Weather Pack is an environmentally sealed connection system developed by Packard Electric engineers (now Aptiv) to withstand exposure to extreme temperatures, moisture, and harsh engine compartment fluids and chemicals with unfaltering performance.
It consists of mating heat stabilized polyamide housings (Weather Pack “towers and shrouds”), male and female “pin and socket” Weather Pack terminals and self-lubricating silicone Weather Pack connector seals, cable seals and cavity plugs. The system is rated 0.05-16.0 VDC, 0-20A. Weather Pack connector configurations are available for one to six wires.
The "WP…" numbers are ours. The 8-digit numbers in parentheses are Aptiv numbers.
Aptiv rates Weather Pack at 0 - 20 amps maximum.
The choice of cable seal is determined by the insulation diameter of the wire being used. The guidelines offered below apply to Weather Pack and Sealed Metri-Pack 280 Series installations.
For Type GPT and GXL wire, the red seal normally fits 22 gauge; the green seal normally fits 20, 18, and 16 gauge; the gray seal normally fits 14 gauge; and the blue seal normally fits 12 gauge.
For heavier wall Type SXL wire, the green seal normally fits 20 and 18 gauge; the gray seal normally fits 16 gauge; and the blue seal normally fits 14 and 12 gauge.
For thin-wall wire construction such as Type TXL, the red seal normally fits 20 gauge; the green seal normally fits 18, 16 and 14 gauge; the gray seal normally fits 12 gauge; and the blue seal normally fits 10 gauge.
The installer must be certain that the seal fits snugly over the wire insulation to maintain a proper environmental seal.
Click the "Online Catalog" button and navigate to the Useful Information page for primary wire insulation diameters and more Aptiv cable seal application information.
The 12-gauge Weather Pack terminals are designed for signal voltages where conductor reliability is critical. A larger conductor will provide a clearer signal than a smaller one. The 12-gauge Weather Pack terminals should not be used in high-current applications that would normally use 12-gauge wire.
Sealed Metri-Pack 280 Series connectors will carry up to 30 amps, and are available in one-, two-, and three-wire configurations. A sealed Metri-Pack 480 Series connector set is available in a two-wire configuration that will carry up to 42 amps. A sealed Metri-Pack 630 Series connector set is available in a three-wire configuration that will carry up to 46 amps.
The slits are called indexing slots and they prevent mismating. A Weather Pack tower connector will only fit the matching Weather Pack shroud connector.
Colors are used with application-specific Weather Pack connectors to make them look different from the standard tower connectors. The colored connectors are designed to fit devices such as switches or sensors. They feature special indexing and are not interchangeable with the standard black tower connectors.
The Weather Pack system uses only round pin terminals or round socket terminals. If a sealed connector without round terminals is marked "DELPHI" or "P.E.D.," it could be a Metri-Pack, a GT or a Ducon series connector. We stock many different Metri-Pack components. Send us a sample or a picture of what is needed and we can probably identify and supply your requirements.
Not necessarily. Many open barrel crimp tools can perform an acceptable Weather Pack wire crimp. A Weather Pack seal crimp can be made with common slip joint pliers. Note that the seal crimp should be just firm enough to hold the seal in place. A tight seal crimp can damage the seal. Professional tools made specifically for Weather Packs crimp both the terminal and the seal in one cycle.
Click here for our T-12 instruction sheet.
Crimped Weather Pack Terminal
Seal
loaded on stripped wire
(wire stripped 5.0mm or 3/16")
Terminal, seal and wire
(positioned to be crimped)
Weather Pack terminals are ALWAYS used with Weather Pack cable seals. One is required for each terminal, male or female. You might also want to order a Weather Pack release tool in case you need to disassemble a completed Weather Pack termination for inspection or rework. The Weather Pack release tool depresses the terminal retention barbs and allows the Weather Pack terminals to be removed from the connectors.
Small quantities can be purchased from www.mcmaster.com.
The use of the "Tower and Shroud" nomenclature eliminates confusion with gender specific connectors. Weather Pack towers are most often used with female terminals but they can also be used with male terminals. Weather Pack shrouds are most often used with male terminals but they can also be used with female terminals. It is even possible to use both male and female terminals in a single multi-circuit Tower or Shroud.
This marking identifies the connector material Polyamide 6/6 (a.k.a. Nylon) and the mold cavity number. This is not enough information to identify a component. Aptiv's part numbers are typically 8 digits such as "12124582."
No special Weather Pack covers or caps are necessary. You can make your own using a mating tower or shroud and cavity plugs in place of the terminals, wires and seals.
