Lube DMM Selector Switch?

[joeqsmith]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/question-dmm-grease/

http://www.machinedesign.com/archive/lubricating-electrical-switches

[Lightages]

More baiting? 

You are a dangerous and harmful troll. Your "advice" is potential harmful to equipment and possibly dangerous. Stop polluting with BS and personal attacks.

OP, do what you wish but be aware that people with experience are recommending against WD40 for your use. Use it at your own risk.

[floobydust]

Premium lube is Krytox GPL series oil or grease which is very expensive and basically liquid teflon in a non-petroleum, non-silicone base. Used in aerospace. Best stuff I've used, it does not evaporate or attack plastics, semiconductors etc. But the price ouch.

MG Chemicals Nu-Trol control cleaner is electronic grade mineral oil and non-aggressive solvent. For switches, potentiometers etc.

[Electro Detective]

More baiting? 

You are a dangerous and harmful troll. Your "advice" is potential harmful to equipment and possibly dangerous. Stop polluting with BS and personal attacks.

OP, do what you wish but be aware that people with experience are recommending against WD40 for your use. Use it at your own risk.

Hello?!  Who is attacking who here?  What advice is 'potential harmful to equipment and possibly dangerous' ? a simple temporary lube of a dry selector switch when nothing else is available ?

Have you read any of the comments above that supports my 'experienced' advice ?   

Here is another supportive link:
Fluke 80 Series 111 Service Information, please note the product suggestion and usage in the first two sentences
The same information can be found in all three Fluke 87-1, 87-111, and 87V user manuals,
that's 25 years worth of WD40 recommendation and Fluke have not changed it. I'll trust their 'experience' too, thank you 

Thanks to member 'sotos' for the link 

www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/question-dmm-grease/?action=dlattach;attach=29668


It's the OPs call anyway, as stated earlier, if OP is not comfortable with my 'experienced advice' and or comments, or suspects alleged trollage here, I will delete them immediately.

[Simon]

Please can we stop this! Everyone is entitled to have their say and some have had it more times than necessary!

[eKretz]

Again,  WD-40 is fine WHERE IT'S SUITABLE.  I use it as well.  No one here is "anti-WD-40" or attacking you in any fashion, that is just more trolling type behavior that Dave warned you about in the other thread. In response to your Fluke manual comment: the Fluke manuals recommend using WD-40 where? Applied sparingly to the METAL input jacks. Nowhere else. For the rotary switch they spec Nye gel lube - which is almost certainly silicone grease as recommended by Lightages.

[Electro Detective]

Again,  WD-40 is fine WHERE IT'S SUITABLE.  I use it as well.  No one here is "anti-WD-40" or attacking you in any fashion, that is just more trolling type behavior that Dave warned you about in the other thread. In response to your Fluke manual comment: the Fluke manuals recommend using WD-40 where? Applied sparingly to the METAL input jacks. Nowhere else. For the rotary switch they spec Nye gel lube - which is almost certainly silicone grease as recommended by Lightages.

So what are dirty or dry selector switch contacts in a multimeter made of?  METAL, plastic or glued on hardened compressed conductive bagel dough ?

your quote "WD-40 is fine WHERE IT'S SUITABLE" > exactly my point   


Global Moderator Simon has asked cordially to knock it off, and that's good enough for me 


Wage earning WD40 representatives and their CEO are welcome to join EEVblog and defend the 'multi' uses of their product in electronics.

I've done more than enough for free already, and scored a negative vibe as my reward 

[eKretz]

The traces are made of metal, sure. They're also attached with what amounts to glue to fiberglass circuit boards (which can soak up oil like a sponge when they're older). Using WD-40 on a circuit board is akin to spraying one with mineral oil... would you do that? I wouldn't.  If you would like to chance harming your gear go ahead and use it in your sensitive electronic gear. I'll continue to use products that are suited for what I want them to do and what they are used on.

[Simon]

yes thank you I think we all know now that WD40 might not be ideal, any alternatives ? I think the WD40 recommendation is simply historic as in back in the 40's where "electronics" were not much different from house wiring.

[VK5RC]

I am no expert esp when it comes to plastics, but I would tend to try using a small amount of a  'switch cleaner/ lube' e.g. Deoxit - I would test on the plastic in an out of site/non critical area first. Shariar used it to clean a resistor standard's switch with good results. I have had similar results with the switches in old scopes and an old thermal RF power meter.

[stj]

just use a safe grease - i would avoid one with graphite or teflon in it.
i think lithium based grease is plastics-safe.

cheap too.
https://www.rapidonline.com/sealey-scs106-ep2-lithium-complex-grease-cartridge-400g-84-2124

[joeqsmith]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/multimeter-or-oscilloscope-hv-safe-lubricants/msg914477/#msg914477

[Lightages]

yes thank you I think we all know now that WD40 might not be ideal, any alternatives ? I think the WD40 recommendation is simply historic as in back in the 40's where "electronics" were not much different from house wiring.

The correct lubricants have already been mentioned and people keep recommending those that aren't. What else can we do?

[Lightages]

Thanks to member 'sotos' for the link 

www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/question-dmm-grease/?action=dlattach;attach=29668

The use of WD40 in that document is referring to the test lead jacks, NOT the switch! 

You have just proven the point that WD40 is NOT to be used on the rotary switch as they specifically recommend another lubricant for the switch, NOT WD40.

The correct lubricants have been already pointed out, and also in the document provided by Fluke that you have referenced. There is no reason to use something that is not recommended except for the end user being too cheap, lazy, or can't wait the few days to obtain the correct lubricant. Using WD40 can actually lower the safety of the meter by contamination and degradation of the parts it is in contact with. This is not a simple matter of opinion but a matter of damage to equipment and a matter of changing the safety of equipment.

[floobydust]

DeOxit is mostly Petroleum Naptha or lighter fuel.
WD40 is half Kerosene, AKA jet fuel and very hard on some plastics.

You'd have to know the PCB laminate epoxy and DMM case plastic to really know.

[Electro Detective]

Thanks Joe, but that's not the amount one would put to revitalize dry switch track/s in a pinch
i.e. that 'drop' is way too much and will cause issues. 

One pass with a moist cotton bud, and a second pass with a dry bud dabbed on to pick up any excess and mop up any surrounding areas and gaps is the way to do it. Good luck with the 'before and after' arcing biz from track to track then   

After the kero odour disappears, you're good to go, and it won't attract any more dust than exotic grease or the mud products that petrify over time.


One last time...if you had a badly performing meter with dry switch contacts,

with NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE but saliva, water or WD40 to apply lightly and carefully on to the metal contacts,

and needed the meter functioning ASAP, what would you do?


Well, I've applied it SPARINGLY many times and have not seen any plastics degrade nor CB or switch tracks lose their 'adhesive-ness' or peel off like sunburn on any boards. 

The stuff comes off with IPA or non-residue switch cleaner anyway, so no drama.

Millions would agree with me, millions won't,

and the rest may be doing it WRONG,

or have the correct lubricant available so they don't have to go there.



Guys, OP asked if WD40 would be ok, I assumed that's all he had on hand and needed the meter working asap,
so I honestly commented YES you can

I didn't say to spray the stuff on like Deoxit, Servisol, Glen20, and take his chances    


Please Consider   

[joeqsmith]

Took a bit to flush it out of there.   

[Electro Detective]

Took a bit to flush it out of there.

Well, there was enough on there to lube a small garden clipper
or perhaps a seized Micronta or Harbor Fr!ght selector switch, whilst out in the desert tracing a stranded vehicle crusty wiring problem 

Thanks for the video/s  btw     

[joeqsmith]

If you have watched some of my videos were I pull the meters apart, some like the Fluke 107, have their switches saturated in grease.   I doubt they do this without having a good reason and I doubt it is poor quality control from the Fluke.  Like the article I linked, the grease has more than one job to do.   

[lowimpedance]

 For some historical reference of what Tektronix recommended in their 475 CRO service manual ( and probably all others manuals of this vintage that had mechanical swithes), see photos below of pages 4-1 and 4-2 of the manual.
 Maybe not so clear is where they suggest the use of WD-40 is acceptable, but most likely it refers to the cam parts of the rotary switches and not the actual contacts.
FYI

[alm]

Guess that was written before they found out that it is impossible to put silicone grease on the switches without it migrating to the contacts. That stuff migrates everywhere. Bonus points if any of the contacts are prone to arcing.

[metrologist]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/question-dmm-grease/

http://www.machinedesign.com/archive/lubricating-electrical-switches

Honest, I did search, but ran out of oomph. Deja Vu.

Some folks would apply a few second spray of WD40 so enough got under the PCB to make it to the contacts, then work it around a bit, then give it a rinsing spritz. The good old days... 

[joeqsmith]

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/question-dmm-grease/

http://www.machinedesign.com/archive/lubricating-electrical-switches

Honest, I did search, but ran out of oomph. Deja Vu.

Some folks would apply a few second spray of WD40 so enough got under the PCB to make it to the contacts, then work it around a bit, then give it a rinsing spritz. The good old days... 

No problem. I've never been impressed with this site's search engine.  Hopefully you found something useful.

[Lightages]

For some historical reference of what Tektronix recommended in their 475 CRO service manual

That document is 44 years old. I think we have learned a bit about material science and chemistry since then. WD40 is also 64 years old.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40

[alm]

Do we know if there have been any changes to the formulation of WD-40 since then?