Why Do I Need to use Contact Cleaner On Electrical Components?

contact cleanerCleaning anything is tricky business, including electrical components.  Did you ever buy a fancy new cleaner for your clothes or carpet and read in the fine print where it says “test on a small area first” to make sure the cleaner wasn’t too harsh for your floor or fabric?  Cleaners have to match to what they’re cleaning so they are strong enough to remove the dirt, oil paint, or whatever else you’re trying to remove but gentle enough to not hurt what you’re trying to clean.

When you’re washing your bike you have to be careful what cleaners you use on which surfaces.  Brake parts cleaner will help most wheels and motors look great but can cause painted surfaces and rubber to fade and peel.  Electrical components require their own special cleaners for this very reason.

Cleaning electrical components requires special cleaners for two reasons.  First, there is often a specific thing you’re trying to remove, carbon buildup.  Second, some electrical components can have special coatings or insulations that need to be treated carefully to keep from damaging them.  

Carbon will build up on your motorcycle because it is a natural byproduct of combustion in imperfect conditions so where there is a motor, there will be carbon buildup.  The reason it’s also prevalent on electrical components is that carbon is produced any time a spark just from conductor to conductor through the air. This can happen in an electrical connection that wobbles just enough to allow the contacts to connect and disconnect briefly.  This also can happen on your spark plug, ignition points, and the generator on your bike.  If you’re really a DIY person and end up doing work on circuit cards or the electronics of your bike themselves, it’s extremely important to use the right cleaner.

PJ1 Pro Contact Cleaner is our specially formulated cleaner designed to remove even the most stubborn carbon on multiple electronic components without damaging or hurting the electronics.  It’s aggressive enough to be used on spark plugs but gentle enough to be used on the stator on your bike’s generator.  Use PJ1 Pro Contact Cleaner anytime you’re cleaning electronics or electrical connections to keep your bike running reliably!

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash