Sealed automotive connectors and accessories for harness building and repairs.
Built For Tough Conditions
Automotive electrical connectors are critical to a vehicle’s operation and need to be built to withstand tough conditions across a varied range of industries. They are used in the parts of a vehicle that will be exposed to the elements which means protection from moisture and dust is crucial along with a good rating for heat resistance. Automotive electrical connectors also need to tolerate the vibrations and movement of a vehicle, with locking systems built into the plug and socket to prevent unwanted disconnects.
You can be confident that automotive electrical connectors from Connector-Tech ALS will handle any situation. We stock the widest range of specialised automotive electrical connectors in Australia for applications including trucks, heavy machinery, motorsport and passenger vehicles. We can provide fast postage and expert advice for Deutsch connectors from the DT, DTM, DRC and HD series along with the Delphi (Aptiv) range of automotive electrical connectors. We can also supply various electric vehicle charging connectors from industry leading manufacturers such as Phoenix Contact and PCE.
We recognise the importance of both price and lead time to the success of our customers when purchasing automotive electrical connectors. It is our intention to support them with accurate technical assistance, along with a wide range of difficult-to-source connectors for auto electrics, motorsport, prototyping, projects and repairs. Many of our most-popular products are now available through our online catalogue where you can also browse, compare technical specifications and choose the shipping and payment methods which best suit your needs.
Choosing The Right Automotive Electrical Connector
Automotive systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated which has created a demand for high-quality and reliable electrical connectors. Our range of automotive electrical connectors includes various connector kits to suit any automotive requirements as well as the proper accessories such as insertion and extraction tools. Whether you are working on a standard passenger car or something more specific like a performance vehicle, Connector-Tech ALS will help you find the right connector for your chosen application.
Deutsch’s series of automotive electrical connectors offer field-proven reliability and rugged quality and have been embraced as the industry standard across a broad range of applications from elite motorsport to mining equipment. They are used in harsh environment applications where even a small degradation in connection may be critical, including on or around the engine, the transmission and under the hood.
Aptiv (formerly Delphi Connection Systems) has been a trusted automotive supplier for decades, introducing practical innovations in the areas of safety, efficiency, and connectivity. The transportation market has been advancing in these areas and Aptiv can offer product solutions designed for the tougher operational and environmental requirements. Aptiv employs leading-edge manufacturing technologies and a comprehensive range of design services to produce high performance, cost-effective connection systems available either off-the-shelf or custom designed.
Automotive Wire Size Guide
Trying to understand the correct wire size to use with automotive electrical connectors can seem confusing, but it’s actually quite simple once you have the right information.
Wire gauge in automotive wiring refers to the size of the wire that you will require for your electrical system. Wire sizing is also expressed in mm2 or a nomimal size of "automotive wire" in mm. This is how auto parts stores like Super Cheap Auto and Autobarn will often refer to wire size. A conversion guide across these sizes is below.
| "Automotive" | Actual Core Size |
| 2.5mm | 0.64mm2 |
| 3mm | 1.1mm2 |
| 4mm | 1.8mm2 |
| 5mm | 2.9mm2 |
| 6mm | 4.6mm2 |
To find the required wire gauge for a specific application, you must know the current draw of the accessory on the circuit and the total wire length between the accessory and the power source. As a general guide for passenger vehicles, sensor wires will typically be 18 to 20AWG, general power and ground wires will be 14 to 18AWG and fuel pump or thermofan wires will be 12AWG.
You can also contact our highly qualified technicians at Connector-Tech ALS for support with automotive electrical connectors and Australia’s wire gauge specifications.
When ordering a connector it is not always as simple matter of determining between 'male' and 'female' because this can refer to both the housing gender and the contact gender. Many manufacturers offer a given housing gender with both pin and socket. A common example of such confusion occurs in the Deutsch Industrial DT range, where the plug (or male connector) actually contains socket (or female) contacts. For this reason please specify both the contact and housing gender at the time of order.
The IP Rating of a connector or accessory relates to the degree of ingress protection provided by that component. The first digit of the code relates to the degree of protection against access to hazardous parts (conductors etc) and against solid foreign objects. The second digit refers to the degree of protection against the ingress of water. For two examples of this system, consider the most commonly seen IP ratings in our products: IP44 and IP67. IP44 4: Protection from solid objects ≤1mm | 4: Protection against splashing water IP67 6: Protection from dust-sized objects | 7: Protection against immersion in water at depth of 1m for 30mins A complete guide to all IP Ratings is available here.
These terms are used by Phase 3 and ITT Veam on their high-current connectors.The source is considered the half of the connection from which the power is sourced; or the half supplying the electrical power. In an emergency power application, the generator is the source and would be fitted with Panel Source (panel-mount) connectors, a Panel Source Powersafe Box, or Line Source (inline) connectors on pigtails. The drain is the half of the connection which drains the power from the source. In the same emergency power application described above, the network receiving the emergency power supply is the drain and would be fitted with Line Drain connectors, Panel Drain connectors or a Panel Drain Powersafe Box.
We commonly deal with both American Wire Gauge (AWG) and square millimetre (mm2) dimensions as the units used by manufacturers can vary. To convert between measurements please refer this conversion chart.