (doesn't conduct electricity) so it is ideal for the application described in this video. For battery terminals, I recommend lithium grease, which will not inhibit the electrical connection like dielectric grease or vaseline could. To prevent the seizing of different bolts such as wheel lugs and nuts, I recommend Permatex anti-seize compound. For a brake job, use brake grease to insure proper brake operation.
yea just don't put it straight on the connections or you will have problems :p
I like to use deoxit for the actual connectors as it is a actual conductivity enhancer.
wrong
lithium grease is Non-conductive. I would not put it on battery terminals.
Lithium grease is flammable. You would not want to put it in the presence of a spark, like a battery terminal. Your conductors are in direct physical contact with each other, so a thin film of dielectric grease on conductors, which is how electricians use it, will not interfere with electrical conduction, but it will inhibit corrosion.
bpmr7a for the trimmers, call the dealer for the others or check online
Hi Vern, your comment means a lot coming from a guy like you!
Thank you taking the time to make this great video
Thanks for the tip. I looked up "dielectric" and found that it is a material that does not conduct electricity. It seems to me that if you are not careful, you could unintentionally and undesirably insulate the spark plug from the metal boot. Could this result in a plug not firing, or having a weak spark? I also noted there are a number of grease products that conduct electricity quite well. Would this be a wiser choice for spark plug boots? Of course too much could short out the plug
I rub a little bit on my spark plug insulators and the connector end of the spark plug. I use it sparingly. I used it on the terminals of a new start capacitor when I put it on my air conditioning unit, last week, to keep the connectors from corroding to the terminals.
Thanks for reply.. No not on the spark.. But on the tip that connects to wire. A nice bead.
use it a lot on my boat.. anywhere cables or wire plug together, makes a nice seal for moisture.
have a good weekend tomi!
nice video man!! I love well explained things!!!
+thatunknownguy thanks, make sure you are subscribed
Hi Dony, I know that this is an old video but I think what you were seeing on your car spark plug was blow-by, not arching. If it were arching, you would see it at both ends of the porcelain and it would likely be black.
Try searching for spark plug corona.
arcing, or spark jumping, means several thousand degrees F, which also can generate a fire outside the boot and this grease won't burn
Thank you! I just had trouble getting the boot off of my honda mower plug.
i use that stuff all the time in my shop. also white lithium grease as well.
thanks for the comment
Very helpful. I am finding a lot of boots stuck on plugs. Thanks!
Relatively straight to the point. Thank you.
Why is it that some people say to put it on the terminal ends? Like were the metal touches metal? I thought it serves as an insulator.
Totally. I wouldn't put it between connections but around as an insulator.
Always use dielectric grease to protect against corrosion. Spark plug boots and electrical connections. It has to be non-conductive, otherwise it would short out the adjacent pins on the connector.
Can i also use it when instead of plug wires, the car has coil packs?
I figure it wouldn't hurt on the electrical plugs at the top of the packs, but i am concerned about using it on the bottom that goes onto the plugs? As you can tell, i am no mechanic! Thanks for the help and the video!
Ome LMBO I have done it, my truck has coil packs too
donyboy73 thanks donyboy!
+Ome LMBO I did that to my car over a year ago and it's worked fine. I used more grease than he did in this video.
I am thinking about using this on my coil packs, which have been wearing out too soon it seems. What parts of the coil pack/spark plugs did you apply the grease to and did you see good results?
I just smeared some inside the connection where the coil pack gets plugged in, and also inside the tube that goes on the plug. I haven't had any problems and I did this at least a year ago.
Ladies and gentlemen from Los Angeles California THE LA KINGs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good vid, I will have to use this on my OHC 16 valve car, as the boots are way down in the head!
Never heard of it before, is it an insulating grease.
do not use it where it sparks, only where the cap goes on the plug
Thank you. Some other videos I watched put the grease between the spark plug and the spark plug wire, metal to metal. Didn't seem right to me.
You can actually put it on the whole plug as it prevents corrosion
on some things it's good but I don't use it to replace dielectric grease
Chassis grease works just as good. We use it on trailer light plugs, light sockets, every thing electric it helps
Thanks for posting!
A big amount of grease inside the hole it can insulate the sparking electricity?
thank you very much from Russia, Moscow!
greetings from Canada
I envy that you are living in Canada.
the freedom is good here
yes
quick and informative. definitely subscribed.
Put it on the ceramic part of the plug and the rubber part of the boot with a cotton swab
Hey
Great video, I thought you might be interested in knowing what is the brown stuff on the spark pug.
The correct name is a "Corona stain".
thanks
thanks John
Hey Don I put it right on the tip of the plug. Is that incorrect? Will it hurt or prevent plugs from working properly?
good idea
Works good for O-rings as well.
Great tip.
I love how dielectric grease works but hate how messy it is. It gets everywhere and is hard to take off.
Is this just petroleum jelly or is there something special-ish in it? If so what makes it different from petroleum jelly in its function?
Good job!!!
Thanks for the tip, Dony.
yes from ontario
It also makes things a little more water resistant
Dielectric grease is a life saver!!!! Are you from Ontario?
donny ive spent 4 days taking apart n cleaning n reasembling a evinrude 4hp outboard, with no luck keeps reving up and dying off . had it going for about 5mins any suggestions please m8 my heads wrecked ???? ps only one straight fuel line straight to carb.
What if you get the grease on the silver tip, where the spark lead connects to? Can it increase resistance and/or cause spark plug mis-fire ?
I wouldn't do it to be safe. Dialectic grease is an insulator, so you wouldn't want to put it directly on contacts
So its ok if its touching the metal of the plug and metal on distributor
+1 very knowledgeable, thanks for your video!
I know this is a strange question...I have a Milwaukee m18 cordless drill I wanted to lubricate the drive gears at the same time I was replacing the motor anyway. I tried several different kinds of oil from sewing machine oil to lithium grease with no grease it seems OK. But all the other lubricants the drill gets hot fast and even smokes. I took apart a new one just to see whats inside its black and just a very small amount .please help thank you Jamilee
just call the manufacturer
thanks pete!
Thanks for the info - Light bulb came on !!
I tend to use solid plastic caps with a small seal at the end so ive not had that problem.
I also use petrolium jelly/vasoline for the plastic speedo gears, and other similar stuff.
thanks
great tip Dony!
what is your opinion on using Vaseline
⚡️⚡️ZAP!⚡️⚡️ Sparks fly.
Do electricians use dielectric grease on circuit breaker terminals when they install them?
+n310ea Yes. In fact, some states require it for good reason.
+fishodorvagina What reason is that?
+n310ea It prevents corrosion on the contact points and prevents voltage leaks without causing Ohms resistance.
Maybe after the connection had been made otherwise you’d get a poor electrical connection.
Reminds me of anti seize, stuff is just a mess but works great.
check with your local small engine shop
hi dony i havent been on in a while my briggs and stratton classic 3.5 hp
breather tube has snapped do u know where to get a new one
how do i send a messasge on this new youtube look
I have used it for years that and anti seize. Both together are great just don't mix them together. I finally got my governor problem I had a 5hp briggs 1991 carb on tank.
No matter what I could do after the gov spring broke I ordered one from sears since the chipper was craftsman .After 1.5 years I found a 6.5 same year as mine. I took the tank and carb and put on my. I looked at the spring and it was different . The spring was wrong from sears . Now I know dont trust sears .
my echo back pack blower (pb-603) is giving me lots of trouble, not sure the problem but its extremely hard to get started so much so that even after a new spark plug and correct mixed gas i couldnt get it started after 1000 pulls until i held the throttle open and it slowly started up gradualy after about 10 pulls and smoked too much, and the old plug looked real dirty with oil and gas - any ideas - also the kill switch is bad so to turn it off ive just been choking it, could this be why im having problems? could choking it to kill it messed up the carb? it has a zima carb
Thanks, you too.
Great video! Rather than fingers, use Q-tips.
what about the starter connection?
Here's a comment from a guy who was a professional IBEW union marine-electrician journeyman-leadingman who pointed THIS out to me
"Wonder why my power company guys don't use it.... Or try the logic from the other direction. If DG is so cheap and effective then why don't the OEM's use it? How deep does the conspiracy extend? I never had engineering instruction procedures to use DG."
I wonder if somebody can answer me I am from asia in usa over there we sometime put regular silicon greese in the crankcase. With pil change that helps engine rum smoother and queiter ,I wsk a mechanic here he almost had a heartattack explaining me not to do that,I said ok but I have been putting small chunk of greese with every oil change in my ford excursion and it not only runs smooth but I can feel its pulling strong...why am I not having any problems ?
I wouldn't do that
Really bad idea putting grease in crankcase! If you can afford it, use only recommended weight synthetic oil.
ok that's correct then
I put it on my trailer light bulbs and connectors!
good stuff
That's good stuff.
I'd recommend against it - as a petroleum-based product it can break down some rubbers, plastics, and such, which might include the spark plug boot. (I suspect it also has a higher melting point) Getting a big tube of "tune up grease" will be not too expensive and last a while - one part number I found was Permatex 22058 Dielectric tune-up grease
Hi Dony,
Silicone paste, amazing stuff.
Replaced 20amp (ATM) fuse 2X, then used dielectric grease on a 3rd good so far,dont know why ?
here is fine to send a message
put it on the electrical contacts too.
Then why does it work. Your science is real weak. Its a coating. It allows current flow and prevents corrosion. Necessary for boating. check out video 'vaseline and dielecteic grease test '
microfilm. grease is used on electrical connections everywhere to prevent corrosion.
100 likes very nice
I think what you're seeing on that plug from your car is corona discharge, not arcing.
Works great for a squeaky serpentine belt as well
Good to know I put this on the exact wrong spot of the spark plug. Wish I'd have watched this first!