Like the battery, alternator, & any other high-current connections, the winch relay terminals need maintenance. I labelled each strap & wire, disassembled & polished every mating surface, applied electrical grease, then reassembled it. I plan to get the most from the winch AND the aux.batt.

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Similarly, the starter relay's BATTERY terminal (usually the REAR one) and its stack of ring terminals should be separated, cleaned to a shine, & coated with electrical grease whenever signs of low voltage appear: spurious fault codes, dim lights, slow cranking...

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Electrical grease is not conductive; nor is it DIelectric grease, thermal grease, or chassis grease, or anti-seize lube, or red battery terminal spray. It's very clear low-viscosity pure silicone grease. Most dielectric greases are HIGH-viscosity silicone grease, and Ford/MC dielectric grease also contains glass beads. But in the same way that 5W-30 oil is not interchangeable with 95W-140 oil, the 2 greases are not interchangeable. Use electrical grease where electricity needs to flow; use dielectric where it should NOT flow.

Owner caption November 2012 · Photo 4843 of 5000