Is this a good connection?

[anonymous-user]

Good evening pistonheads!
Long story short chasing a B2774 drivers side curtain airbag (airbag light on) on a ford focus st facelight 2008.

Have checked the curtain airbag after removing headlining (what a pain!) All connections seem good, have removed the a pillar and found this.

Does this look like a good connection or not?
Very tight for space and reluctant to cut wires and get crimping gun in if it wont help

Thoughts appreciated

[steveo3002]

neat enough..cant really say without unwrapping it

[anonymous-user]

steveo3002 said:

neat enough..cant really say without unwrapping it

Is it Definitely a joint? I don't want to unwrap it if it's not a place where I could be getting a poor connection.

Or do I just say fk it and cut and crimp and make a decent connection?

[Richard-D]

Looks like it's conducting electricity well to me.

[steveo3002]

upper /orange bit....looks a bit like household elec flex ?

[anonymous-user]

steveo3002 said:

upper /orange bit....looks a bit like household elec flex ?

The orange part is a sleeve that the cables go into when they enter the roof, to stop them getting snagged or trapped on anything.

Where they connect at the other it goes back to wire.

It is a hard plastic tube not typical electrical flex.

[xstian]

I don't know about the joint, who would know from that photo? But the bit of orange flex with the blue and brown cable doesn't look correct, looks like a bit of lawn mower flex. I would be looking to trace the other end of that and find out why it's been fitted

[anonymous-user]

xstian said:

I don't know about the joint, who would know from that photo? But the bit of orange flex with the blue and brown cable doesn't look correct, looks like a bit of lawn mower flex. I would be looking to trace the other end of that and find out why it's been fitted

The orange part is a hard plastic tunnel that the cables go through, not flex

[finlo]

CP12 said:

Is it Definitely a joint? I don't want to unwrap it if it's not a place where I could be getting a poor connection.

Or do I just say fk it and cut and crimp and make a decent connection?

It's definitely a joint, the colour change of cable kind of confirms it!

[anonymous-user]

finlo said:

It's definitely a joint, the colour change of cable kind of confirms it!

Fair point, I think I am blinded by the airbag light, best thing to do is remake joint and if necessary continue my fault finding on if this makes no difference, thanks all.

[xstian]

CP12 said:

Fair point, I think I am blinded by the airbag light, best thing to do is remake joint and if necessary continue my fault finding on if this makes no difference, thanks all.

I don't think you need to necessarily remake the joint, but one side of that joint is not the original cable. I think you need to trace the cables back and find out why another cable has been added in.

[GreenV8S]

xstian said:

I think you need to trace the cables back and find out why another cable has been added in.

^^ That ^^

[anonymous-user]

Thanks all, struggling to find where the wire goes after the dashboard and no info online, might have to give up and put it in the garage

[tapkaJohnD]

Do you have a piercing needle on your multimeter's leads? Then check the resistance across that joint.
If not, steal two needles/pins from 'er indoors, pierce the insulation either side and clip on your crocodiles.
Or, if you can access the terminals either end of the wires, check there.

Absolutely impossible to tell by just looking at it.
John

[Peanut Gallery]

Looks like heatshrink over the cables, if someone has done this they had heatshrink, and not just insulation tape, if they had heatshrink there is a greater chance it will be a proper soldered joint.

Have you tried pulling the wires apart? How hard is the joint area beneath the heatshrink? - solid and well made, or loose and feels just like 2 bits of wire shoved together and held there by hope?

[anonymous-user]

tapkaJohnD said:

Do you have a piercing needle on your multimeter's leads? Then check the resistance across that joint.
If not, steal two needles/pins from 'er indoors, pierce the insulation either side and clip on your crocodiles.
Or, if you can access the terminals either end of the wires, check there.

Absolutely impossible to tell by just looking at it.
John

Dont have piercing needle but can steal from the sowing kit

Peanut Gallery said:

Looks like heatshrink over the cables, if someone has done this they had heatshrink, and not just insulation tape, if they had heatshrink there is a greater chance it will be a proper soldered joint.

Have you tried pulling the wires apart? How hard is the joint area beneath the heatshrink? - solid and well made, or loose and feels just like 2 bits of wire shoved together and held there by hope?

Will check tightness of cables and test resistance as above and post back

Thanks all