Light Switch Burning up

  • #1

    Light Switch Burning up

    Has anybody experienced an issue with the headlight switch getting so hot it melts the casing of the plug?
    The female spade terminal that plugs into the bottom part of the switch gets too hot to touch
    and has started to melt the outer casing. There is also some yellowish brown heat discoloration on the switch itself.

    I don't have any other issues with lights not coming on due to the contacts out of adjustment.
    Its only one of the spade plugs in the terminal, it appears to be the one controllong the marker/interior
    lights. I'm gonna break out the FSM and find out which wire it is, but i'm sure that is the one.

    It would seem that it is pulling alot of current through a weak connection and causing it to overheat.
    It intermittantly does not make contact and i have to wiggle the plug, or reseat the plug to get the lights to work.

    The only spare switch i have is the original one that was in the car that had the contact issue, even after cleaning.

    Anybody else experience this....?


    Me thinks the junkyard is calling…


    84 AE/Shiro #683/Shiro #820/84 Turbo
  • #2
    z
  • #3
    high resistance causes heat.. improve the connection and it should stop

    you might be able to add some solder blobs to the fingers - something I've done with similar switches, the more you use it the better it seats
  • #4
    agree with the ideas above. Ive also had some luck using dielectric grease on switches that wanted to be a problem and especially on older connectors that aren't exactly as good as new. I use it mostly in the engine bay but I don't see any reason it would hurt anything on an interior connection.
    Just stand back and throw money.
    Performance costs money.
    Reliable performance costs more.