Easy Fix to Interior Light Door Switches

[RSBob]

Let there be light!

After replacing my old door pin switches with new ones festooned with new rubber nipple covers, the interior lights would not activatre unless I grabbed the little nipple and gave it a tug (I know what you are thinking and you should be ashamed ). It appeared (key word - appeared) that the nipple's tension against the pin didn't allow it to make contact on the switch. I tried stretching the nipple (sounds kinky) and heating it to stretch it, etc to no avail. So the idea occurred; it has to be the length of switch's throw.

The solution: I removed the switches by removing the nipple and unscrewing the switch. While unscrewing, remember to hold the black pin [technical term: push rod thingy] stationary. Pull the switch out remembering the attachment to the wire makes a slight dog-leg you will need to negotiate through the opening. I fed a sufficient amount of wire out so I could comfortably disconnect the wire from the switch.

I carefully clamped a small portion the switch in a vice to keep it stationary before surgery. I applied some blue masking tape to the push rod thingy to keep it from ejecting across the shop floor during the procedure. There are three retaining clamps for the gizmo [tech term 2] which was/were/could have been/should have been attached to the hot wire. I carefully pried all three clamps off the gizmo. The center-most clamp is seated in a concave impression. I then moved the gizmo forward so the further most clamp from the disk, would now crimp into the concave impression. Now reverse the steps and your dome lights should operate, and cancel, as Ferry intended.

There is now light, and it is good. (and you thought more horsepower was hot)

[crashr]

I am trying to fix my door lights now, but I needed to lengthen one of the wires which appears to have been shortend down over the years. I pulled the wire through towards the floor board to make an extension.

My problem now is that I cannot feed anything back from the hole in the door jam to the area where the wire is (where the footwell blower is. It seems like there is a very small compartment I can't get out of.

Can someone please give me some tips to get this wire fed?

[don gilbert]

there is no tip for getting that wire back in that i know of, had the same prob and spent about an hour a day for a week before i finally got it back in. good luck

[crashr]

don, there is a small rectangular cut in the blower wall... is that the hole that the wire is going to come through?

[don gilbert]

the pass side is not that bad, cut a piece of wire and get a flashlite, stand on your head in the car and shine the lite throught the swith hole in the jam, that will give you an idea where to start fishing the wire, drivers side, your hoping for blind luck.

[BRP83SC]

Originally Posted by RSBob

Let there be light!

After replacing my old door pin switches with new ones festooned with new rubber nipple covers, the interior lights would not activatre unless I grabbed the little nipple and gave it a tug (I know what you are thinking and you should be ashamed ). It appeared (key word - appeared) that the nipple's tension against the pin didn't allow it to make contact on the switch. I tried stretching the nipple (sounds kinky) and heating it to stretch it, etc to no avail. So the idea occurred; it has to be the length of switch's throw.

The solution: I removed the switches by removing the nipple and unscrewing the switch. While unscrewing, remember to hold the black pin [technical term: push rod thingy] stationary. Pull the switch out remembering the attachment to the wire makes a slight dog-leg you will need to negotiate through the opening. I fed a sufficient amount of wire out so I could comfortably disconnect the wire from the switch.


I carefully clamped a small portion the switch in a vice to keep it stationary before surgery. I applied some blue masking tape to the push rod thingy to keep it from ejecting across the shop floor during the procedure. There are three retaining clamps for the gizmo [tech term 2] which was/were/could have been/should have been attached to the hot wire. I carefully pried all three clamps off the gizmo. The center-most clamp is seated in a concave impression. I then moved the gizmo forward so the further most clamp from the disk, would now crimp into the concave impression. Now reverse the steps and your dome lights should operate, and cancel, as Ferry intended.

There is now light, and it is good. (and you thought more horsepower was hot)

Any chance you could take some pictures?

I need to perform something simliar

[don gilbert]

i tried, could not get any detail that would be of any use, very very dark in there. sorry, try this, cursing does not help at all.[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads14/000_17941237757312.jpg[/img

[don gilbert]

[don gilbert]

and yes, the wire does come out the little rectangular hole there is the footwell kick area.