Right Front ABS sensor PLUG

[JCat]

I suspect the plug for the right front ABS sensor is bad . . . . the end that the sensor pigtail PLUGS INTO . . . not the pigtail (attached to the sensor) end.

Can I cut and splice these cables together ?

 

[J_C]

Sure, but the catch is that you or someone else would have to deal with that later, and of course you'd want it waterproof, so in that case I'd use heatshrink tubing with a glue lining to seal it, though I don't know how much slack there is in the wire. Getting glue lined heatshrink tubing off later can be a hot mess if you need to salvage the portion of wire it's on because there's not enough slack to just cut the whole covered length off if the sensor later needs replaced.

Being what it is, that you probably have it apart to see that but don't have a connector, I'd fix it like that to get the vehicle back together and working (confirmed that this connection was the problem) instead of apart for days waiting on a connector, then you can take your time to find the best price for a connector, as vehicle connectors can be ridiculously expensive for what they are... $2 worth of connector and 10 cents worth of wire can cost $30+ for certain connectors though I've never priced an ABS.

 

[imp]

Sure, but the catch is that you or someone else would have to deal with that later, and of course you'd want it waterproof, so in that case I'd use heatshrink tubing with a glue lining to seal it, though I don't know how much slack there is in the wire. Getting glue lined heatshrink tubing off later can be a hot mess if you need to salvage the portion of wire it's on because there's not enough slack to just cut the whole covered length off if the sensor later needs replaced.

Being what it is, that you probably have it apart to see that but don't have a connector, I'd fix it like that to get the vehicle back together and working (confirmed that this connection was the problem) instead of apart for days waiting on a connector, then you can take your time to find the best price for a connector, as vehicle connectors can be ridiculously expensive for what they are... $2 worth of connector and 10 cents worth of wire can cost $30+ for certain connectors though I've never priced an ABS.

Those connectors are actually pretty sophisticated. They have silicone rubber O-ring seals in them, to seal the mating parts of the connector, and also silicone inserts which "hug" the wires pretty tightly; they're basically waterproof. Costly to make. My gripe with many of them, is contact pin size, especially for the PCM in 3rd. gens, tiny like needles. imp

 

[J_C]

^ Yes they have a few pieces but that doesn't make them expensive to make. I've bought equivalently sealed connectors before for $4 delivered for both the M/F mating ends, and have a family member who works for a plastic factory that molds similar items. A connector like that really isn't but a few cents more expensive than a basic one, but for the small production runs.

Consider an elaborate piece of electronics like a computer motherboard. There are dozens of connectors, chips, and other associated costs, yet it can be sold with a profit for $60. I'm not against a supplier making a profit off stocking parts we need, but more than $10 is just greed. Heck you can get hundreds of thousands if not millions of products more elaborate than a mere plastic connector, for $10 or less.

I share your aggravation about connector size shrink. It's happening to everything. My camera now has to have the battery and memory card pulled to charge it and get pics off because they thought it was a good idea to use a microUSB port soldered to the mainboard instead of a more robust miniUSB or full sized type B USB socket. It's the same problem on a lot of phones, the move to 1/8" from 1/4" headphone jacks, laptop charging ports, mHDMI ports, etc... all early failure points to make something a mere 3mm smaller.

 

[imp]

^ Yes they have a few pieces but that doesn't make them expensive to make. I've bought equivalently sealed connectors before for $4 delivered for both the M/F mating ends, and have a family member who works for a plastic factory that molds similar items. A connector like that really isn't but a few cents more expensive than a basic one, but for the small production runs.

Consider an elaborate piece of electronics like a computer motherboard. There are dozens of connectors, chips, and other associated costs, yet it can be sold with a profit for $60. I'm not against a supplier making a profit off stocking parts we need, but more than $10 is just greed. Heck you can get hundreds of thousands if not millions of products more elaborate than a mere plastic connector, for $10 or less.

I share your aggravation about connector size shrink. It's happening to everything. My camera now has to have the battery and memory card pulled to charge it and get pics off because they thought it was a good idea to use a microUSB port soldered to the mainboard instead of a more robust miniUSB or full sized type B USB socket. It's the same problem on a lot of phones, the move to 1/8" from 1/4" headphone jacks, laptop charging ports, mHDMI ports, etc... all early failure points to make something a mere 3mm smaller.

Your point about actual manufacturing cost is well-taken. Perhaps you are correct in that it is revenue-motivation to up-price parts inexpensive to mass produce. But, the actual design, pre-production tooling, expertise in originating the parts don't come cheap. So, initial introduction costs are necessarily lumped-in with overall economic consideration. Plus, foreign manufacture comes at a much lower cost than American. I grew up in the town where Amphenol had it's home office and main plant. I'm sure you recognize the name, knowing about connectors. That plant, and all those employed there, is gone.

Reason I find the tiny size of connector matings aggravating is not from an engineering viewpoint, but rather trouble shooting. Typical VOM leads are useless, female connections may be connected by a needle inserted, but the male pins, with their small diameter and close spacing are near impossible. So, to check continuity in a harness let's say, without cutting into it, ya gotta have a mating connector to plug in with short pigtails hanging out. imp

 

[J_C]

Your point about actual manufacturing cost is well-taken. Perhaps you are correct in that it is revenue-motivation to up-price parts inexpensive to mass produce. But, the actual design, pre-production tooling, expertise in originating the parts don't come cheap.

For small runs you would have a point if this were a new product, but much of the work and expense had already been done since these were an existing product already made and used in the vehicles. Once they made the first million for that, making a few more is not very expensive.

Plus, foreign manufacture comes at a much lower cost than American. I grew up in the town where Amphenol had it's home office and main plant. I'm sure you recognize the name, knowing about connectors. That plant, and all those employed there, is gone.

That is a topic too broad for this forum post since many parts on a modern vehicle are not made in the US, but regardless of that, vehicles would cost in excess of $100K if every little plug and other subcomponent were this expensive.

Reason I find the tiny size of connector matings aggravating is not from an engineering viewpoint, but rather trouble shooting. Typical VOM leads are useless, female connections may be connected by a needle inserted, but the male pins, with their small diameter and close spacing are near impossible. So, to check continuity in a harness let's say, without cutting into it, ya gotta have a mating connector to plug in with short pigtails hanging out. imp

Often it is possible to use wire piercing, multimeter probe tips. They can often, also be inserted into the rear of a connector where the wire enters. In certain situations I've even made some just for a job, taking a metal sleeve with the I.D. of the multimeter probe O.D. and soldering a sewing needle onto it. That won't handle much current and introduces some resistance but on many automotive circuits it's negligible. If the needle is small (and sharp) enough the insulation closes afterwards so there is minimal issue of damage to the wire insulation.

Here's an example of the last needle probe I made out of a random connector sleeve.

 

[imp]

For small runs you would have a point if this were a new product, but much of the work and expense had already been done since these were an existing product already made and used in the vehicles. Once they made the first million for that, making a few more is not very expensive.



That is a topic too broad for this forum post since many parts on a modern vehicle are not made in the US, but regardless of that, vehicles would cost in excess of $100K if every little plug and other subcomponent were this expensive.



Often it is possible to use wire piercing, multimeter probe tips. They can often, also be inserted into the rear of a connector where the wire enters. In certain situations I've even made some just for a job, taking a metal sleeve the I.D. of the multimeter probe and soldering a sewing needle onto it. That won't handle much current and introduces some resistance but on many automotive circuits it's negligible. If the needle is small (and sharp) enough the insulation closes afterwards so there is minimal issue of damage to the wire insulation.

Here's an example of the last needle probe I made out of a random connector sleeve.

Clever, I must admit. Some connectors allow individual conductors to be slid outwards, or all if you want them, after removing the locking key. You know that, others may not.

2nd. paragraph: We were considering the extreme cost of aftermarket offerings. Obviously net mfr's. cost is pennies on the dollar.
imp