Corroded Starter Relay Wire?

[Charlie O.]

I'm replacing the starter on a Volvo Penta 5.0 and am installing new connectors. When I stripped back the starter relay wire (yellow with red stripe), the wires look blackened (see photo) Is this normal for this wire? Is this oil intrusion? I stripped back more and found the same. Any recommendations?

 

[muc]

Not normal.
Water intrusion.
The recommend repair is to keep going back up the wire until you get past the corrosion. A short term repair is to just clean it up with a brush.

 

[Charlie O.]

Thanks, muc!