A tip I got off YouTube that came in handy today

[koda2000]

I was working on a car this afternoon (replacing a faulty oil pressure switch) and broke the locking tab off a weather-tight electrical connector. This is a pretty common occurrence when working on vehicles that are a few years old, either because the plastic release clips get brittle with age, you can't get them to release, or can't see how to release them. My situation today was the latter. Sometimes the locking clips aren't important because the connectors fit tightly enough w/out them, or because gravity is in your favor. The clip I broke today was one that was required, very hard to see and very hard to get at. Even if I could have purchased a replacement connector I would have had to take half the car apart to replace it.

The tip I got off YouTube was to use a little Super Glue to make sure the connector stays fastened. The nice thing is that Super Glue does not form a permanent bond with the kind of plastic used on automotive electrical connectors. If you ever need to get them apart again, a little gentle prying breaks the bond and the connector will come apart without further damage.

I just thought I'd pass this tip on to the masses...

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Good tip, Koda.
I broke the tab on the small alternator wire connector, and used a
dab of RTV to secure it. Super glue would have been
quicker to dry...

 

[donalds]

I have tried the rtv trick to but super glue is a great idea

 

[grizzlyxjim]

I've done this before when installing some tricky audio systems

 

[TsherryUSA]

Think superglue would be good for the trim clips? Accidentally busted one of mine a few months ago.

 

[C420sailor]

I think it’s because CA causes some plastic types to sorta ‘melt’ and fuse together, but the hard plastic in the connectors isn’t that type. Just enough to hold together, not enough for a serious bond.