Don't discount soldering, though. The best join can be a crimp with solder wicked into the wires to creat a solid block at the crimp.
Solder wicked up the wire is the crux of the solder vs crimp debate. See below.
As for creating a spike when withdrawing the soldering iron, well, that's just bad technique. It's a shame the Air Force stopped training High Reliability Hand Soldering. I was one of their last graduates as a technician, not that it makes me an expert.
Agree, and when my technique fails on joins that I consider are safe to solder I use my really small side cutters to remove spike prior to fitting heatshrink.
Driven !!!
Do not know what solder you use, but I have done thousands of joints on Off-Road race car systems and never had solder crack or break. Never just crimp, always get "dry joints".
Ray
If using Packard connectors and the Packard crimp tool, no need to solder.
If using Deutsch connectors and the Deutsch crimp tool, no need to solder.
If using milspec connectors and the proper crimp tool, no need to solder.
If using those simple red, blue, yellow crimps like
Unlike other automotive crimp pliers, this excellent tool comes with 80 of the most popular automotive connectors you most likely ever need.
www.jaycar.com.au
then be prepared for failure.
But if the wire is never going to flex in any way and you can't justify the DMC crimpers you can get acceptable results if you use
https://www.jaycar.com.au/heavy-duty-ratchet-crimping-tool-for-insulated-terminals/p/TH1829
I was taught many years ago that electrical connections, (i.e. wires, electronic components etc) should initially be strong enough to withstand mechanical stress without the use of soldering. Soldering the connection/joint was to ensure good electrical conductivity.
With those red/blue/yellow crimps I have sometimes stripped back a bit more of the wire than normal so that strands protrude out of the coloured cover and I apply a little bit of solder to this protrusion being careful to not allow the solder to 'wick' back up the wire.
Soldering vrs crimping is always a good debate and I'm sitting on the fence. I'm fairly sure all the solder joins I've done in cars are still intact. I know the issues, but I'm confident that the use of eutectic solder and competent preparation minimises the issues. However, this still doesn't bode well in the motorsport world and is strictly frowned upon. If you join the FB group, Motorsport Wiring Alliance, you'll see what I mean. DMC crimpers are the tool of choice there.
PeterT, I can confirm your solder joins on the 306 XSi door harness have failed, and that leads directly into why there is such a debate over crimp vs solder.
Automotive wire uses multiple strands of copper and more strands makes the wire more flexible. When you crimp a connector to a wire with the correct tool it applies the appropriate tension over all of the multiple strands of copper that actually still allows minuscule movement of the individual strands when the wire behind the connector gets flexed. Should you solder a crimped connection in the belief it makes it more reliable you have created a situation where the solder 'wicks' back up the wire from the connection and each strand of what was multiple flexible strands of copper terminates into a solid block of solder that should the wire flex each strand will break at the same spot. Note that over crimping (too much force) will cause a similar point of failure.
Now, if the wire is forever securely fastened this would not be a problem. BUT, as NASA and anybody in the motorsport world have found, these connectors are to items that often need to be replaced or swapped out to troubleshoot problems. And the guys doing this are rarely gentle and always in a rush, so before you know it the harness that was once nicely cable tied has been flexed so often that any soldered connections have now begun to break the individual strands all at the 'solid' block of solder.
).
worth
Brendan.