I use Dow Corning silicone stopcock grease. A big tube.
no tittering in the back row please.

I believe its a dieletric grease, certainly works for me.

some compounds, i think "stabilant' is one, do conduct but only for a
very short path length. they work well as contact enhancers

alistair

On 21-Dec-09, at 7:14 PM, Richard Koerner wrote:

Since it's a slow news day on The List....let me toss this one out:
Di-Electric Grease.  I first bought a little "Taco Bell Sauce" pack
of it at Kragen for a buck or two for use on my Vanagon horn ring.
Had and still have excellent results (along with filing down the
rough edges of the contact spring which is part of the turn signal
thingee).  I squeezed the rest of it into a plastic syringe...for
later use on stuff.

Lately, when I've been having weird electrical phenomenom, I've been
using the grease.  Both on Vanagon and around the house.  I just
smear a little onto the contacts, rub it in to dissolve and remove
whatever's on there, and wipe off the excess.  Then, I may apply a
little more, leaving a thin film, right where it matters.

Boy, have I been having good luck!  Latest fix was this Halogen desk
lamp next to my computer...it would sputter and fit and blink until
it was warmed up.  Cleaned up the contacts, applied the grease, no
more sputter!  Same thing with my cheapo $1 WalMart flashlights,
spread all around the car and house....now they always fire right up
nice and bright, no matter how many weeks or months since I've last
used them, seems to keep the white flakey stuff from forming, too.
Same story with other things, like noisy telephone contacts.  Have
even gotten to the habit of applying a little bit on things like
bulbs on the Vanagon or whatever when I'm in there cleaning.  So far,
only good news....but always the caveat, YMMV.

I'd love to hear news to the contrary or warnings....but so far so
good.  My dad said that when he worked for the telephone company with
mechanical relays before the modern era of digital electronics, the
di-electric grease was the fix at his job at the Central Station.
Cheap, simple, works.  I mean, by nature, it's got to keep the
moisture off the metal, right?

Rich
85 Vanagon
San Diego