I have an '87 F series. I replaced 2 switches thus far and may have to replace the one I put in today. The light dimming part of the switch doesn't work. I may have either burned the wire off that coils around the switch or it may have physically come apart due to some sideways push on the light switch ****. Is this a common fault of the ford switch? Is there a more heavy duty unit?

I've also been told by a electrical technician that the Ford switch isn't made to carry extra current required by trailer lights and that it is best to wire a seperate circuit with a toggle switch for running trailer lights. Today I replaced a melted block connector and the headlight switch and thought I solved my fuse blowing problems, but I'm not sure. Any input or similar experience?

Tony

 

The smartest thing you could do is to convert the headlight system to run off a relay instead of the Extra drain through the switch.

Besides the tech article here on FTE

[link:www.ford-trucks.com/articles/delanty/brighter_lights.html|Whiter Whites...Brighter Brights]

this is what I'm talking about.

[linkwp.clearsource.net/dsigns/james/headlights.htm|Ford Headlight Upgrade]

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>The smartest thing you could do is to convert the headlight
>system to run off a relay instead of the Extra drain through
>the switch.
>

That's a good suggestion for brighter headlights. A motorcycle group I belong too also makes this suggestion to enhance headlight performance. However the problem seems to be in the design of the switch in the dimming circuitry for the dash lights. I'll have to pull it apart again to determine the problem for sure, but I'm thinking that the spiraled wire (reastat?) has broken again after only a few hours of use. Does the headlight voltage go through the spiral wire too? I wouldn't think so, but....??
Tony

 

Probably not BUT, With the design of the switch all that extra heat being generated by the power going through it to the headlights can't be good gfor the switch & its components (like the cluster lights circuit).

When the headlights suffer from flickering> The cluster lights flicker too.
Remember the circuit breaker is built-in to the headlight switch.
Maybe buy a MOTORCRAFT switch instead of aftermarket parts(if that what you did).


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>Maybe buy a MOTORCRAFT switch instead of aftermarket
>parts(if that what you did).

Sometimes that is a good suggestion. Both of my last 2 headlight switches came from Ford. I am ready to try an aftermarket switch this time around. There seems to be alot of sideways play at the point where the switch stem turns on the contact for the dimmer part of the switch. VW (and probably other cars) I think has "A BETTER IDEA" with seperate switches and circuits for headlight activation and dash light dimming. Maybe I'll end up retrofitting something like that in my ford dash.


Thanks for the input. I may try that headlight rewiring also.
Tony

 

The dimmer part of the switch is just a variable resistor to drop the voltage going to the dash lights. Maybe something is connected to cause an extra current drain. The resistor is rated at a certain number of watts. If this rating is exceeded, it will fail. Volts x amps = watts. I have seen very few problems with the dimmers. Usually the sliding contact gets dirty and the dashlighs don't come on.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 19-Oct-02 AT 10:41 PM (EST)]Update,
Well, on a trip to Va I was without dash lights so I went investigating. I found that when I depress the clutch all the way to the floor, the dash light fuse pops. I can depress the clutch partway to activate the clutch safety circuit without incident, but if I push it to the floor, it the fuse pops. I popped 3 fuses confirming this factor to the problem. I checked around for bare/pinched wires and/or wires hiding under the floormat or wires that would contact the clutch pedal. I found one bare wire and taped it, but it didn't look like it was arcing anywhere and it didn't solve the problem. I did a little preliminary investigation on the wiring diagram and found that there is a connection between the clutch safety switch and the dash lights, but today I wasn't able to find the page. Could the clutch switch and the dash lights be on the same fuse and the clutch safety switch shorting itself out? Any similar experiences or help? I havn't been able to find a clutch saftey switch aftermarket and the one Ford dealer I inquired want's $35 for a new switch.

Tony

 

Awesome link Mil1ion! I think I will make that mod when I get back from Mississippi next month. Thanks.

Bill