Every connector is different and each one has it's own special trick to disconnect it. This is why I usually destroy them. This is also why I have to drink beer in the morning.
EXCELLENT VIDEO! 99% of videos tell you every detail of a repair that you can figure out yourself. The ONLY thing they don't show you is how to disconnect wire connectors. You can't see them, can barely reach them, they are old and VERY delicate, brittle & fragile! they are not replaceable...but they leave YOU to trial & error... And breakage!!! 🤬
This video is one of the most underrated videos ever. lol. I always pulled the tab "out" but always never realized to push in the middle tab to disconnect. Great video, thank you!
Thanks so much for posting this video - You saved me and countless others from frustration, cursing, and bloody fingertips, never mind broken pried off connectors......
Wow, this video is just what the doctor ordered. I am sure I would have broken a few plastic tabs before I figured out these locking connectors. Thanks so much for this video with clear and good photography too
Thanks for a great selection of different types of disconnect mechanisms. These are always a pain, because no matter how many you come across, I always seem to find another type. When they are difficult to see, and must be done by feel only, they can drive me nuts. I have one right now, on my Land Rover LR2's throttle body, that has held me up for an hour. Hopefully it is similar to the throttle body you show here... we will see. BTW there is another one I came across on this job that I had never seen before: A wire "bail". It didn't pivot, pull out, snap off... you actually had to push it IN to release it... totally counter-intuitive. I think there is a special branch of automotive engineering just for these mechanisms, in which only the most insidious and cruel minds are employed.
If it is counterintuitive, only the dealer gets the training so you can only go to the dealer. If you try to do it yourself without knowing how to do it, then you break the connector leading to frustration so that next time you just have the dealer do it.
Thank you so much for this video on how to disconnect electrical connectors… It’s such a simple topic, but I struggled for over an hour with a tail light wiring harness clip that I could not get off until you showed very clearly where to depress that plug to pull it out.
thank you so much for this video. I was just screaming at my 08 honda fit "I WILL NOT BE OUTSMARTED BY A TINY PIECE OF PLASTIC" today while trying to remove the harness
Wow, finally, somebody 'splained how to deal with that connector at approx. .40. Thank you! I've been putzing around cars for decades; my late father-in-law even was a chevy mechanic, and yet I am embarrassed I had no idea how to release miserable connectors like this, the easy way! Single most valuable youtube now in my arsenal.
Yes definitely, theres many of those connections on every vehicle and im glad to be able to make em easier to deal with in any way🙂...thank you for the support
❤🎉😂 Super simple fix (2 bolts & 3 clips) to take the passenger seat out of the Chevy Spark, but an hour on Google gave us no leads on how to remove the last connector. And then of course, 60 seconds into your video there was the answer : Push it in!
I haven't tried yet but I'm so glad to finally find a site like yours that's specific to disconnecting connectors. I've broken a few trying to figure it out! I'm trying to disconnect a sensor on my '99 Dodge Caravan. I'll be back to let you know if it was a success.
Excellent buddy I've got a couple bullet connectors on my drone I'm Having trouble pulling them apart. They are very delicate do you have any suggestions so I don't ruin them ? Thanks. Keith
I thought I was too advanced of a mechanic to look at a video on how to disconnect an electrical connector, but I was wrong and actually learned something.
Very helpful brother - Thanks a lot, you have covered a wide variety of connectors. Keeping a Lisle 13120 is also handy on multiple occasions where the connector is covered with dirt. Applying dielectric grease while putting them back has pretty much eliminated my woes over the years.
I agree but for anyone reading your comment should be warned. Dielectric Grease is ONLY for the plastic portions where the male and female housing of the connectors make contact and NOT on the pins themselves. Dielectric Grease is resistant to electricity, it is a massive non-conductor so what's going to happen when you glob grease all over the contact points? You're going to create an open circuit. Dielectric Grease should only be applied in the amount that just makes the plastic housing glossy and no more. You can however put a small glob in the back of each connector where the wiring has been fed through. That's okay and it'll protect against dirt from getting in the rear of the connector but never in the contact points. Trust me, people do not know this. I've been a mechanic for 16 years and learned a lot of tips and tricks so now that I'm trying to get a degree in Automotive and Diesel Technology, kids and even adults don't know this. It works great when it's applied properly. Take the time and do it right the first time.
@@backyardchevy328 still cannot disconnect the connector to my transmission sensor. now my thumbs are sore. i'm giving up on disconnecting the thing. gonna try just spray contact cleaner on the sensor, see if it fixes anything.
@@backyardchevy328 a mitsubishi with F4A41 auto transmission. Trying to clean the speed sensor connector. Looks like it should be a simple push lock mechanism, but it wont budge. Gonna try prying it with a flathead screwdriver when I got the time.
@@warnacokelat any chance u can get a pick on the opposite end of the tab to lift it as u pull back? Or maybe spray it with a light spray of wd40 to free it up
Was extremely frustrated with one connector on my truck. I just couldn't figure out how to remove the dang thing, and it was the only connector left holding my headlight housing in. I dont have a clue what the specific name for the connector is, so I found this video looking for generic info. Never considered a sliding style locking mechanism. Went out and unclipped the connector with ease in under two min👍👍👍👍
Really helped. Installing inductive phone charging on a 2023 Serria 1500. The entire center console and dash screen are out. The number of electrical clips approaches 12. Much more difficult had I need see your vid. Kudo's
I have a question about cleaning the electrical connectors, so can I clean all my car connectors that’s under the hood, with some CRC electrical cleaner? To give them a boost ?
Hello. Is there a fluid or any particular lubricant that is safe for wires or switch? My 2nd transmission fluid pressure switch is hard to detach from the connector.
Thank you so much🙂...they have this plastic lock piece u kinda have to lift up(with a screwdriver) and the connector pushes off as u lift that lock piece up...ill definitely include connectors like that if i do a part 2🙂
This is a very much needed video for old farts such as myself who are used to working on older vehicles! By the way, where did you buy the work gloves? They look like they're thin enough to allow you to grasp things easily but still protect you from chemicals.
So glad to be able to help🙂 theyre raven brand nitrile gloves, yea theyre some of my favorite out of many ive compared...i bought a case of 10 boxes a while back..but i believe they sell em on amazon and many other stores
I'm having trouble releasing a connector on a 2016 Kia Rio. It's needed to get access to the fourth spark plug. I've watched four videos and no-one explains how to release it.
thank you for posting this! I can't get the connection off my throttle body which is just like the one on 2:23. I have an 08 Jeep Wrangler. with a tiny screw I pulled the sleeve off because I didn't know any better. I slid it back in place, pressed on the tabs, but they just wont release. it feels stuck and a few of the plastic pieces closest to the cables seem bent. is there a trick to them? or a way I can replace just the head without changing the whole wire harness assembly?
Sometimes the heat will make the rubber seal stick..but what u can do if the tabs arent quite releasing when u press em..u can use small picks to lift the tab by sliding em in between where its attaching..kinda hard to explain but itll lift the tabs away from the notch..and if thats whats holding it itll separate..if not u may have to wiggle it til it frees up or u can spray a lil wd40 around the outside see if it frees it up
HELP!!! Lol ok I broke the tab. Now what? Do I cut the wires and rewire new connectors or is it still possible to disconnect them with the release tab broke.
It depends on the year but more than likely its the style where the clip slides out and holds it across the connector..its kinda hard to explain without showing it done but.. u kinda pull out the retaining clip and the connector pops up as u slide it across
Its good to help people avoid breaking these connections, they can be quite fragile over time and with heat..so watching videos like these make u smart, smart enough to not wanna break a connection🙂
@@backyardchevy328 yes, we are doing my 1996 dodge 1 ton dually and boy some of the tight ones are difficult. We have several of the tools but not having much fun. Next we have to re insert the the tray into my dodge. So we will have to undo t hose as well. That’s why looking. Thanks for replying, appreciated!
@@backyardchevy328 okay thank you, it all looks okay inside, maybe it’s cracked but still attached a little bit. I’ll get it changed .. it’s cable tied on at the moment
What if I have really weak fingers and no room to squeeze even to my fullest and I can't get it. What specifically do you use for a 90 degree pick that is strong enough to pop it up from the opposite side but supple enough to be bent 90 degrees. Curse my small hands! thanks mom and dad.
I'm working on my 2007 Ram 1500 and trying to remove the wiring harness from the drivers door. I think I have a broken wire. Their are two plug in connectors on the truck side of the door one is white and has an obvious release the other black and the release isn't obvious to me. It might take a long skinny tool inserted in a slot but I can't define what tool it might be or how it would be used. Sorry I can't give the name of the connector. It is probably a nine pin rectangular black connector with flat pins. That probably doesn't help much but thanks.
@@johnmontgomery1207 yea those rear door wiring harness's getting cut are quite common..but ive only replaced the rear door one once..and it had a big white main connector..and had 2 tabs, one on each side...ill see if i can see what front door looks like
they both come out together, pull the boot back and u have to push in on 4 corners so the tabs push in, and u can pull the harness connector off.the boot kind of shows where u have to push in, hope that can kind of help.
Which one of these disconnects the rear rightside taillights/brakelight/right turn signal light? I have a replacement connector that is used to connect the circuit board but I need the electricity off to do it.
On what kind of vehicle? Usually if it has a whole taillight assembly itll have one bigger connector that works pretty similar to these connectors which u press in the tab and slide off the main connector
@@backyardchevy328 GMC Envoy XL SLT 2002, I try to follow the cord underneath my car but can't seem to find the end to it to unplug it. I have the replacement for the terminals that connect to the taillight circuit board but can't do anything because the electricity that runs through it.
@@lingbingchill oh ok that connector is similar to the one on thumbnail..have u figured out how to get the taillight assembly off? Once u get the taillight off u can disconnect the connector to the assembly and itll be safe to swap out the circuit board..or u can also disconnect the battery negative terminal if ud wanna avoid having any current going to it
@@backyardchevy328 the circuit board and that connector isn't my problem, it's finding where those wires lead and disconnecting it from my car so that I can fix the connector that leads to the circuit board. I want to avoid touching the battery as I'm very new to working on my own car. That's why I clicked on this video to see which of these I need to unplug for my taillights to not run electricity.
@@lingbingchill oh ok now i understand..it may have a connector that splits off to connect both tailights, just not familar with that particular model to where it would be located but i would guess itd be near the drivers side taillight
Please...if you could do a video on how to disconnect electrical connectors from Infiniti/Nissan. The procedure is very different (you have to push inwards in order to disconnect them) from what you showed in this video and they tend to be the hardest to disconnect. I wish someone could show an easier way to disconnect them or some tool you could use.
Unfortunately, you don't show how to disconnect the two electrical connector for the 2004 Chrysler T&C when attempting to remove the headliner where the electrical wiring from the body to the headliner shell that is located at the bottom of the post on each side located just behind the front seats. Most electrical connectors are rather easy to figure out, but these are different and so far, I have been unable to disconnect them!
I’ve been trying to remove the connector to a fog light housing on a 2016 Silverado 1500 and can’t get it to disconnect. I’m losing my mind. I’ve been at it for like a month.
It should be pretty similar with a tab u need to press in, but i believe it has a red lock clip u need to slide back first if i remember the connector correctly
Whats stuck exactly? The connector or the part that unhooks? Normally i push in on the connector as i press in on tab...wiggling it can free it also..if u have to u can spray something like wd40 to help free it
@@backyardchevy328 thank you its a resistor for a ac motor on a 2002 ford e250. It has 2 clips so i believe its stuck from the years being on there. Thanks, I will try the wd40.
