[DML] Re: An oft-forgotten electrical issue

["therealdmcvegas" <dmcvegas@xxxxxxx>]

There isn't anything wrong with the headlight switch per se. The
problem lies with the circuit it's intergrated into. You have 10
incandescent lights that are recieve a power feed thru the switch, and
no one fuse on this central source. The higher gague wire that has
been used doesn't help any, either. To realy make the circuit safe,
you'd need to splice in a relay, with a fused, independant powersource
for the clearance lights.

Aside from corrosion on the switch, you really need to check/replace
the light bulbs themselves, and their housings. My front, driver's
side clearance light had a crack, and the rubbber gasket behind it had
split. So for all the years that my car spent parked next to someone's
sprinklers, water was able to leak in, and collect in the lense. And
since the wiring harness has a sleeve on it to keep road spray away
from the lights, the water that collected inside had no where to
drain. Over the years of moisture, not only had rust formed, but it
managed to bridge the positive, and ground connections inside, and
outside of the socket. The bulb was so badly fused into place, that I
couldn't remove it, and ended up grafting in a replacement socket from
P.J. Grady. Had the circuit have been properly designed with at least
a fuse in place for the main feed, my headlight switch would not have
melted down.

I'm in the same boat, where I've no headlight switch either. I
currently use a jumper wire to activate my lights (ghetto, I know).
Hopefully one will turn up, but I'm not too worried. If one cannot be
located, or the vendors fail recreate one, a little creativity will
solve things. I'll just attach my old buttton onto the end of an old
windsheild wiper knob, and shove a couple of LEDs behind the faceplate
to illuminate it. So instead of pushing, I'll just turn the knob to
turn on the lights. And if I get a 3 speed switch, I'd also be able to
nicely intergrate a hidden switch for some foglights as well.

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "cruznmd" <racuti1@xxxx> wrote:
> 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:
<SNIP>




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