4kq headlight switch woes...

[George Selby]

At 12:45 AM 11/19/02, you wrote:
>The real problem is the power through the connection at the switch.  Melts
>the plastic in the connectors and possibly on the switch.  When I replaced
>the one on my wife's 4kq campmobile, the switch and connector were one mass
>of melted plastic with wires running out of it.  I cut the wires off and
>spliced in new.  Got a new switch, the plastic connector block AND the
>elusive click-in connectors from Carlsen Audi, but that was several years
>ago.    If you have a dremel, you may be able to rescue the connectors from
>the plastic block.


More than likely the switch itself is bad, as well as the
connectors.  Having seen this same problem on 3 of the 4 4k type cars I
have owned (either 4ks or Coupe GTs,) I decided that merely replacing the
wires, switch and connector with replacement parts would be the short path
to repeated failure.  So I bought a new switch, and got some female push
on, crimped connectors that would fit over the narrow terminals on the
switch (which if I recall from the most recent repair over a year ago are
0.110" in width.   These connectors were available from my local Advance
Auto, but it was with the stereo wiring stuff (and gold plated,) rather
than being with the other electrical connectors.

To really make the repair permanent, use relays to run your headlights
(make sure they can take the heat, too, I have melted cheap 30A relays with
continuous use of lights, I recommend Bosch relays, or raid Japanese cars
in the junkyard, they seem to have really quality relays [I like Isuzu and
Nissan relays personally,] and a bunch of them in each car!) this would
eliminate over 10 amps of draw when the lights are on, and likely will keep
the amperage (the source of the plastic melting heat) down enough to
prevent future melting.

George Selby
83 Audi Coupe GT
gselby4x4 at earthlink.net

George Selby
70 F-100 Ranger XLT 460 C6
78 F-150 4x4 400 4 spd
85 Dodge W-150 4x4 340 TF727
83 Audi Coupe GT
86 Nissan 300ZX
85 Chrysler 5th Avenue
gselby4x4 at earthlink.net