# Scotchlok Connectors Vs Soldering



## Buck62 (Aug 28, 2008)

I was talking to a mobile audio and alarm installer yesterday who was telling me that soldering your wires/connections is always sturdier and better than using Scotchlok type connectors, especially for alarms and remote starters. 

Thoughts?

Experiences?

I'm thinking of adding a 4-channel amp in my Tundra and a remote-start/alarm system and was wondering which is the better way to insure sturdy connections.

Any input would be appreciated... thanx.


----------



## tristan20 (Nov 28, 2005)

Of course solder is better


----------



## Vestax (Aug 16, 2005)

In my experience, Scotchlok, t-taps, butt connectors fail on bigger awg wires... starting especially at 10awg due to the fact that most people don't use the right tools to crimp the connections. Like I've seen a couple of guys use those Klein strippers to crimp their 4 awg terminals? WTF? 
I guess the same goes with soldering, if you don't have good soldering skills, does that mean soldering is better? 

Connections are as good as the one who made them is what I say.


----------



## MuTT (Apr 4, 2007)

not sure about the states, but scothlocks are illegal in a vehicle in Canada, I assume for good reason.


----------



## ERB82 (May 27, 2008)

Soldering your alarm install is the way to go. Using Ttaps(scotchlocks) is the lazy and dangerous way to do it. The Ttaps cut into the original wire and can't handle the current of remote starter connections. I've seen plenty of pictures of melted Ttaps and fire damage caused from them. There is a reason they are illegal in vehicles in Canada and against SOP at both Circuit City and Best Buy. Vestax just likes em cuz he is lazy lol.


----------



## dogstar (Jan 31, 2007)

MuTT said:


> not sure about the states, but scothlocks are illegal in a vehicle in Canada, I assume for good reason.


Can you link to the legislation?


----------



## Hispls (Mar 12, 2008)

Scotch-locks are really sketchy. I'll use T-taps for alarm/remote starts sometimes, but I normally try to solder.

If you know how to solder it can't be beat.


----------



## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

I solder and heat shrink for just about everything! I do use crimps too, depending on what I am connecting, but for my alarm, I used solder, heat shrink, and electrical tape. 

Crimp connectors can have a bit of a problem over time in my high humidity area and they tend to corrode. Every now and again, the insulation separates from the barrel and it really sucks when that happens and it ruins something. 

I think of soldering as insurance because the chances of me having a problem with solder is somewhere between slim and none!


----------



## audiobill5 (Oct 14, 2008)

Scotchlocks (t-taps) are horrible, but where I used to sell audio in Florida the installers used small wire nuts! They fell off right away! 
Solder/shrink tube connections (especially the marine brand: ANCOR, with heat activated epoxy inside) last for ever and they WON'T come apart!

I don't need to read legislation about t-taps because I will never use them on ANYTHING. 
The people that do use them, I've been told, keep their use to circuits under 2 amps max.


----------



## MuTT (Apr 4, 2007)

dogstar said:


> Can you link to the legislation?


actually I cannot, but a few years ago when I was designing and building school buses, we received paperwork from the MOT with wiring laws and such, it was in there, they had to fly me from Ontario to BC to do recall work on the scotchlocks.


----------



## redfred18t (Oct 2, 2008)

I absolutely hate schotchloks/t-taps. I was doign some wiring in my car a couple years back and the kit came with them. I was like "well if they sell thousands of these, these t-taps should be fine." Oh how was I wrong. Biggest ****ing headache I've ever had. I will never use them again.

And its good to hear they are illegal in Canada. They should be illegal in the states as well.


----------



## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

Vestax said:


> In my experience, Scotchlok, t-taps, butt connectors fail on bigger awg wires... starting especially at 10awg due to the fact that most people don't use the right tools to crimp the connections. Like I've seen a couple of guys use those Klein strippers to crimp their 4 awg terminals? WTF?
> I guess the same goes with soldering, if you don't have good soldering skills, does that mean soldering is better?
> 
> Connections are as good as the one who made them is what I say.


x2 on everything said


----------



## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

06BLMUSTANGGT said:


> I solder and heat shrink for just about everything! I do use crimps too, depending on what I am connecting, but for my alarm, I used solder, heat shrink, and electrical tape.
> 
> *Crimp connectors can have a bit of a problem over time in my high humidity area and they tend to corrode. Every now and again, the insulation separates from the barrel and it really sucks when that happens and it ruins something.
> *
> I think of soldering as insurance because the chances of me having a problem with solder is somewhere between slim and none!


Isn't the metal to metal connection in a crimp air tight and water tight? Much like water and air screw on fitting are that don't require gaskets?

Doesn't copper corrode and form a layer of protection over the copper underneath preventing any further corrosion? Much like bare copper pipes in your house don't corrode and leak once that inner layer builds up?


----------



## BoostedNihilist (Mar 3, 2008)

A few things

First of all let's get it perfectly clear, scotchlocks are completely different from t-taps.. scotchlocks suck



> not sure about the states, but scothlocks are illegal in a vehicle in Canada, I assume for good reason.


Not true. Not true at all. Until you quote chapter and verse on this one I simply will not believe it.



> Soldering your alarm install is the way to go. Using Ttaps(scotchlocks) is the lazy and dangerous way to do it. The Ttaps cut into the original wire and can't handle the current of remote starter connections. I've seen plenty of pictures of melted Ttaps and fire damage caused from them. There is a reason they are illegal in vehicles in Canada and against SOP at both Circuit City and Best Buy. Vestax just likes em cuz he is lazy lol.


I agree that soldering the wires is the ultimate, however t-tapping is adequate and widely accepted in the indusrty.

From a OEM standpoint T-Taps have huge advantages. Removal of the system becomes safer and less obtrusive.

On modern vehicles the current capacity is pretty much a non issue. Most vehicles do not have any large gauge wires that you would need to tap into. Colum wires, door lock wires, door entry wires are typically 14 Ga and flow just enough current to trigger a transistor in a BCM type device. 

Let's not use the SOP from CC and BB to decide what is right and what is wrong. I have fixed many a hack-job from those guys and trust me, soldering tends to be the least of their worries when it comes to ****ed up jobs.

I have installed many thousands of alarms/remote starts and immobilizers over the years, the vast majority use t-taps and I have yet to have a single one fail at the connection point.


----------



## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

t3sn4f2 said:


> Isn't the metal to metal connection in a crimp air tight and water tight? Much like water and air screw on fitting are that don't require gaskets?
> 
> Doesn't copper corrode and form a layer of protection over the copper underneath preventing any further corrosion? Much like bare copper pipes in your house don't corrode and leak once that inner layer builds up?


Mine are water and air tight, for the most part! Anytime I crimp, I put a thin layer of Kopr-shield in the tips of the wires, crimp, then heatshrink and finalize the connection with electrical tape. I don't think I have ever had a crimp connection fail

When I was talking about corrosion, I was really referring to a marine environment because that is where I have seen the most failures regarding crimp connectors. Thank my grandfather and all my uncles for their screw-ups because I learned what NOT to do fixing their mistakes! I wanted to bitchslap my uncle for using crimp connectors to tap into his vehicle wiring when he connected his trailer harness. Never mind the fact that most of these connections went underwater every time he launched his boat. What a moron...


----------



## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

BoostedNihilist said:


> A few things
> 
> First of all let's get it perfectly clear, scotchlocks are completely different from t-taps.. scotchlocks suck
> 
> ...


I solder mainly because I believe in overkill. I also solder because I enjoy spending as much time with this hobby as possible because this is my form of escapism from all the crap that life throws at you.

I am not against crimping or using scotchlock connectors by any means. A friend of mine needed a quick subwoofer install, and he showed up with scotchlock t-tap connectors to tap into his rear speaker wiring for the high level input on his self powered subwoofer. It has been two years and counting and everything still works!


----------



## audiobill5 (Oct 14, 2008)

That's it! 
If done perfectly almost every connector will do it's job and last a lifetime. 

We over engineer every facet of the car install, use solder, epoxy filled shrink tube AND Supper 33+ tape just to savor the creative moment. 
We experience new engineering feets and make 20 design changes: all in the name of DYI.

The fun of creating a monster audio experience and investing a few hundred hours in your favorite ride makes working every day for a living seem more worth it.

Happy Holidays to all!


----------



## Sassmastersq (Jan 12, 2007)

I will crimp when I have to, because I have the proper tools, and the experience to do it right. I will solder for anything that I need to last, and on anything that might be exterrior to the vehicle, usually I solder, the fill the entire solder joint area with RTV silicone, and then heat shrink each connection individually, re silicone the connections over the heat shrink, right up to and over the outer jacket of the wires, and heat shrink the whole bundle together.

Last trailer connection I did I soldered all of the connections, put heat shrink around the pins, and then filled the ehat shrink with silicone, spun it around to force the silicone into all of the gaps leaving it completely air tight, and then refilled it.


----------



## redfred18t (Oct 2, 2008)

Sassmastersq said:


> Last trailer connection I did I soldered all of the connections, put heat shrink around the pins, and then filled the ehat shrink with silicone, spun it around to force the silicone into all of the gaps leaving it completely air tight, and then refilled it.


Oh man do I hate trailers. My dad has a construction company so he has a few trailers that are constantly needing wire repair.

I probably have to fix a broken wire on one of his older trailers probably once every two months. I'm getting to the point where I just want to cut all the wiring out, put new wiring in, and be done with it but he uses that trailer everyday. Maybe in the winter. But when I do that, I'm soldering everything and going to the next step with shrink tape and rtv sealant.


----------

