Electrical Pin Removal Tool

Michael Moore

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I have had some difficulty lately getting electrical pins out of the multi-pin connectors that VW uses on lighting circuits, injector pumps, and just about everywhere else in the car.

Sometimes, when fitting a new goodie or the latest Euro-gadget, it is necessary to remove a single wire from a connector and re-assign it. Other times, it's just handy to be able to remove a wire for troubleshooting purposes.

Below is a picture of a tool that the technician at my dealer uses to get these wires out. It is made by Snap-On. The green thing in the middle is about the size of a silver dollar - about 3 cm across. Apparently this tool costs about $10 or $15. It is not specific to VW's.

 

TDITONY

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These are not the wires that the paper clip trick works on ar they? Vortex had a guy write in how to remove those. Search their site for monsoon and look for the thread with a lot of posts.

Worked great for me but these are probably different connectors.

Just my .02

TDiTony
 

Just Some Guy

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Erie, PA
Originally posted by VelvetFoot:
Part number?
Is there a way to order it from SnapOn if you're not a professional mechanic?
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can order stuff like this from Matco at
www.matcotools.com

Snap-On's site still sucks.

Or, you can order all the same ones we use at the dealer. Every dealer has a complete set for every connector on the car; the technician mentioned with the Snap-On tool must've just bought his own to keep in his box. The problem with that particular one is that it is really only good for 2 different connector types.

Before you go trying to pull wires out of connectors, be sure to pull off whichever lock it has on it first, or you will ruin them every time.
 

MacGyver

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Snap-On or Mac will both sell to anyone, just flag down one of their trucks, they'll be glad to take your money

Lisle makes connector tools, lots of automotive places have their stuff for sale, here in Canada Princess Auto sells Lisle, and usually a house brand cheaper version of all kinds of cool specialty tools. I'm considering having my paycheques direct deposited straight to them......
 

tongsli

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Michael,

Thanks for the post. Do the smallest tweezers remove VW repair wire 000 979 133A?

thanks,

Lito

[ March 26, 2002, 14:32: Message edited by: tongsli ]
 

VelvetFoot

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JSG, do you have a part number? I'm thumbing through the Zelenda catalog right now.

Oh wait, I see that VAS1978, Wiring Harness Repair kit, which contains all the tools, only costs $2450. Well, at least you can buy the individual tools for about $80 each.

I guess I'll pass for now.

[ March 26, 2002, 14:42: Message edited by: VelvetFoot ]
 

Michael Moore

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Tongsli:

The only time I have ever had success getting a VW wire out of a connector without a tool was when I was installing the MFA cluster, and working on the 32 pin connectors behind the instrument cluster. The design of those connectors is such that one side of the pin is fully exposed when the cover is off the connector (photo here).

Otherwise, I have never been able to get a pin out of a connector, no matter how hard I tried with paper clips et al. I think a tool like the one above is a must.

Just Some Guy: - if you could get me a part number or name or some kind of reference for the tool you use at the dealership, I would be grateful - I would prefer to order the same tool that the dealer uses.
 

Just Some Guy

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Erie, PA
Originally posted by Michael Moore:
Tongsli:

Just Some Guy: - if you could get me a part number or name or some kind of reference for the tool you use at the dealership, I would be grateful - I would prefer to order the same tool that the dealer uses.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There are 8 or 10 of them, because of all the different types of connectors we use. Next time I have the kit out I will get the tool numbers for you.

As I mentioned above, you have to unlock the terminals before they will go anywhere. Some of the locks are impossible to see unless you know they are there. Every terminal that I can think of on these cars has them except the big fat plugs for the cigarette lighters. But even those plugs have to be internally unlocked with the correct tool.
 

Just Some Guy

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Erie, PA
Originally posted by VelvetFoot:
JSG, do you have a part number? I'm thumbing through the Zelenda catalog right now.

Oh wait, I see that VAS1978, Wiring Harness Repair kit, which contains all the tools, only costs $2450. Well, at least you can buy the individual tools for about $80 each.

I guess I'll pass for now.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hehehe, I knew the 1978 was pricey, but there is a lot more in that box than a set of connector fixin' stuff.

I am a little suprised to hear the price of the each individual tool, though. Then again, my oil filter cup was 30 something dollars. And no, the stamped steel jobs from Wal-Mart are not good enough.

This makes me want a set of my own connector tools now. I will visit with my friendly neighborhood tool guys (Mac guy comes tomorrow, Matco on Thursday, Cornwell and Snap-On on Monday) and see what I come up with, especially since there seems to be some interest in this.

I think other people not reading this thread would also like to have a set of these things, if they understood how elegant it is to repair or replace wires with the correct tools.

Of course, the only things you guys can use the release tools for would be to remove wires from a connector, or to change their positions in the connector. The 1978 kit has a huge set of wires with the correct ends on them so you can actually replace wires and the terminals together and as 1 piece.

Which brings me to another question-anybody know where you can buy stuff like that, wires with different VW terminals already on them, or the terminals loose and ready to crimp on the ends of wires?
 

PTC

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Just Some Guy:
Since you work for a dealer I was wondering if you know or could maybe ask one of your colleagues if there is anything on the 10 pin (gold plated, I believe) injection pump connector that needs to be removed prior to removing wires. Thanks very much!
You can post it here or send it to my email. If there's something to remove, explanation how to do it would be nice.
 

Just Some Guy

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Erie, PA
Originally posted by PTC:
Just Some Guy:
Since you work for a dealer I was wondering if you know or could maybe ask one of your colleagues if there is anything on the 10 pin (gold plated, I believe) injection pump connector that needs to be removed prior to removing wires. Thanks very much!
You can post it here or send it to my email. If there's something to remove, explanation how to do it would be nice.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It does.

Now, I haven't had cause to run new wires to that particular terminal before, but most of the ones that style you have to either unlock the secondary detent from inside the cover with the special tool (or a small, small screwdriver), and then push the wire out of the terminal with the right tool.

I think that particular connector you are talking about is like that, but don't quote me since I don't have one in hand. Thats why I hate trying to answer questions that I am not 100% sure of the answer.

[ March 27, 2002, 06:00: Message edited by: Just Some Guy ]
 

Michael Moore

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Just Some Guy:

Thanks very much for the great information you have provided. I totally agree with your philosophy "how elegant it is to repair or replace... with the correct tools". For me, 75% of the fun of doing minor work on the car is being able to do the job really well. I get frustrated when I can't do a first-class job, regardless of the amount of time or effort I am willing to invest - and logically, if time and effort are unlimited, and the research here at Freds's provides the background knowledge, then having the correct tool is the one missing component.

Slightly off topic, but I am very fortunate to have found a dealership where the service department shares the same philosophy. They assign the same service technician to my car every visit, and keep a written log in a binder of all work done. The binder stays in the car as a technical log. The deal we established long ago is that I pay flat rate or straight time, whichever is higher, and as long as we are both happy with the quality, we are both also happy with the price. Much to my surprise, over the years, there have been very, very few times where a job has run over into the 'straight time' category. Almost always that's been because of some modification I have made to the car that makes it non-standard, or the technician has seen something unrelated to the original request that he thinks needs attention for preventative maintenance reasons.

Anyway - you were asking about "wires with different VW terminals on them" - do you mean the VW repair kit wires, the little yellow ones (photo below)? My dealer keeps a stock of these in all sorts of different sizes, and they can be purchased one at a time for between $1 and $4, depending on whether or not the wire has gold plated connectors or not. If you wish, I can post a list of the part numbers and specifications for them - let me know.

 

Michael Moore

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I get mine at my VW dealer. The parts guy there is an expert on wires. If I tell him what connector I need the wire for - just a verbal description - he looks it up in his computer, checks the wire guage, and sells me the wire, one at a time if I need them that way. He made me up a starter kit with about 20 wires in it, cost about $50, that way I have a small supply at home.
 

PTC

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Originally posted by Just Some Guy:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Michael Moore:
Just Some Guy:

Anyway - you were asking about "wires with different VW terminals on them" - do you mean the VW repair kit wires, the little yellow ones (photo below)? My dealer keeps a stock of these in all sorts of different sizes, and they can be purchased one at a time for between $1 and $4, depending on whether or not the wire has gold plated connectors or not. If you wish, I can post a list of the part numbers and specifications for them - let me know.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No I have all those; they are contained in the 1978 kit and are required for all VW dealers.

I was posing the question for where anyone ELSE would get them, such as yourself.

The kit, as mentioned above, is upwards of $2500-out of reach for your average hobbyist or enthusiast.
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I believe you can get solely the connectors from VW, too. Try looking up for example
N 103 189 05
I believe that's the connector only, but please verify it. The bad thing is that you need to get 25 of them (if of course your dealer won't keep the rest if he thinks he'll be able to use or sell them).
The wire itself is also available (only the yellow one, and yellow with green lines (earth)). 10 meters, yellow, 0,35:
000 979 980

Just Some Guy, the connector I had in mind is like this (only this one is for lights)



Could you please edit this image with some tool and tell me where would that detent be cause I didn't understand that last post perfectly.
Thanks!

P.S. This is the type of the wire in that connector:


[ March 27, 2002, 14:14: Message edited by: PTC ]
 

Just Some Guy

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Erie, PA
Originally posted by PTC:

Just Some Guy, the connector I had in mind is like this (only this one is for lights)

Could you please edit this image with some tool and tell me where would that detent be cause I didn't understand that last post perfectly.
Thanks!

P.S. This is the type of the wire in that connector:
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whoooo boy, you must think I'm pretty smart, thinking I can edit a picture and make it reappear in a different post of mine. About once a year I teach myself how to do it, and then post pictures so seldom that I forget how again.

The picture of the wire is fine; I can work with that, no need to do anything with it.

However, for me to be able to illustrate how to unlock the connector, take a clear, clean picture of the OTHER end of that connector, facing straight on, not at any angle, and if I can re-learn how to edit photos and re-post it I will.

Now if I can just find intelligible instructions on how to post photos here.....if there is a bunch of edited message notations, you'll know why.
 

Just Some Guy

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Erie, PA
Originally posted by Michael Moore:
Just Some Guy:

Anyway - you were asking about "wires with different VW terminals on them" - do you mean the VW repair kit wires, the little yellow ones (photo below)? My dealer keeps a stock of these in all sorts of different sizes, and they can be purchased one at a time for between $1 and $4, depending on whether or not the wire has gold plated connectors or not. If you wish, I can post a list of the part numbers and specifications for them - let me know.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No I have all those; they are contained in the 1978 kit and are required for all VW dealers.

I was posing the question for where anyone ELSE would get them, such as yourself.

The kit, as mentioned above, is upwards of $2500-out of reach for your average hobbyist or enthusiast.
 

Just Some Guy

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Erie, PA
Hey PTC, get me a pic of the other end of the connector and I can show you how to unlock it.

I can edit stuff and re-post it now! I am soooo smart
 

PTC

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Originally posted by Just Some Guy:
Hey PTC, get me a pic of the other end of the connector and I can show you how to unlock it.

I can edit stuff and re-post it now! I am soooo smart
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, I will (actually I believe Michael will), soon hopefully.
 

PTC

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Just Some Guy, thanks, I don't need those instructions anymore. I looked for the second lock and figured it out. You just have to push that purple/pink plate, inside the connector, out of the connector. It goes out very easily, and then getting the wires out is a peace of cake. Just press with something like needle on each upper and lower side of the wire connector inside (the place marked A in the picture from JSG) while applying little tension pulling the wire out, and out it goes.
 

dieseldorf

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did anyone find a source for the tool pictured at the top of the page? I checked MAC tool site and it doesn't find the P/N. Can it only be ordered thru a rep?
 

ALCO

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Got it shortly after reading this post from Carquest. The exact tool, even same color. It came in handy on my stereo re-install.

I can search for the invoice with the part no. if you need it.

Edit: Part no. STL56500, "Terminal Tool", made in U.S.A., supplied by Lisle Corporation. Also shown on the Lisle site under the same part no.

[ December 21, 2002, 05:51: Message edited by: ALCO ]
 

volks27

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Anyone know is there are crimpers & crimps to help hobbyists to build their own connectors?

Also, anyone have any problems ordering repair wires at the dealer? Each time I go there for a repair wire I get a speach:"we are not suppose to sell this"... "this is for our mechanics to use only" ... "this is a special order part" or even: "you are making electrical repairs to your vw, this will void your warrenty"!

Stupid dealers! At 4$ a pop for these repair wires, I would expect better service!
 

dieseldorf

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Originally posted by volks27:

Stupid dealers! At 4$ a pop for these repair wires, I would expect better service!
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Volks, you can order those "repair wires" directly from IMPEX. I ordered a few this AM.
 

dieseldorf

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ALCO, thanks. I went to my local carquest yesterday and was going to have them order it for me.

Much to my surprise they had the little tool in stock: $14.

 

ALCO

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Good score dd.
I should mention that the tool still does not beat a small paperclip in some applications (like the stereo harness plugs). I was frustrated until I read the Vortex monsoon post that explained the "trick" to getting these barbed connectors out...make sure you push the wire up into the connector as far as it while go while you're inserting the paperclip (or tool). Otherwise the barbs bottom out on the connector and get hung up no matter how much toolin' and cussin' you do.
 
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