# VW terminal connectors reference



## mageus (Sep 1, 2004)

I wanted to share my research into VAG connectors. There are a few types used across most applications. I will briefly describe the types of connectors. There are ‘repair wires’ which are just a short wire with the same connector at both ends. OEM connectors tend to run $1 each, and repair wires $10-30 EACH. The connectors can be purchased at Mouser.com for much cheaper than the dealer or OEM vendors.

Here is a table with part sizes and Mouser part numbers:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ABr4i_IWGl3KxmSV6Q51_fn2w9AO6C8tdG6cdbPowdk/edit?usp=sharing

Reference these pages for more details:
https://www.a4-freunde.com/showwiki.php?title=Pins+und+alles+was+dazu+gehoert
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=400909


Micro Quadlok
- female - square socket
- male - square pin
These are used in small plugs when a tiny connector is needed.

Micro/Junior/Standard Timer
- female - 2 tabs pressed against each other
- male - flat pin
Junior Timer connectors are the most common type used in VW plugs They are of medium size (2.8mm wide) and can carry decent current. Micro Timer are smaller and used for low current applications. Standard Timer are larger and used for high current, such as power and ground.

MCP (Multiple Contact Point)
- female - rectangular socket
- male - flat pin
Larger MCP connectors are used for high current applications, such as the fuse box.


Connector Removal
Connectors have one or two tabs coming off the side that acts like a fish hook to hold it in the plug. On the face of the plug you can see 2 square holes along side the connector’s hole. You slide a single or dual-pronged tool into this hole, which depresses the tab and allows the pin to slide out. You can make a tool out of a paperclip, but I recommend getting a set of tools from Amazon.

https://www.a4-freunde.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=292842&d=1422727196&stc=1


Plugs

Plugs often have a plastic sleeve around the back of the plug that protects the wires as they come out of the plug. There is a small tab that can be pressed with your fingernail or small flathead screwdriver, that will allow the sleeve to slide off.

https://www.a4-freunde.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=292195&d=1421865462&stc=1 

Plugs sometimes have a plastic rod that runs down the center of the plug, that sits across a ridge on connectors and stops them from falling out. This is an additional protection to the tabs on the connectors themselves. This rod is usually a different color from the plug and slides out.


Heat shrink trick

Sourcing plugs can be difficult. OEM plugs are also ridiculously expensive. An easy, reliable, and reversible way to connect to OEM wiring or plugs is:

- put the compatible connector on your wire
- remove the stock wire from its plug
- connect your wire (with connector) to the stock connector
- heat shrink over the connection

The heat shrink will mold around the shape of pins, holding the two together, while insulating the whole connection. The wires will still come apart if you yank them hard, so tie them down with slack.
If you need to tap into a plug, make a Y wire with connectors, plug the stock wire into your Y, then plug the end of the Y into the stock plug.


Tools

LIke all jobs, good tools make all the difference. I recommend the following:

- VW pin removal tool - for rare jobs, the cheapo set on Amazon works fine. If you’re always working on harnesses, get the proper tool.
- trim removal tool - cheapo version at Amazon works fine.
- wire stripper - Spend the money and get the Irwin self-adjusting wire stripper - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195VXA10/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It pulls the insulation off, automatically adjusting to any gauge. It has a stop, to make consistent length strips.
- connector crimper - I used pliers for years, real hassle. Just buy a real crimping tool. This has different dies for different types of connectors - Iwiss crimping tool kit - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195VXA10/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1. 



Please feel free to post any comments, corrections, or additions.


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## SpazzyD (Feb 8, 2018)

Fantastic info! Thanks for taking the time to do this 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## deki_mg (Nov 10, 2012)

*BUmpity bump*

Bumping thread and adding some more info.
In case you have older cars (VW Cabriolet in my case), you might need some funky connectors if you want to play around with fuse panels.

small round terminals are TE Connectivity AMP Type III+ class (66601-1 or 66104-7 depending on wire size)
big round terminals are TE Connectivity MATE-N-LOK class (61626-1 or 350200-2 depending on wire size)

Cheers!


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## gman1881 (May 18, 2017)

I have no additional info. But thank you!


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## JETTA MK6 FTW (Feb 11, 2019)

Hey there hate to revive a dead post but does anyone know what might be the pin size / wire size for a map sensor on mk7 gti ?


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