Undersized Cooling Fan Plug/Socket Failure

Introduction

There are two reasons for the eventual failure of this Cooling Fan plug/socket combo on the PEM and Fan Wiring Harness:

1. An under-rated max 18 amp Molex Plug/Socket selection for this application and worst case fan current draw of 20 amps.
2. Repeated PEM removal for annual maintenance and cleaning causes eventual pin recession decreasing contact surface and amperage capacity even further. The connector spec for insertion duty cycle is only 25, so each annual PEM maintenance reduces the lifespan. To compound this problem further, this being the last connector in the PEM makes re-insertion a
   completely blind process often deflecting the pins or creating the pin recession.

Images

Corrective Action

Recommended fix includes replacement of the plug/socket combo, and modification of the replacement 90° PEM Plug to captivate the pins eliminating the chance of insertion recession and replacement of the fan wiring harness socket connector.

A secondary option is replacing the plug/socket combo with a larger amperage version. Although the pin pattern on the PEM Power Board is the same, the larger set requires PEM housing modification since the 90° PEM Plug housing is larger than the original.