[DML] An oft-forgotten electrical issue

["cruznmd" <racuti1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yesterday, my headlight switch slagged itself. I was given a rude 
awakening when I found out that it's one of the few items that are 
unavailable from vendors. The switch is a poor design. Here's what 
happened:

As we all know (or should know) the fuses and fuse block contacts
should be cleaned about once per year (another example of maintenance
not normally done on other vehicles). The blades on my fuses and the
fuse block contacts were -BLACK-. Some of the plastic fuse bodies
were bloated from heat. They were new when I installed them a year 
and a half ago.

Also, an area that no one thinks of: The sliding brass contacts in
the headlight switch were green/brown with tarnish or corrosion. All
of this corrosion causes resistance in the circuit which leads to a
build-up of heat that melted the plastic slide rails in the switch to
the sliding brass contacts "freezing" it in the "on" position. Not to
mention that some people feel a heavier gauge of wire should have
been used in production anyway. This could have melted down a lot of 
other things.

I used a dremel tool to carefully grind away the melted plastic and
some fine, needle-nose pliers to carefully re-bend the brass sliding
contact.

The switch is "Torrix" brand if anyone wants to try to cross-ref by
that so we can find replacements.

If you drive your car a lot, replace or clean your fuses annually.
Use some emery paper and clean the fuse block contacts. This will
help save your wiring and switches. I'm not recommending people 
dismantle their headlight switches, but if you keep the fuse area 
clean, it will reduce the heat build-up.

Rich A.
#5335






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