the heat wont turn off when i turn off the truck

[Spoolin]

negative, ghost rider

I only said the solder part to appease the old school people that will say that's the only way to do it right when dealing with anything wiring or electrical. You can use a couple of red and blue butt connectors and accomplish it easily. I can't remember if I used a yellow cause I know one, maybe two of the wires are a thicker gauge and the blue may not slide on to crimp.

 

[Doubeleive]

there is a chance also the one you get may have a updated harness and will just be plug n play

 

[BlueCollarTahoe]

negative, ghost rider

I only said the solder part to appease the old school people that will say that's the only way to do it right when dealing with anything wiring or electrical. You can use a couple of red and blue butt connectors and accomplish it easily. I can't remember if I used a yellow cause I know one, maybe two of the wires are a thicker gauge and the blue may not slide on to crimp.

you way sounds more fun

 

[rockola1971]

The reason you really should solder the connections is because the fan draws a significant amount of current and it runs all the time (on various speeds) in the winter for heat and in the summer for a/c. That current will heat up an imperfect connection (Butt Connector). A butt Connector only contacts the wire where its been crimped and even there it isnt as good as a soldered connection. The imperfect connection becomes a resistance point which causes excess heat buildup. Over time the connection gets worse and worse and the resistance gets higher. Any resistance in a wired connection becomes essentially a heating element. The wire is only rated for so much heat so the insulation gets soft and breaks down physically. Next thing you know you now have a dash fire or at the least a black smoke scare... while driving down the road.
Alot of times I will use a butt connector, crimp it and then fill the connector (metal portion) with solder. This is about as perfect of a connection as you can get next to a continuous piece of wire that hasnt even been spliced into. Do it right the first time and be done with it. Dont be the guy thats holding up traffic because everyone is watching your ride burn.

 

[BlueCollarTahoe]

replaced with the part...i did it with butt crimps that have the soder in the middle. i melted it with a torch. everything worked. thanks guys for the info and replies. turns out it was replaced once before with an aftermarket one. the unit itself had corrosion all over it with the new wiring. felt good to have heat afte a week of deep freeze going down to -20. worse timing to have no heat lol

 

[Spoolin]

Congrats. I told ya it wasn't that big of a challenge to replace. Glad to hear your fingers won't fall off now from the cold.
Some time in the future I'm gonna replace the seat heaters in my ride. At the shop I used to work at, the upholstery guy said he'd put them in for $125 labor and a new driver cushion and leather piece. Backs work fine and will cook your kidneys, but damn the bottoms are freaking cold. Been driving my yimmy that has cloth interior only to have my thermostat fail and stick open so no heat! One of these days I'll be warm again, too

 

[retiredsparky]

The reason you really should solder the connections is because the fan draws a significant amount of current and it runs all the time (on various speeds) in the winter for heat and in the summer for a/c. That current will heat up an imperfect connection (Butt Connector). A butt Connector only contacts the wire where its been crimped and even there it isnt as good as a soldered connection. The imperfect connection becomes a resistance point which causes excess heat buildup. Over time the connection gets worse and worse and the resistance gets higher. Any resistance in a wired connection becomes essentially a heating element. The wire is only rated for so much heat so the insulation gets soft and breaks down physically. Next thing you know you now have a dash fire or at the least a black smoke scare... while driving down the road.
Alot of times I will use a butt connector, crimp it and then fill the connector (metal portion) with solder. This is about as perfect of a connection as you can get next to a continuous piece of wire that hasnt even been spliced into. Do it right the first time and be done with it. Dont be the guy thats holding up traffic because everyone is watching your ride burn.

With all due respect to your experience, Mike, I would like to share my experience with crimp connections. I have discovered that the problems with crimps are usually using either the wrong tool (the cutting blades of a pair of side cutters, for example) or using the wrong size of crimp on the tool. If a relay or contactor fails, it can produce a lot of heat which can burn up crimp connections, or if there is a short circuit, a lot of current flows, creating heat, again potentially ruining the crimp. I cannot recall ever seeing a properly installed crimp connection fail (other than from corrosion) in 40 years as an industrial electrician, both installing and servicing. When using infrared scanning equipment during preventive maintenance, the crimp splices of various sizes all the way up to 750 kcmil (large cable) would show up as cooler than the wire.

The other point I would like to make is that when you apply a crimp, the pressure you exert is extreme, because the pressure is applied over a very small area, sometimes exceeding 1000 psi, even on a small cable. In higher current applications, solder is not the preferred choice.

I do recommend an anti-oxidant grease to keep moisture and corrosion out, the other source of failure of crimps.

 

[rockola1971]

With all due respect to your experience, Mike, I would like to share my experience with crimp connections. I have discovered that the problems with crimps are usually using either the wrong tool (the cutting blades of a pair of side cutters, for example) or using the wrong size of crimp on the tool. If a relay or contactor fails, it can produce a lot of heat which can burn up crimp connections, or if there is a short circuit, a lot of current flows, creating heat, again potentially ruining the crimp. I cannot recall ever seeing a properly installed crimp connection fail (other than from corrosion) in 40 years as an industrial electrician, both installing and servicing. When using infrared scanning equipment during preventive maintenance, the crimp splices of various sizes all the way up to 750 kcmil (large cable) would show up as cooler than the wire.

The other point I would like to make is that when you apply a crimp, the pressure you exert is extreme, because the pressure is applied over a very small area, sometimes exceeding 1000 psi, even on a small cable. In higher current applications, solder is not the preferred choice.

I do recommend an anti-oxidant grease to keep moisture and corrosion out, the other source of failure of crimps.

I agree on proper 3 and 4 tooth crimps as you would see with LARGER power cable. But you dont see those type of crimpers typically in automotive application. What you do see in automotive butt splices is extreme temperature swings. Do the crimp in the summer and what happens when winter gets here and the connection is now subjected to extreme cold? Wire contracts and the crimp becomes loose and now you have a resistive element at that crimp. Years of that cycle and it will burn eventually. I stand by my statement. Solder all spliced/crimped connections in an auto.(except at the battery lugs)

 

[Spoolin]

These are the ones we used in car audio and the like. There was a company called pandit or panduit that had similar crimpers to the non insulated style and we would grind off the cutting portion of them to make snub nosed crimpers. Made working under the dash and in radio holes easier and safer to not possibly damage anything else.

Look at this on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/252496922526

KLEIN Tools 1006 non Insulated Crimper 22-10 AWG 9-3/4 In Crimping Tool

 

[HiHoeSilver]

These are the ones we used in car audio and the like. There was a company called pandit or panduit that had similar crimpers to the non insulated style and we would grind off the cutting portion of them to make snub nosed crimpers. Made working under the dash and in radio holes easier and safer to not possibly damage anything else.

Look at this on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/252496922526

KLEIN Tools 1006 non Insulated Crimper 22-10 AWG 9-3/4 In Crimping Tool

Those are for non insulated connectors only. I use the 1005 instead.