z driver 88t

I'm in the process of helping a friend reinstall the front bumper cover on his 2006 997. We followed several YouTube videos for removal and the bumper came off just as expected with no issues. However, in trying to reinstall it we are having a heck of a time trying to connect the plug at the main harness connection. Three of us played with it for about an hour this evening and the plug does not want to fully seat. Is there some sort of trick to get this plug reconnected?

saabin

No trick to my knowledge, did you check the pins to make sure none were bent/damaged?

Girishram85

Hi! It's my 997 and yes, confirmed pins are not bent/damaged. It seems like the plastic tabs in the connector (purple-ish) are interfering and simply not allowing for insertion. This results in front turn signals not being functional. Any thoughts on how to address this are welcome!

MrMoose

So it looks like the locking tab on that connector (should be where the yellow is visible) is busted. Maybe that's causing problems.

Also, basic question, but you sure you've got it the right way round? I can't really tell from the photo.

Girishram85

Hi Mr. Moose, yes the connector is keyed, so there is only one way to insert it. The locking tab was already busted when I disconnected the harness in the first place. So, I am assuming at some point in the past, someone managed to make that connection with a busted locking tab.

JAGMAN1

Try temporarily removing the rubber gasket and seeing if it will seat. Then you’ll know if it’s a physical problem or due to a swollen gasket. These gaskets are reactive to certain chemicals. For example if you spray it with electronics cleaner or brake clean it will swell and won’t fit.

The good news is it’ll eventually shrink back to normal size. Lastly silicon grease can help, but again, old silicon grease is gummy and will make it difficult to seat.

platinum997

Spray a little wd40 on both ends of the connector and shake them out. It also looks like where the tab is broke that its bent in which would cause it to get stuck. Run a small screw driver on the inside of the plug and bend the plastic back out near that broken tab hole.

MrMoose

Lube is a good idea to try, but don't use anything oil based like WD40 as it'll degrade the rubber over time. Stick with silicone. Spray works but I prefer the DuPont stuff in the bottle as it's less messy to apply.