Why you should NEVER solder wires on your car.

A good crimp junction is better than a bad solder joint.
I like to solder sometimes, but on somethings, I would rather crimp. I know that experienced technicians know how to make a good solder joint. They know what size solder to use (including core type and percentage) what size iron or gun to use and how hot it needs to be. If you get all those right & tin the wires before connecting them, there will be no need to twist them, and being pre-tinned will mean you don't have to add as much solder when making the joint, which means less time with the iron on the wire. More surface contact between the tip and wire decreases time also. Beyond that, aluminum makes the best heat sink. It conducts heat very well, but doesn't hold the heat very long. But, everything between the iron and the heat sink will get hot, so moving them to the end of the insulation will also deter the solder from creeping up the wire.
HOWEVER, it's very likely that most DIYers are not going to have the soldering skills of an experienced A/P mechanic, or electronic technician. Crimping can be mastered much easier and quicker than soldering, which makes it the best option for most people.

As an ex Air Force missile technician I was trained to solder to NASA HRHS (High Reliability Hand Soldering) technique. You can crimp all you want I will continue to solder without failure.

I am 74 years old. I built my first crystal radio at age 8. I have spent my entire life in consumer and industrial electronics. I solder EVERYTHING. I usually even solder crimp terminals. If you are having problems soldering items together, use the best solder, always use solder flux, always prepare the work target-wire-terminals-get them clean and shiny. Use a good clean soldering iron ( or gun, love my 25 year old weller gun for big stuff ). Don't rush an iron, let it get to temperature. Always remember you are soldering the wire, not the solder. The objective is to get the work piece hot enough to flow the solder onto it. Learn how to solder.

Nearly sixty years ago, my Dad taught me how to solder. He'd been a radar technician on a carrier in WWII and learned the importance of making a strong mechanical connection before actually soldering. Admittedly, warship techniques may be overkill for ordinary work, but I've never had a proper solder joint fail, which is more than I can say for crimp connections.

As a 40 year electric forklifts mechanic I soldered connections for used in all kinds of corrosive environments. I never had a failure as opposed to some of my counterparts who relied on crimp joints that saw failures. Properly soldered and installed wire connections will not fail. Crimped connections also fail due to heat from bad connection.

Man, I've been doing it wrong for 50 years. Thank you for your insight and showing me the error of my ways. In a prior life I used to do mobile electronics installations (audio, 2-way radio's) and I soldered all wiring under 16ga. The technique I always used was to clean/flux/tin the wires, apply heat shrink tubing to each individual joint, and if possible, another larger piece of tubing over the entire cable, lay the wires parallel (never twist - makes the joint too large), solder them together with LEADED solder - no-lead solder is a lot more brittle. Rinse/repeat for all the other wires, apply dielectric grease over the joints, slide the HS over the joint & shrink with hot air - NEVER use an open flame. The excess grease should squeeze out the ends. Once all the individual wires have been soldered/greased/shrunk then apply an additional layer of dielectric grease over/around all the splices, then slide the outer tubing over the repaired area and shrink that down. If it's in a harness, I still pack the joints with grease then use high quality electrical tape over the entire harness to help protect the joints. For wiring that's more exposed, I'll use 3M mastic tape instead of electrical tape for addition protection. I've found that it works better if I heat it up with my heat gun before applying it. Once the repairs are complete, I use plenty of wire ties to mechanically secure the harness from flapping in the breeze to prevent stresses on the wiring to concentrate at the joints. If it's just a few wires I'll take a bit of larger, solid wire and tape it parallel with the wire(s) extending past the joint on both sides to provide mechanical support and prevent any flexing @ the joints. I've done thousands of joints on cars, trucks, boats, trailers, motorcycles, mowers, CNC forklifts, machining centers etc. using these techniques and as far as I know, not a single joint has ever failed. To be clear, I use crimp connectors & ferrules all the time, but usually when it's in a dry environment, and typically to terminate wiring, rarely for splicing.
The bottom line is it doesn't matter if you crimp or solder the connections as long as you do it correctly. Just because a lot of folks do it wrong doesn't mean you should "NEVER" do it as you imply. In fact, in the 50 years I've been working on things, I've had several orders of magnitude more issues with people's crimp connections than I have soldered ones. If you do nothing to protect the joint from the elements, a crimped connection will fail quicker than a soldered one due to moisture ingress and corrosion. This is especially true up here in the north where tons of salt is dumped on the roads in the winter. I've seen exposed crimped connections fail in less than a year due to salt corrosion. Crimped connections do tolerate mechanical stresses better, but again it's down to proper technique and providing mechanical support. But the most often missed step on exposed connections is dielectric grease. I don't think I've ever seen anybody doing 'repair' videos use it. I see some folks like this video advocating adhesive lined shrink tubing and it's certainly better than nothing but not something I'd recommend. Besides being a lot less common and more expensive than plain HS tubing, it's only going to be effective if your wiring is clean, and only if it's a single, individual wire that the tubing can shrink completely down to without any gaps. Too often I'm doing multiple wires or different sized wires where I won't get a complete seal with the tubing. If you use dielectric grease then it doesn't matter if there's any gaps, the grease completely fills the voids when it gets shrunk down. The butt splice connectors that come with DE grease and shrink tubing that you showed are pricey, but the best alternative for folks that don't do this sort of work often.

While your soldering joint is OK, a couple of tips...
1. Use flux. Liberally apply flux to the wires before soldering. The rosin core of your solder isn't enough.
2. Twist the wires into a Lineman's Splice before soldering. The Lineman's Splice is stronger than the wires themselves. This step insures that there is no way the splice will fail before the wire will. Adding the solder to the Lineman's Splice will aid in lowering electrical resistance. Adding this step to your soldered wire joints is a complete game changer, and it is not difficult to do.
Using flux, a Lineman's Splice, and solder will result in a joint with less electrical resistance than any crimped solution out there, and far stronger than crimping.
And it might very well be over kill. There's nothing wrong with a properly crimped joint, either. This is a situation in which there is no real "correct" answer. Properly soldered or properly crimped is just fine for automotive electrical work, as long as either joint type is done correctly.
Source: I'm 56 years old, and have been soldering and/or crimping wiring harnesses on a wide variety of things... cars, trucks, tractors, trailers, RV's since I was 16. I have also done a lot of car audio installations. While I do stand by my above statement about there being no one "correct" solution, there is an exception to that rule: I *always* have and *always* will solder connections for car audio or alarm system installations to achieve the lowest electrical resistance possible across a joint.

The fellow who does a hack job with soldering is also likely to do the same with the crimp. Attention to detail is key with anything and if you don't have that, the end result will be the same.

Been a aircraft tech for 30 years, and that crimp connection will break easier at the crimp than the solder one will. We do crimp on aircraft, but they are environmental crimps with crimpers that are calibrated. I still prefer a good hot solder to any crimp. We used to use those crimps you like on our strobe lights, but got away from them. Failure rate was high. I will never be convinced a crimp is better than a solder. Twist that crimp joint like you did with the solder joint.

Don't forget to put the heatshrink tubing on BEFORE you crimp! Ask me how I know!

In the aviation electronics industry, we were taught (as inspectors) to be aware of solder migrating under the insulation, for the exact reasons you stated- after some vibration, the wire will break. Good video! Thanks.

If you wick solder past the wire insulation, it is due to very poor tools and/or technique. This usually is caused by using too small a wattage iron which means you have to heat the wire far too long letting the heat extend well down the wire. It can also be caused by simply adding in far too much solder. A high wattage iron will heat the join area very quickly and the soldering will be done before the heat and solder can wick down the wire under the insulation. And you need very little solder. And if you apply shrink tube to provide some additional strain relief past the insulation, issues with vibration and fatigue breakage simply aren’t an issue. These issues are due to poor technique.
A quick summary:
1. Poor soldering is a bad way to splice wires.
2. Poor crimping is a bad way to splice wires.
3. Good soldering is a good way to splice wires.
4. Good crimping is a good way to splice wires.
I personally like both methods, but use crimping more simply due to its convenience and speed. You can work in the field without need for electrical power of any sort and crimping is pretty fast with the right tools and a little practice. However, if I need a super reliable, super strong and low resistance connection, I will use solder every time.
One thing I have wanted to do, but have yet to invest time in is testing soldered splices vs. crimped splices for both resistance and pull strength. I strongly suspect that solder would win both contests and I saw one KRplusr who did the resistance test and solder clearly won that, but, as I recall, he did not strength test the connections which would have completed the puzzle.

"will never hold a soldering iron within 5 feet of a car".... is another way of saying.... "I can only park one vehicle in my two car garage". Quite a demonstration of character and commitment to ones convictions!

Having over 40 years experience working in electronics and being a backyard mechanic I think the most important message you could give would be that you should do what not only works best for you but has the best chance of long term success. There are places I wouldn't trust solder, and for simplicity a lot of my work uses a good quality heat shrink crimp. But anything I can bench I still prefer to use solder.

I wish you would have tested the resistance of the various connectors and the solder.....that is a very important aspect, especially if you're dealing with something like a signal wire.

When I worked for GM, they would include the crimp/seal splices in connector repair kits. They included in their electrical repair kits that were shipped to the dealer with a set of ratcheting crimpers. They work perfect and never failed me once. That's why I bought a pair online from crimp supply. They are a little pricey, but worth the money because of how well they work.

I’ve been an industrial robot technician for over 30 years. They move and vibrate on top of hard running machinery 24/7. We crimp connector pins because that is what they are designed for. For every other in line type wire connection we solder. I have never had or seen a properly soldered connection fail. NEVER. I have seen dozens of crimps fail.

Thanks for the advice homie!
I’ve connected 100’s of wires working on classic cars over 20 years and if you use good thick shrink tubing, that wire is not gonna bend at the solder point causing a break like you illustrate in my experience. Having said that, sometime I just don’t have the space to solder. If I use a crimp connector, also use good shrink tubing but if it’s on the outside of the car I’ll also add liquid electrical “tape” on top of that. Never had a problem

There is one reason and only one reason why OE manufacturers crimp instead of solder - it costs less to crimp. If soldering was less expensive, the OE manufacturers would solder. It has nothing to do with crimping being "superior" to soldering. Circuit boards are soldered because it is the least expensive way to produce them.
I solder small gauge wires (after crimping them if using a connector) and I hydraulic crimp large gauge wires for my car. It is harder and more time consuming to make a good looking wire to wire solder joint (mostly in the twisting of the wires), but somehow more satisfying.

Crimping, when done correctly, and with a good quality terminal, is the BEST way to connect wires to each other, and to terminals. Period. Gas tight joints result, which is what you want, and is what all the car manufacturers use. Good video.

Everything about this video was amazing! Straight to the point and informative, showed what you meant as well as explained what you meant, and packed it with good info. Thanks for this!

Thank you for posting how the unisolated crimps work and with the special type of pliers. I definitely learned something and will be picking up a crimper set for them.

OEMs use crimps because it's quicker than trying to heat up every single connection and solder it.
For speaker wires crimps are fine but for larger gauge cables and heavier currents, you should definitely solder stuff. It's not about how strong the connection is, but how much current can flow through, and what your resistance looks like.

For joining wire ends, crimping makes a ton of sense. For integration I prefer solder since it would require you to cut the factory wire. Different techniques for different applications. Great video!

Thanks for this video. What kind of crimp do you recommend for a removable connection, like a wire connecting to a relay? Cheers.

Thanks for the video Irvin, we don't splice wires using soldering either on aircraft, we use Tyco Raychem D-200 MiniSeal Crimp Splices, which are similar to what you demonstrated.

I've started to crimp more wires now than solder the last handful of years exactly because of the problem you showed with the wire breaking. Solder is brittle and can create a sharp bend radius point and break the wire as well. If you have good strain relief and wire securement, this can be nearly eliminated. I've also learned somewhat recently how much of a difference a good iron makes. A digital soldering iron like you have that regulates temp can make a way better joint.
One thing I do to make sure my crimps don't develop any corrosion and/or resistance is to dip the wire end in dielectric grease. That fills in the microscopic voids in the metal to keep out air and moisture. The pressure of the crimp moves the grease out of the way from metal-to-metal contact. I can't measure any resistance difference. Then I'll follow up (after a pull test) with some adhesive lined heat shrink.

Thanks for sharing. Crimp is not only the way to go for a solid connection but also looks good and is a total pleasure to do if you just spend 5min to learn to do it right.

What do you recommend for 8awg wire? I have a 12” DC level 5 sub (purchased it used) and the direct leads aren’t long enough to reach the (SMD) terminal cup. Thanks!

Can you do the bent test on your crimp wire. Same test as you did for the soldering wire.

If you´re working in the dashboard or other place inside the car´s habitacle crimping is acceptable although I always prefer soldering. But if you´re working outside the car´s habitacle when the wires are more exposed to the elements then soldering is definitely the way to go because copper and brass oxidize over the years increasing the joint´s resistance. If you´re worried about breaking the soldered joint just solder a smaller length with less solder wire and don´t stay all that time with the soldering iron in contact with the joint, this will result in spreading the solder into the wire´s interior ruining the flexibility. Make a smaller joint, use some solder paste flux to accelerate the soldering process and you will see that the flexibility of the soldered joint will be pretty much the same as a crimped joint. Add some heatshrink tube and you´re good to go. You don´t need nothing very fancy, just a normal soldering iron, paste flux and normal solder will do, no need for flux core solder if you´re using paste flux. The trick is to solder the joint only in a couple of seconds to avoid too much spreading of the solder. The wire will stay flexible and the connection will have low resistance pretty much forever.

Hi, I'm converting a few of my early 1994 Harley-Davidson Molex connectors to Deutch. I discovered one of the ports has 2 wires going into it. I would imagine that trying to force 2 wires into one of the Deutch connectors is a "no-no"? In my case would it be best to peel back some of the insulation and soldier the two together and then use one port? Can't seem to find an answer to this. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and advice. I hope my above question made sense.

What do you do when you're trying to tap into existing OE wiring? crimps don't work unless you are willing to cut the original OE wire and then crimp two wires into one side of the crimp connector (the extra wire being the one you're adding to the circuit). Also, can't use heat shrink if you're not cutting the OE wire... I've seen people cut back the insulation on the OE wire and splice in the new wire with some fancy twists and then solder... do you avoid that as well?

Nice video. I would like to add that the ratcheting feature of the better crimper will help ensure repeatably good crimps. When doing a bunch of crimping one's hand can get tired. So without the ratchet feature the first crimp is likely to be a better crimp than the last. The ratcheting crimpers don't let go if you don't crimp hard enough. Go for a quality ratcheting crimper all the time, and it is good that the ratcheting crimp tools aren't $300+ each anymore.

GREAT VIDEO!
Tip for basic crimp connector shown at 9:00 & 10:40 :
There is provision for an insulation crimp; beyond the metal barrel about midway on the belled ends.
Some of the flat metal style crimpers have another 'die' at the tip marked 'ins'.
This will add some support to the wire.
I agree with much of what you say.
I am a professional, and I prefer soldering, but I totally agree that a DIY MUST have sufficient skills and 'finesse' if they are going to solder connections.
The huge issue is having CLEAN copper wires.
Many repairs are on old or existing wire, which are aged, and have a tarnish fro air and insulation outgassing.
This MUST be cleaned until the wires shine like a new penny for the solder to actually bond properly.
(should look like brand new striped wire gleam).
Small wire brush (toothbrush) or sand paper. And if it is stranded, then you have to 'squash' the strands flat from multiple directions, cleaning it each time, to get to the interior strand surfaces (very difficult BTDT).
Otherwise the solder is only going to grab the outside surface strands (and only on their outside faces), and only the outside strands will be conduction the current!
Two technical tips:
Iron tip life can be shortened by overly frequent tinning.
Solder slowly dissolves the iron cladding (or very fast on copper, in the case of solid copper tips).
If it looks as good as the tip you showed, and takes solder readily while soldering, then I would use it as is.
When it has scale or solder beads up and does not flow onto the tip while soldering, clean or re-tin it then.
[sometimes if the tip gets neglected or won't tin, I wire-wheel it, followed with proper tinning...]
With experience and skill, you can limit how far the solder 'wicks' up inside the insulation.
This is difficult to do in one motion without getting a 'cold' joint in the center (bad, 'unstuck' solder).
This is done adding minimal solder to the center and staying there a second or two until it penetrates there and bonds.
Then add more solder running the tip out to the ends, tinning the entire joint, and stopping when you see it reach the insulation. Remove the tip then before it runs up under the insulation too far.
Your technique is very good.

Great and informative video. I'm curious what process you use to tap into an existing wire to form a T-connection? I have a project where I need to do this in a very confined space.

the bigger problem with soldering on a car is that the places you need to do it are usually going to be somewhere that you had corrosion, you are either cutting out large chunks of wire to get to clean wire that solder will stick to or making a bad solder joint, maybe both.

The reason behind tinning is so you don't end up getting an oxidation layer on your iron. Also you should be doing it AFTER every time you use the iron

I like soldering. I do a good job of it and I cant recall anything I’ve ever soldered failing.

I always solder and use heat shrink tubing. Never had a problem. Too many crimped butt connections ive seen come apart over time with vibration etc

What would you recommend for joining airbag wires. Mine broke in changing them and bought replacements

Dont really work with wires much, but i am changing out some lights in the future so nice to know!☺️

If you must insist on soldering.... use a small amount of paste flux on the wires to be joined together, that will help wick the solder into the joint in a matter of seconds. That will eliviate the extended time on the wire with the soldering iron so you are not melting the wire insulation ends trying to melt the solder getting it to flow. Be sure to use at least 70% isopropel alcohol to clean the flux off the joint afterwards, as its considered acidic, then use heat shrink tubing as always to seal the deal.

Question? Can you use 3m corrosion protection coating after soldering the wires to ensure water stays out.

Essentially ran across this by accident, but I'm glad I did. I have run into the problems that you've described, this is really good information. I have some electrical work to do in my car and have been worried by the integrity of the connection exactly as you've described. This is very good information.

6:55 The solder spike on the joint is something to watch out for also; that can happen with insufficiently heated joints as the iron pulls away and leaves with the solder trailing behind. Or if the wire wrapping isn't done carefully, with individual strands of wire poking outwards.
That can end up piercing the heat shrink and could potentially short out to something.

Never had a problem with correctly soldered connections.
Crimped connections work for a while but they develop surface corrosion
between the wire and terminal over time. The corrosion interferes with conductivity
and causes high resistance. Many electrical problems are the result.

Great video, got another race loom to do and was finding more tips and tricks. Been soldering my race looms for years and with the heavy vibrations and crashes they break at the ends of the solder all the time . However my crimps always have the flex to keep the connection. A national super bike team told me never to solder a race bike as there's too much stress's and vibrations on the loom at 300km/hr . Paid an auto electrician to put in a trailer wire loom they soldered and guess what it failed within 5 years on the solder joints. . ten years later my crimps still hold.

I'm a trained electrician. You're completely right for the right reasons. Soldering inevitably creates stress points which, especially in automotive applications with all the vibration, are likely to lead to breakage. If you MUST solder, make sure you use enough heatshrink to completely immobilise the joint and its surroundings. Use a very thick soldering point, hot as hell, so you can quickly soak the joint with solder without soaking it up the wire. But crimping is the far superior way to connect wires.

Ive seen more crimps come loose than i have proper solder joints in my 30 year tech career! Sorry your wrong!

I've been a professional mechanic for over forty years, so commenting on idiots making "how to" youtube videos is not unknown for me to do. LOL. So when I saw this one I decided, let's see how I can rip this guy a new one. Great job Irvin!!!! Well done. However, every splice no matter how it's done will end with a hard point that with vibration or flexing will break at that point. Heat shrink that extends beyond the hard point will serve as a flexible strain relief whether it is soldered or crimped. You are correct about solder creep, you just have to be conservative with the solder which can be really tough to do when you turn the splice over and see a bare spot. If it is a highly flexed area I would replace the whole section of harness so that the splice can be in an area that can be zip tied down P.S. the thickness of the Snap On crimp/strippers is also the length of bare wire you should have after stripping. So when you put the wire in the stripping area, don't let it protrude any more than the thickness of the handle.

But how would you accomplish tapping into an existing wire that you didn't want to cut, using the crimping method?

Great demonstration. I see you can get silver and gold colored cimps in the same pack. Why are there 2 types and how do you choose which one to use?

Well... I've been doing electrical work on cars for a long time....and for the first years I did a lot of twisting and electrical tape... I'm not proud of it.. but it work.. in a perfect world I would use your method, but a lot of times the place the repair needs to be made is tight. Either soldering or crimping make the joint rigid and can break.. for thick cables I crimp with a hydraulic crimper... everything else I solder... and about a year ago I started using the heat shrink that has built in solder ring and weather proof ends. In my opinion, way better than conventional soldering and wayyyyy better than crimping. More flexible, easier to do, look a lot more professional....

I agree completely on the open barrel crimps and terminals. Far superior. And if you really want a reliable, low resistance connection, solder the ends of the wires together at the middle of the open barrel crimp connector. That is a connection that can’t be beat either electrically or mechanically.

About 20 years in here. I solder EVERYTHING. I will say that a good crimp joint is better than a bad solder joint. A proper solder joint with the correct type of heatshrink is always best.

Crimping does has its advantages when working on auto electricals, when techs/mechs are inside tight spaces like under the dashboard. An iron in that space is challenging, if not problematic. Extra care is a must, to avoid burning the carpet or melting the plastics. Also, the repaired joint, soldered or crimped, must be away from any locations where it will be bent, pulled or strained. Thanks for sharing!

Great work with experiments to prove it!

Thank you so much for this video. I was dreading the thought of soldering hundreds of 22 ga wires cut from an auto harness. Using the open barrel crimp method will reduce the time needed by 10x! Works great.

What brand wire crimpers were you using to do both crimps using open barrel crimps....also what is this stuff about low resistence vrs high resistance between solder and crimping and which is better for lower resistance

Many years ago I bought a set of heavy duty jumper cables made by a reputable brand. I used them when I got home to start my truck that I had ran dead playing the radio while I was working. I had to let the truck charge with the doner car running for for five minutes before it would start, keep in mind by trucks battery wasnt completely dead. I carried them with me and used them often over the next couple of years, all the while developing many more broken wires till eventually one of the clamps finally broke off. I still used them by just clamping the wire to the target with the clamp and that worked okay. Then another clamp broke off. I thought about buying a new set (50 ish bucks down the drain) but decided instead to solder the wires into the clamps. 14 years later, and I can use those cables to crank that same truck off of a good battery sitting on the ground, with the battery in the truck disconnected, and not a single broken wire in sight.

Crimping or properly splicing a wire or connector gives you the mechanical hold, while soldering reinforces the electrical connection. As someone experienced in both automotive and electronic/electrical repair, I can guarantee that a spliced/crimped, soldered (PROPERLY!) and then protected (adhesive lined shrink wrap is my preference) is the most reliable, long term repair you can achieve. Where the problem lies is there are far too many hack soldering jobs where a booger of a cold solder joint is left hanging uninsulated as the sole "repair" to the connection, or the connection deteriorates and introduces way too much resistance into the circuit over time.

I have three crimping tools, not one of them will crimp terminals tight enough so that pulling on them will not pull them apart. Soldering is a different matter, pull as much as you like, the terminal will not come apart. Look at any crimped joint that has been in use for a while, the joint is full of crud, you'll also notice frayed wires, not with soldered terminals. It is often said soldering is no good because the copper hardens and the copper wire will fracture because it is not flexible. That's true, however, the copper only hardens for around 10-12mm after the terminal. Who the hell leaves as little cable as that free. Typically, in cars there is 10 times that amount of free cable after a terminal. Crimp terminals are rubbish and for amateurs. If you want a strong, weatherproof and professional looking terminal, solder it and apply heatshrink. I use crimp terminal, but rather than crimp them, I remove the plastic insulating material, solder the wires in place and apply heatshrink. For non insulated terminals, I crimp them small joint, then solder it, then crimp the larger joint around the insulation. I've been doing it this way on cars and bikes for over 50years, I've. Never had one failure. Wish I could say the same for crimp connections applied by auto electricians. Crimp terminals are used commercially because it is simply the quickest and cheapest way of doing it. What do you want, a quick cheap connection that will eventually fail, or a proper, failsafe connection that will outlast you?

Redoing a project car and what I’ve found is that all of the crimp joints have been loose, corroded, or both. I’ve redone the outside lights and removed the loose crimps just by pulling on them lightly, cleaned the wires, and soldered them together. Also if you’re using either method you have to use heat shrink tubing as even if your crimp connection is poor the heat shrink will hold it in place and keep the moisture out.

I have been involved in electronics for 40+ years and am quite familiar with proper soldering practices. My preference with wiring is to solder and dual wall heat shrink connections over crimping. OEM machine crimps found on vehicles are a far cry better than is achievable with consumer grade crimp hand tools unless you spend over $400 and get calibrated ones for correct crimp pressure and shape for a particular terminal type but that is beyond most DIYers and really not feasible for small jobs spending a fortune on tools. The points that Irwin makes are very valid in my opinion and really boil down to skill for a particular process and he is quite correct when stating that crimping is better than soldering in the case of those that can't solder well (although many just can't crimp well either). The soldered joint shown that was potentially "brittle" was over-soldered causing wicking (as accurately described). However a properly solder connection will not have the lengthy rigid area shown. Wires should not be left to float around either and should be tie wrapped together which reduces strain significantly for either solder or crimped connections, therefore the joint whether soldered or crimped should never fail from stress (only poor workmanship). I have seen crimped connection fail from movement, also moisture incursion creating oxidation against the crimped surfaces causing failure. A soldered joint will not be prone to a degraded connection from moisture, only surface discoloration. That being said any connection needs to be well insulated and the dual wall heatshrink properly applied is at the top of the list for reliability. All in all a good video but the point that should be taken from it is the process you use really depends on your skill level. As a side note, a reasonable quality plug in solder iron (Weller Professional Series) will have an internal temperature switch built into the pencil and maintain a stable temperature. I also agree the butane units are difficult to use as they really don't have the BTU's to maintain the tip temperature in most cases. But then again it depends on your skill level using the tool. One final note on soldering, if you want to do it reliably with good results use 63/37 rosin core solder, use lead free solder as it is difficult to use for the beginner and it's dull appearance when cool can be hard to distinguish from a cold solder joint. As far as solder thickness ? thinner will require more (measured by length) to be applied but easier to gauge the final outcome, while thicker solder will take less but be easier to over apply. Unless you are soldering battery cable lugs, 0.031 to 0.040 should be good for most people.

I've noticed that some of the cheaper non-heat shrink insulated butt connectors have a split seam (which is hard to see from the ends) that runs the length of the connector, and I think it's important to clock that seam to the top and bottom of the crimper jaws. If you have the seam on one side or the other, it ends up in a weaker flattened out "C"/clamshell shaped crimp that is very weak. Usually when I have a wire pull out of someone's previous work, it was crimped sideways with weak crimpers.

I agree with everything in this video. Non-insolated connectors are the only style we use at work too for the very same reasons you highlighted. I've never seen oem employ any other method

I don't know if anyone else commented this, but on the Tip maintenance, one thing I run into a lot, Is that people don't know is that the tips of a iron actually have a different metal plating at the tip. While tinning is an important part, one SUPER IMPORTANT thing NOT to do is use sandpaper on your tip to clean it. If you remove that plating, your tip have several different issues (ie the solder will not stick to the tip and trouble heating, esp after the insulating oxidation layer forms).
If you notice your tip, it has a nice clean line a bit back from the tip. This is a sign of a good tip with the plating still intact. But I've seen people who take sand paper to "clean" the tip ruining their tips and having trouble soldering because it's gone.

Ive started getting into open barrel crimping (for making custom plugs and whatnot) and the issue I am having is once I crimp my terminal gets stuck in the die and I literally have the destroy it to get it out. Now I did add some silicone lubricant to the die to help the die to release the terminal but all the videos i've watched don't show having to add any lubricant to the die.
And another issue in having is making weatherproof connectors (where you have the crimp the seal) how to properly crimp the seal without destroying the seal.
What am I doing wrong?

I just went out and did this on my car and it was really easy. Thanks for posting this man, it was really helpful :)

16:50 Wow! The electrical current will be very happy knowing that the wire it cruises through can hold so much weight 😜😉. But jokes aside, mechanical strength is important, but so are the electrical characteristics. Although I am a fan of crimping when it comes to high power (especially high current) connections, I do prefer soldering for low power applications, such as digital and analogue signal cables. And let's face it: crimped connections are as susceptible to breaking on the edges as are the soldered ones. Without proper strain relief both are pretty much the same.
It wasn't a bad video and I can agree with most of your claims, but:
1. you are waaaay to wary of soldering. Come on, mate! It's electronics 101! It is not that hard. On the contrary: once you know the proper basics, it's quite hard to botch. Even with a cheap, crappy soldering iron. Heck! Even with a lighter and a bottle cap!
2. If you want to make a really good comparison between soldered and crimped joints, do some electrical comparison as well. I admit: mechanical strength is important, but it's only a half of the story. Get a thermometer (thermocouple or thermovision camera), put some amps over the connection and measure the temperature. Do that a couple of times (at least 20-odd) each time giving the connection some time to properly cool off and then gather the results. Lousy crimped connection can be just as useless/dangerous as a bad soldering. Sometimes even more so, because it “looks nice” weather it was done correctly or not. “Tug test” may also be inconclusive although it's not useless either. Anyhow, if the connection wasn't crimped strongly enough to form a proper “cold-weld” it will degrade over time much quicker than any soldered joint.

very good video, totally agree with ya on soldering. few people do it right, also takes longer. but as a retired service tech for MOPAR products, i always crimped and soldered splices with sealing heat shrink. which was per MOPAR wire repair standard.

The only crimps that have ever worked consistently well for me are those bare copper ones they sell at Home Depot which look like little (maybe 1/4" to 3/8") segments of copper tubing. Everything else has seemed hit or miss, maybe because, as a DIYer I never develop a consistent habit of matching the crimps to the crimping tool. One other thing that has always worked perfectly for me was to cut the leads to different, complimentary lengths, so that the connections are offset from each other, then square-knot one pair, twist and tape it, square-knot the other pair, twist and tape that, then put either tape or heat shrink tubing around the whole thing. The knots guarantee a strong, permanent, self-tightening connection while the offset protects against shorts. The one caveat is that you have to know how to make a square knot with very short lengths of wire.

Great video, proper crimping goes a long way and is actually much faster than soldering. Another big one is using good connectors, DTM connectors can be purchased very cheaply (the crimpers for the pins are slightly more expensive) and work amazing leaving a very professional look

Your solder joint would not meet mil spec that is used in military application where function is paramount. Proper heatsinks near insulation will limit solder wicking past insulation. You won't find nearly as many crimps on aircraft, spacecraft, or nuclear weapons as soldered joints. Any crimps will use documented calibration and pre/post sample crimps for pull testing verification. There is a reason that I had to certify soldering when I was in the service. Never had crimping certification. Never had a proper solder joint fail on many automotive applications and did so many times to repair crimp joints that were intermittent and difficult to diagnose. The repeated bending/flexing of crimps are just as likely to fail as a solder joint. Ever heard of a strain relief? Crimps are more convenient than soldering, but don't say NEVER solder!

I use crimps for everything but critical high current connections. Back in the day, I actually turned down a fairly lucrative road shop management position with Circuit City because they had the company-wide policy of requiring that all electrical connections be soldered.

I've been soldering and crimping auto wires for 50 years and no problems, depends on the location.
If the soldered joint is part of a bunched loom then vibration won't be a problem as the repaired wire is supported by all the other cables
Even if the joint isn't waterproof (which it should be in cars) a correctly soldered joint will survive.
The wire around it will rot leaving the solder joint still intact.⚠️
The ultimate joint would be a soldered crimp which I carry out if heavy currents are involved like on starter circuits or glow plug ccts.
Very good demo at the end though.
Fair play to ya 👏

This is a great video, but you forgot to mention something. Never, ever, ever, marry a stripper.

All method will work.
1. Twist wires together.
2. Twist and solder.
3. Crimp.
All method work just fine.
Consideration on what method to use come up only when you are doing 100T joints. 😁😁😁 Then crimping is the hands down winner.
Don't get distracted by lengthy discussion, we just want get home for dinner,

Wait...
Are you using ignition sources in the same room as a gas heater?

Here is one more who has been soldering connections in automotive applications since I well into the last century. Zero failures. It's a small data set but two of these vehicles were purchased new in 91 and 94. But he's absolutely right about proper tools. I use professional crimpers on anything that requires a crimp and have had good success with those as well.

Bro, this is the best way to join two automotive wires! Been doing it for years and you just can't get better 👌 all these comments 'I've been soldering for 30 years...bla bla bla' are stubborn and aren't interested in change. Yes solder works but crimping is the ultimate, you won't find a solder joint on any OE manufactured vehicle today!

Good thing I watched this video because all connections that I've done on my car's wirrings are all by crimping, I'll have a peace of mind. Thanks.

What about using a typical blowtorch for soldering ? I've tried it with success. I connect wires maybe once a year so I'm a rank amateur. I could be way off about this method and would like to be corrected if necessary. The torch heats the wires much faster than a soldering iron so there is less time for the wires to oxidize. Much of the oxygen has been burned away when the wires are inside the torch flame so there will be less oxidizing of the surface of the copper wire for that reason too. As I am heating the copper wire I also have the solder near the torch flame so that it will be near it's melting point when it is touched to the copper wires. This also decreases the oxidation on the copper a little bit because the solder melts into the copper more quickly. I'm puzzled as to why I don't see a torch recommended for soldering. I've always had good results.

Ive had my shop for 15 years. (Auto repair/Inspections etc.)
My 550hp Eclipse was wire tucked in 2010 with soldering, no issue to this day.
It wouldnt be proper practice to assume crimping every single wire splice of an ECM is OK.
One of the major components to a good solder is the amount of solder used.
Too much, more cracking. Too much, more resistance. Too little, .... safer!
In this video, you applied twice as much solder as I would.
Excellent video, glad to see you practice for perfection!

It is difficult learn how to solder, but the solder joint done properly, is the better electrical joint.

Also want to add that you can also can tin/solder the terminal and crimp with barrel crimps. I realized this as one time was pulling apart a throttle cable, that I needed to remove and the one end terminal had a barrel at the end of the cable. First I thought that the barrel (some aluminum alloy) was forge/fused on the cable, after further inspection I saw a mark on the other side of the barrel like if the barrel was drilled all the way and the cable inserted. I applied heat and a blob of solder came out releasing the cable. Then I could see that there was small diameter hole for the cable and on the other side it was bigger, allowing the strands to expand and pull apart of each other then it could be filled with solder. Ingenious! that means that the only way for this to come undone was to apply heat or exceed a force way greater that what it was designed for; as the solder between strands are 3:23 holding the strands apart in the bigger hole the cable can't slip through the small hole, intercepting both forces.

Sorry but I am a solder man. I was amused when Steve white in the comment said a good crimp joint is better than a bad solder joint that applies the other way as well

This video made me hit the subscribe button. As a professional auto electrician I can't stress how important it is to stay away from joining wires in a car with solder. The amount of time I spend fixing broken and corroded soldering jobs on cars makes me want to go around destroying soldering irons...

Lack of soldering almost caused a fire in my car. Always solder properly. If you can't, find someone who can (been soldering for over 50 years).

Would it be good be good practice to spice the wires before setting them Into the crimp? Seems it would be some extra insurance.

A few thoughts and questions from a newbie... A point is made in this video about the stiffness of a soldered joint, which is lengthened due to solder wicking under the insulation. Isn't a butt connector also stiffer than the flexible copper wire? It seems like a butt connector would also produce a big difference in stiffness and a weak point at the transitions between it and the copper wire. In either case, wouldn't a piece of heat shrink that is longer than the 'stiffer' section (whether it's the soldered section or the butt connector) give you a transition zone on either side of the joint that would protect the 'weak point' where the stiffness transitions from stiffer to more flexible? If that's right, then the only downsides to a soldered joint would seem to be 1) If the solder itself is prone to cracking and 2) If the soldered joint is longer, giving you a longer 'stiff zone' to deal with. The other thought I had when watching the video is that it looks like the non-insulated butt connectors used at the end are brass. If they are, there would be more resistance in the connector than if it was copper. Just thoughts and questions from a newbie... I'll probably get flamed for this, but it would also be nice if foul language wasn't used.

crimping over soldering? hahaha
I can only imagine what the back of your cars head-unit looks like

ASE Master technician here and I'll tell you what I was taught at the GM Training College in Atlanta.
*Soldering is not necessary and introduces problems that crimping doesn't.*
One thing anybody can see: Look at the wiring on any new car and you will not find any place where the manufacturer used solder.

I am impressed by the quality of the crimp you produced and will explore it further. I am an old solder guy. I use a 12 volt soldering iron that crimps onto the battery.

good video. reminds me of my journey through doing auto electrics in my car. Istarted off by doing crimps.. then moved up to soldering.. and then reverted back to crimps.
very good to see the tool your using, it made me realise i need to upgrade mine to get it completely right.

What would u recommend, crimps like 16:13 or solder, i need to extend around 20 fuse box/headlight harness cables, all the extension wires will be same length, i need to extend like 5-7ft… what would u recommend me to do… i can learn to solder, im a very detailed person… and I’d actually like to learn, but if the crimps would work fine and not cause resistance, then I’ll go with the crimps and save time too

THANK YOU for encouraging younger generations to take the extra time and do the work RIGHT.

I was in the electronics industry 35 years. Crimps are absolutely perfect IF!!!! That’s a big if! If you have the correct terminals, if you have the correct wire gauge and if you have a quality tool designed specifically for that terminal! Mashing on cheap terminals with pliers or general use crimpers are doomed for failure!

I worked for a company, that manufactured control computers, for nuclear reactors.
We had a meeting about crimping vs soldering.
It was determined, that twisted pairs need solder with moisture barrier heat shrink, and that crimp connectors should also be soldered, for redundancy.
I was part of that team, and was the one who suggested these processes.
DIY crimping, over time, will work the mechanical connection loose, causing connection issues down the road.
"But Ranger, all connectors in plugs used in vehicles are crimped!"
True, and most will last the lifetime of the vehicle, but some don't and need replacing.
Any mechanic with a year or two under their belts will tell you stories, of how multiple wire connector plugs, have needed to be replaced, from mechanical failure.
In fact, a good mechanic, knows how to replace the one or two bad pins, instead of the entire connector plug.