corroded wiring

All my gauges on my 77 Tique read high so I suspected a resistence problem in the wiring. I cleaned all the connections on the gauges and replaced all the .250 sta kon quick disconnect on the fuses and switches. The original sta kons CC used were bra$$ and very brittle and if not already cracked would crack if I tryed to tighten them. The real big problem were the plugs on the wiring harness at the engine. Someone had wrapped them with electric tape to try to keep the water out! All thi does is keep the water in from any vapor that has condensed inside the plugs. The female section of the plug is not plated and they were very green with corrosion. After cleaning and using dielectric grease (no silicone sealant please) I picked up .9 volts from the engine to the dash. This is (was) a sizable loss on a 10ga. wire only about 12 foot long. Anyone with gage problems should be looking at wiring connections first-it's cheap! Pete

The soldering is a great idea especialy since the wiring is not high grade tinned marine. I forgot to mention the connection I found on the gas tank sender that a previous owner had made. A 12ga. sta kon on the 16ga. wire that was green and a small sheet metal screw (he had probibly droped the 6-32 in the bilge) with a steel washer attaching it to the sender terminal. I had a combination of red, white and green rust! No wonder he told me the gas gage wasn't right. The aluminum tank at the sender screws and the ground connection were also showing some white rust. A good cleaning, a new sta kon, a nice bra$$ 6-32 screew and some NOLOX and I've got a gas gauge again. Pete