Its worked for 80k miles with no issues.
Disagree - solder, double heatshrink and call it a day. Did so for the NB's glowplug harness and it has been perfect ever since. Even took the opportunity to bridge all four wires to eliminate the biannual P0380 glowplug code. You can't do that with crimps!
Do you realize that all factory connections are crimps? You will not find ANY solder on the factory wiring anywhere. That's for a reason, solder can wick up in the wire and vibration can cause it to break off INSIDE the insulation. I have seen this first hand several times. VW states NEVER to use solder on anywhere on the harness for this very reason.
If solder is wicking up the wire, you are using too much solder. If you read and understood my post, you'd see that I stated not to use too much solder. I understand what you're saying about what VW does and why, but I still disagree. A propery soldered connection is reliable. Wouldn't high-end stereo shops start using crimp connectors exclusively if they were so great?
You sound rich or else confused! Are you saying buy the whole wiring harness or a glow plug harness? The glow plug harness includes the glow plug connectors and four wires, but it does not include the connector to the relay. Everyone's talking about soldering to the connector. Perhaps you're confused, but a wiring harness would cost a lot of money.
A properly soldered wire isn't anymore brittle than is a crimped wire. I think VW, or any other automaker, doesn't solder because the economy of scale precludes the time and expense. Cheaper to have the supplier crimp and the assemblers plug than to strip, tin, solder, and wrap. I have never seen a wire break under insulation because of soldering. However, I've had lots of problems with crimped connectors oxidizing, breaking, etc.
Not sure what glowplug harness you are buying but the ones I have replaced (4 wire) plug right into a connector near the drivers side lower front windshield. If your are doing an ALH there is zero reason to crimp or solder anything, just run the whole harness under the battery holder where it routes up to the connector. You just remove the air filter box and battery w/cover. Then wrap the new harness with one of those coiled plastic wraps. I got a set of 4 Bosch ALH glow plugs and a new harness from idparts for $109.You sound rich or else confused! Are you saying buy the whole wiring harness or a glow plug harness? The glow plug harness includes the glow plug connectors and four wires, but it does not include the connector to the relay. Everyone's talking about soldering to the connector. Perhaps you're confused, but a wiring harness would cost a lot of money.
Hmm, well I wish I had what ever model you had that has the connector included, it evidently wasn't a BEW. I called to check if I got the right harness (I did; four bare wires) after reading your post and idparts says to cut and solder close to the harness because the connector is buried deep inside nowheresville..... I'll let you all know if and when the soldering causes the wires to break inside the insulation.
You are correct in that it is considered poor practice to splice a wire rather than maintain point to point continuity, but I find it rather ironic to heap any praise solder on PCBs. As an electronic technician in a former life, I can't tell you the number of cold, broken, etc. breaks on PC boards. Dirty switches and bad solder joints were what paid the bills.
Disagree - solder, double heatshrink and call it a day. Did so for the NB's glowplug harness and it has been perfect ever since. Even took the opportunity to bridge all four wires to eliminate the biannual P0380 glowplug code. You can't do that with crimps!
I understand that crimps are designed to be more removable and thus repairable, but as long as you know what you're doing with the soldering iron (i.e., have more than 3 braincells to rub together) it's just as easy to undo. And you retain the entire length of wire you started with.
My experience has been that in my cars with my wiring, tools & skills, solder joints are superior and last far longer, in fact have never had to redo (or undo) one.
I agree, if things overload then the solder melts and an arcing danger occurs. Can't say that I know, but solder has a slightly higher resistance than copper does which, I suppose, could localize a hot spot. I was thinking the glow plugs would be a high current device, but evidently not when looking at their wire size.
