Connector and a method for assembling a connector

A connector, comprising:

• a first housing having a plurality of substantially parallel cavities formed in the housing for accommodating terminal fittings, a retainer mounting hole extending into the housing and intersecting the cavities, a retainer mountable in the retainer mounting hole and movable between a partial locking position and a full locking position where the retainer enters the cavities to lock the terminal fittings, and a slider mounted to the housing and movable parallel to the cavities, the slider comprising a detecting portion for detecting whether the retainer is in the full locking position;
• and
• a second housing connectable with the first housing along a connecting and separating direction, the second housing having a resilient engaging portion resiliently deformable between a first position and a second position when the connector housings are connected properly with each other.

A method for assembling a connector, comprising the following steps:

• at least partly inserting terminal fillings into cavities of a first connector housing;
• inserting a retainer into a retainer mounting hole in the first connector housing which is open sideways across the cavities to jock the terminal fittings into the corresponding cavities, and
• detecting whether the retainer is insufficiently inserted by means of a detecting portion of a slider on the first connector housing, the slider being movable forward and backward along a connecting and separating direction of the first connector housing with a mating second connector housing.