The smell of hot something alerted me to the headlight switch's burning out. The top contact heated enough to fuse the plug's plastic to the contact and to release it from the switch.

My guess is that one of the contacts wasn't making a clean connection.



The only marks are "Delco-Remy" and a partial part number, 285N15x (1, A, or 7?)



I haven't been able to locate anything like it on the 'net; any suggestions would be appreciated!

.

Firebird, mid '80s to early '90s?

As a side note, this (burned switch) is common on RVs or tow vehicles with a high light current draw.

Mine came with a Delco truck switch, but it ran warm. It had some voltage drop, but I can't remember exactly how much.

When I replaced it, I wired in a Bosch relay to take the load off the switch. I was rewarded with brighter lights, especially on the toad.

quote:

I haven't been able to locate anything like it on the 'net; any suggestions would be appreciated!

Try

http://www.autopartswarehouse....dlights+%26+Lighting

Thanks to both of you! Relative, that's it! I'd like to chase down the corresponding plug - do you know what that switch goes to?

Search for 1995406 or D1590D for prices from other sources.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
do you know what that switch goes to?

Very common switch in the '90s on vans / bread trucks (P3x chassis). You can probably stop by your local NAPA store and pick up the switch and the connector.

Thanks, Mike! I hadn't had a chance to get to a parts store yet

What did you do for a living? You know a lot about a lot?I respect your knowledge that is all I have to say about that.Has anybody thought about changing to led lighting on their coach?there would be less heat on the wiring
lenny
PS I HATE RED WIRES

Thanks to Nick, who chauffered me to NAPA while I was at Cagle's RV Park and Wine Emporium, I got the replacement switch ($35) and the replacement connector ($38!). I then hooked the switch up loose and measured temps (with an IR thermometer) - they climbed past 150°F!

So I sneaked a session on Nick's drill press and drilled cooling holes in the case, installed the switch, and it stabilized at a useable-but-still-too-warm 127°F.

This switch, common in '80s-'90s Buick Centuries, wasn't designed to take the current for nav and extra marker lights.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
This switch, common in '80s-'90s Buick Centuries, wasn't designed to take the current for nav and extra marker lights.

You could always add in a 5 pole relay to relieve some of the amp load.

Here is the link to a tutorial I did earlier on a 5 pole relay setup. You might remember them... Electrical Troubleshooting Challenge or this tutorial Headlamp relays



I would also disconnect the Electrical Bulkhead Connector and push out the terminal to clean up the male and female plug connector. You will need to use a paperclip behind the terminals to allow you to push the wires out. Reconnect with a little dab of dielectric grease.

You might have a shorting condition or you might have an issue with a light fixture that is drawing too many amps. Check the lights at night to see which ones look dim or which section looks dimmer than the others to see where to start your search.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
I then hooked the switch up loose and measured temps (with an IR thermometer) - they climbed past 150°F!

OMG! That's hot. What is the amp draw in both high beam, low beam and park positions?

quote:

So I sneaked a session on Nick's drill press and drilled cooling holes in the case, installed the switch, and it stabilized at a useable-but-still-too-warm 127°F.

Nest step is a little cooling fan back there. Perhaps with a dedicated duct. In the '60s, the King KX150B aircraft radios ran so hot that there was a retrofit 100 mph ram air cooling duct to keep them cool. Nifty little units, though.

quote:

This switch, common in '80s-'90s Buick Centuries, wasn't designed to take the current for nav and extra marker lights.

I wonder why they put it on P30 box vans and motor home chassis. Surely they had to realize how many of their trucks towed big boats, race car trailers, horse trailers and RV trailers with big lighting draws. What were they thinking?

My earlier P30 has an under-capacity switch, too. I didn't measure the temp, but it was too warm, so high, low and park/tail/clearance circuits each have their own relay now. No relay in the brake light circuit yet, but perhaps a little meter reading should be considered.

I was grubbing around my auto-electrical parts box today for a relay and socket...I have several.

Rusty,
I had the GM push pull switch in my coach with the twist to dim that burnt out on me (at night naturally).
I told my mech I wanted him to replace the GM switch with toggles but he said the dimmer function would be a mess to wire in on the Headlights/Running light circuits: so I stayed with the OEM switch.
My mech wired in a relay as has been mentioned on this thread, and it really works outstanding now. Lights very bright and a feeling of satisfaction that the main current powering the lights is flowing through the relay, not those small connectors on the headlight switch: Ahhh...

Makes you wonder why they ever designed all that current to go directly through the headlight switch. And of course: it was a money saver...

quote:

OMG! That's hot. What is the amp draw in both high beam, low beam and park positions?

117°F high, 105°F low - above post was a typo.

Strato, the dimmer switch is separate on my coach.

I'm going to wire the nav and headlights on separate relays, and leave the dash lights as-is.