Window switch R & R. Be careful.
03-19-2006, 04:02 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Window switch R & R. Be careful.
Well I had one window switch on my 84S that was starting to fail. It's on the driver's side and I use it everyday for parking lot card reader access. I used a screwdriver and tried to pry it up and out. This pulled the rocker off and the springs went flying. I found them and then I tried to pry out the body of the switch so I could work on it. I ended up breaking the rear plastic tab in the rectangular openning that the switch goes into. Well now my new switch won't fit properly in the oversized hole. I decided to pull the other switches, more carefully and got them out OK. I fashioned a new tab for the broken one by cutting a piece of brass and slipping it under the metal trim for the four switch cluster. I thought I was done until I tried putting the switches back. Just push straight in and the spring tabs on the switches should pop into place; wrong! 2 out of 3 spring tabs bent and broke. 
What I learned: use the same small screwdriver used to pry the switch out and carefully guide the switch back through the hole it goes into. I ended up ordering 3 more switches than I intended partially because 2 broke and partially so they would match.
FWIW
Dave McK.
What I learned: use the same small screwdriver used to pry the switch out and carefully guide the switch back through the hole it goes into. I ended up ordering 3 more switches than I intended partially because 2 broke and partially so they would match.
FWIW
Dave McK.
03-19-2006, 04:09 PM
#2
928 Barrister
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Good advice. I would add that the small rectangular brass actuating piece has a tendency to drop out of the assembly if you inadvertently tip it and the piece falls somewhere in nowhere-to-be-seen-ville. Also, as you discovered, finesse works best; force doesn't work very well.
03-23-2006, 03:56 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Window switches Update (stupid me)
Thanks for the advice. Force does not work with these switches.
Let me tell you something really stupid that I also did:
The new switches come with 4 female spade-type connectors rather than the colored plastic block 4-pin connector of the original. Well I thought this spades were for a different year so I cut them off and neatly spliced to the old connector end using solder and shrinkwrap. Funny thing as I was doing the last connection I accidentally pulled too hard on on of the wires and it came out of the 4-pin connector. What do you know, the 4-pin accepts female spades and I could have simply pushed the ends of the new cable into the old block and would have been finished.
I'll bet many knew how these should have gone but someone besides me might be saved the needless cut and splice of perfectly good wires.
Dave McK.
Let me tell you something really stupid that I also did:
The new switches come with 4 female spade-type connectors rather than the colored plastic block 4-pin connector of the original. Well I thought this spades were for a different year so I cut them off and neatly spliced to the old connector end using solder and shrinkwrap. Funny thing as I was doing the last connection I accidentally pulled too hard on on of the wires and it came out of the 4-pin connector. What do you know, the 4-pin accepts female spades and I could have simply pushed the ends of the new cable into the old block and would have been finished.
I'll bet many knew how these should have gone but someone besides me might be saved the needless cut and splice of perfectly good wires.
Dave McK.