headlight switch rebuild

[Stoffauge]

Good Morning ...

after figuring that my headlight switch causing my sidemarker issues I am wondering if somebody ever opened up one of these and succesfully rebuilt it and may got some advices. I really hope its possible.......

(pic from ebay as example for my kind of switch)

Thanks guys

 

[BigblueC]

I have no info for you but I'm interest in what you find out about rebuilding it. I was never able to find the correct part number switch for may car so I'd also like to have my original rebuilt if it's reasonable.

Also, have you looked for a replacement switch? I'm not familiar with that switch or your car but a replacement might be available.

 

[Stoffauge]

Hey BigBlueC,

I am sure there is a replacement one available but I´d like to save the 60-100$ so I am looking to rebuild it myself. Gonna do it probably today will tell about the result

 

[BigblueC]

Good luck. That's a little out of my comfort zone. For some reason I don't play well with electrical stuff. Take pictures, I'm very interested.

 

[detmatt]

One of our members specializes in just that. @Devinism

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Agreed - @Devinism (Devin Duke) is excellent.

 

[bronze turbine]

You could give this a try: get a can of Deox-it aerosol spray, shake it well, spray liberally into all cracks and crevices on the switch. Work it back and forth. Repeat a few times. I have had this fix problems with switches and contacts on everything from office equipment to stereo equipment to lawn tractors and cars. It's good stuff to put on any connectors that are prone to corrosion.

 

[Stoffauge]

It’s not the switch . Damnit ! Gonna provide some pics although . Helped me to understand how it connects internally anyways .

I am getting desperate . Maybe we can figure it out together . Got 12v on pink cable headlight switch . That connects to both black ones when turning on first step . BUT the 12v disappear . So it’s still a ground issue but somewhere in the dash area I guess . But it’s so weird because all other lights still work just sidemarkers and taillights . Man…. ‍


The last picture shows a ground cable I have no idea where it belongs to . But can’t be the issue the sidemarkers worked before when cable was detached too . Just asking….

man I love electrical stuff

 

[detmatt]

The other end of the ground cable attaches to the column itself.

 

[Stoffauge]

Ok that’s where it’s been in between already. Just wasn’t sure if it’s right . Thanks .

any advices to the big problem ?

 

[CBODY67]

After cleaning the internal contacts, be sure to re-lube the internal moving parts.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[Gerald Morris]

Peculiar looking headlight switch, for sure. Looks like a DPDT, and that's all. Certainly nothing appears amiss with that.

NOW, for the Problem: You mention that the 12V on the pink conductor goes to 0 when you energize the two black leads from it, right? BUT, you get NOTHING? when you do this?

OR, do you get headlights?

Having the 12V go to 0V is FINE, provided the current is driving a LOAD somewhere. If it isn't, THEN YOU HAVE A BIG DEAD SHORT CIRCUIT ON ONE OR MAYBE BOTH OF THOSE HEADLIGHT LEADS!!!

Get a voltohmmeter, preferably analogue, disconnect the headlights and see what the resistance to ground is for each conductor leading away from that switch. I suspect one of these will read 0 ohms. That's your short. Then, you need to work backward from the headlight connections, and check each of THOSE for continuity to ground. IFF there IS any, after unplugging all lights first, then you have a short circuit there.

Working from each end of a branch circuit, you should be able to test for shorts. You can also use a test light, as a simple means of assuring there is not merely voltage, but sufficient conductivity to power something when you energize a branch.

Yes, electrical rat-hunting IS fun, given a few tools and some basic logic.

Good luck.

 

[Stoffauge]

Good Morning Gerald.

Your instructions gonna help me a lot!!! Thanks for that. Maybe you can even tell the problem after that post. I will list what I´ve done and what works:

At first again : everything worked fine but from one second to another sidemarkers/taillights stopped working. But JUST these.

headlights HB ok
headlights LB 1 burned 1 works(but it has been burned out since I do have the car and all other stuff worked anyways!!)
all Turn signals ok
Hazard flasher ok
reverse lights ok
fender turn indicators ok
dome light ok
door lights (when open and close door) ok
panel lights somehow not ok
brake lights ok when bypassing turn signal switch (gonna replace)

checked all bulbs and fuses -> ok
reworked/cleaned all grounds of the housings of each light

Headlight switch (cleaned contact-lubed mechanics - clicks like new!)
internally:
pink cable connects to black/yellow(sidemarkers + taillights) on step one Headlight switch (connects but as mentioned nothing happens 12v goes to 0v) and step two: big black cable connects to green one that leads to the beam selector and further to the headlights (ok)

got Ohm/Volt/Amperemeter and can set up a test lightbulb

checked continuity from front to back every cable and connector and switch!

Guess that´s the whole protocoll..... I am excited if it helps. And even more to find the damn cause.

And once more.....stopped working from one second to another (checked but really didnt do anything -> started to work - great!)...two weeks later it still worked but stopped again an hour later and since then nothing (that´s what confuses me that it worked again short time in between)

 

[Gerald Morris]

Good Morning Gerald.

Your instructions gonna help me a lot!!! Thanks for that. Maybe you can even tell the problem after that post. I will list what I´ve done and what works:

At first again : everything worked fine but from one second to another sidemarkers/taillights stopped working. But JUST these.

And once more.....stopped working from one second to another (checked but really didnt do anything -> started to work - great!)...two weeks later it still worked but stopped again an hour later and since then nothing (that´s what confuses me that it worked again short time in between)

Hmm, your problem looks similar to one I still get ever so often, poor fuse contact! I need to know the exact year of your machine to be sure of certain finer points, BUT, for now, I suggest this:

Make up a fused test "hot wire" and disconnect the sidemarker lead under your dash. Then, from the battery, try the hot wire on each sidemarker, directly. You may have a short circuit IN one of the sidemarker fixtures. Are these original? Also, you mention the brake lights only work when the turn signal switch is bypassed. IFF this car still gets power to the brake lights off the same feed as the internal/dash lights, as it well may, then the fusebox problem becomes more likely. This amounts to a fuse which powers the misbehaving circuit NOT SEATING WELL IN THE CLIPS! They vibrate a little loose, and ECCE! NON LUX!

Do you have a circuit diagram for your model? GET ONE IF YOU DON'T!! I strongly suspect the sidemarkers and brake lights feed from the same fuse, but I admit I might be totally WRONG about this. Try pulling the fuse to first the brake lights, noting what else fails when this is removed. The FACT that the sidemarkers AND tail lights are failing indicates to me that its likely these get power from the same fuse. The TURN SIGNAL by contrast gets power from the HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT. This too is born out by the data you've provided.

Yes, I suspect your trouble is withg the brake light/tail light/sidemarker SOURCE. See if you can disconnect their feed from the fusebox. It might well be pink in color. How many fuses does your box hold? That too tells me what sort it is....

We're making progress. Carry on.

Electric Jerry (retired mostly) Tucson

 

[Stoffauge]

My car is a 71 Sport Fury 383 4BBl PB, PS and AC. All original numbers matching 100% so all sidemarkers/housings etc. original .

I attached the wiring diagram I am working with for better understanding.

I always check the fuses but never thought of a bad contact of these. The (not working) brake lights share one fuse with the internals like clock or cigar lighter (so maybe the TSS isn´t causing the issue for that problem?)

The sidemarkers/taillights got their own fuse. Gonna check seating of it first and hope this is it. Reworked all sidemarker housings/grounds and changed bulbs so I don´t know why there should be an internal issue. But gonna check that anyways again and following your steps.

I hope with the diagrams attached we can come as close as possible to the issue.

To see if the taillights and sidemarker got ground I already gave 12V to the circle (black cable in connector in the driver door on the bottom). And all worked.

I feel we are coming closer to the issue and after this post maybe you can point on ! Would be even more impressive

 

[Devinism]

If your panel dimmer is known to be inop I would unplug it, just to make sure it isn't going to ground and popping your fuse.

Then, go to your fusebox and make sure you have power coming in for the TAIL fuse (headlight switch on either 'park' or 'on'). If you do then test the other side of the fuse (check on the terminal that the fuse snaps into). If all looks good take a look at the top (or backside, depending on how the box is mounted) for corrosion or a somewhat loose wire. I've seen both, as have a lot of us. If power still looks good then use a jumper from there to the next connector downstream. If lights then work your problem is in between, either in another connector or a bad factory splice.

Happy hunting!

 

[CBODY67]

Sometimes, a fuse will look fine and have a disconnect of the filament and one of the end caps of the fuse, internally. New, quality fuse fixes that.

From my experiences,
CBODY67

 

[Stoffauge]

@CBODY67 got a big amount of good fuses and it’s the first thing I will replace on Sunday and let you guys ! Praying kinda it’s that easy to solve everything

 

[Gerald Morris]

My car is a 71 Sport Fury 383 4BBl PB, PS and AC. All original numbers matching 100% so all sidemarkers/housings etc. original .

I attached the wiring diagram I am working with for better understanding.

I always check the fuses but never thought of a bad contact of these. The (not working) brake lights share one fuse with the internals like clock or cigar lighter (so maybe the TSS isn´t causing the issue for that problem?)

The sidemarkers/taillights got their own fuse. Gonna check seating of it first and hope this is it. Reworked all sidemarker housings/grounds and changed bulbs so I don´t know why there should be an internal issue. But gonna check that anyways again and following your steps.

I hope with the diagrams attached we can come as close as possible to the issue.

To see if the taillights and sidemarker got ground I already gave 12V to the circle (black cable in connector in the driver door on the bottom). And all worked.

I feel we are coming closer to the issue and after this post maybe you can point on ! Would be even more impressive

View attachment 472138

View attachment 472139

GOOD WORK!! Testing the sidemarkers separate from other loads helped immensely! So, the circuit from the point of the plug in your drivers side door on down works well. We can now eliminate all the chatter about grounding. Let us focus on the circuits FEEDING these from their diverse sources, in the same fashion that the tail lights get fed from multiple inputs for the purposes of whether just night illumination, braking or turning. Have you located the TAN conductor from bulkhead connection #18? That gives independent power to the right sidemarker. You might unplug the bulkhead connector for this set of conductors, then jumper the individual connections and test them. I see on the wiring diagram how the sidemarkers also can be energized from the turn signal circuit. Let's leave that matter alone for now.

Now, observe from the bottom left corner of the A diagram how the LEFT sidemarker gets wired either from the turn signal (GREEN) or that damned plug going to the HEADLIGHT DOOR MOTOR!!! In Standard American Engineering nomenclature, we have a word adopted from a Germanic name for this sort of design: Kluge! Mopar KLUGED THESE SIDEMARKERS ONTO ITS OLDER CIRCUIT DESIGN!!! Small wonder we're having hell tracing the problem down,

I suggest you disconnect that headlight door motor feed to the left sidemarker. LIGHTS AND MOTORS SHOULD NEVER MIX!!!! You're not culpable for such poor design, but we need to remedy this issue for good and all! There is a good probability that THIS is where the circuit is shorting to ground, preventing the sidemarkers from lighting under normal use.

Also, if you haven't thoroughly cleansed that bulkhead connector, do so now. Let us prepare to divorce the sidemarkers from the headlights altogether. Each really should be wired separately. See how corporate beancounter cheapskates can RUIN proper design procedure all to save a paltry few coins? They didn't CARE about long term viability of course....

See what these experiments net us, and we shall proceed from there.

 

[Stoffauge]

I am SO glad I got you guys to helping me . Felt like chasing the white rabbit !

Gonna get on it tomorrow and will follow all great instructions !
Have a great weekend