I used to think the 'wiggle test' was a solid way to check connectors
I mean, for years I'd just give a wire harness a good shake and if nothing felt loose, I'd call it good. It was fast, right? But then last month, I was working on a Citation's autopilot system in Wichita and chasing an intermittent fault. I'd wiggled everything twice. Finally, my lead told me to break out the pin drag gauge on the D-sub connectors. I got readings all over the place on pins that felt fine by hand. Some were way out of spec, like 8-ounce drag on a pin that should be 3. That was the 'aha' moment. My hands just aren't sensitive enough to feel that. Now I feel like an idiot for trusting my feel over the actual tool for so long. Has anyone else had to unlearn a bad habit like that with a specific test?