Interior Lights
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From: Dallas Texas
Interior Lights
None work not even the under engine hood interior or under the trunk lid......Any guess as to where to start. I ran all the fuses but all are in good condition However all the contacts are green and semi corroded sp?
The Ancient One
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These are very possibly the WORST part of the car as far as longevity and reliability are concerned, especially since they are SO simple and easy to have made FAR better.
The 'plunger' part is almost always the culprit. I mean the end inside the door jamb that the wire attaches to. Get yourself a small file and clean up the corrosion on the crimped part and on the end of the part that threads into the car.
Then get some type of conductive spray (I bought a can at a Fry's Electronics store, perhaps radio Shack or a similar place would also carry something appropriate) and coat BOTH parts that need to make contact.
Test them with a meter SEVERAL times before you replace them. (I find they usually fail again within a few days of replacement and need to come back out for a better filing job and additional spray coating.
The other option is to replace the switches with an aftermarket or OEM-type part from a place like Automotion, etc. They are fairly cheap.
EDIT --
The one part that might be worse than the switch is the plastic/rubber 'cap' that goes over that cupped washer. They crack, peel, and remove themselves within days of being brand new.
+++
The 'plunger' part is almost always the culprit. I mean the end inside the door jamb that the wire attaches to. Get yourself a small file and clean up the corrosion on the crimped part and on the end of the part that threads into the car.
Then get some type of conductive spray (I bought a can at a Fry's Electronics store, perhaps radio Shack or a similar place would also carry something appropriate) and coat BOTH parts that need to make contact.
Test them with a meter SEVERAL times before you replace them. (I find they usually fail again within a few days of replacement and need to come back out for a better filing job and additional spray coating.
The other option is to replace the switches with an aftermarket or OEM-type part from a place like Automotion, etc. They are fairly cheap.
EDIT --
The one part that might be worse than the switch is the plastic/rubber 'cap' that goes over that cupped washer. They crack, peel, and remove themselves within days of being brand new.
+++
The Ancient One
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Yep. Each door and lid has one. They are located in the jamb area (near the hinges) on the doors. The front one is near the passenger side dash area (beside the lamp) and I think the rear one is on the drivers' side near the hinge as well.
They are basically a plastic rod on a spring, with a wire crimped to one end and the body of the car touching the threaded end that is held separate by the spring. Once the spring is compressed, it makes the crimped end touch against the main housing (completing the circuit to ground).
+++
They are basically a plastic rod on a spring, with a wire crimped to one end and the body of the car touching the threaded end that is held separate by the spring. Once the spring is compressed, it makes the crimped end touch against the main housing (completing the circuit to ground).
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The engine lid light receives its power from the parking light circuit, and only works when its trap door is opened. The "door" is the switch. The trunk light is another deal entirely. It's, as mentioned, controlled by a pin switch. The circuit is often tapped into by installers of aftermarket alarms, sometimes the bulb holder is installed wrong, and sometimes the wires are hooked up wrong. The door switches are a pain, remove what's left of the rubber cap and flick the switch (push it in with your thumbnail, then allow it to snap back). If corrosion exists a few flicks and the circuit will usually start to work, which makes diagnosis easier. Caution, if you install new switches take care to not lose the wire! They're pretty short, and if they get away from you and crawl inside the door post they can be a real pain to retrieve.
Pete
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Originally Posted by Peter Zimmermann
...Caution, if you install new switches take care to not lose the wire! They're pretty short, and if they get away from you and crawl inside the door post they can be a real pain to retrieve...
Pete
Pete
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We kept a drawer full of switches and replaced them. Filing and other cleaning methods proved to be short term solutions. You don't have to solder the wires (you can if you chose) but a quality crimp works fine. Once they're crimped is when you can easily solder them without losing the wire. Most alarm systems are keyed to those switches working correctly so we kept them in good shape on our customer cars. We also replaced the caps anytime we saw even slight deterioration.
Pete
Pete
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