Headlight switch melted

[Guest 88 Reatta restore]

So I was driving my 88 Reatta last night and smelled burning plastic, pulled over and the headlights went out. This morning I pull out the switch and it was melted to the connectors.i was wondering if anyone might know what would have caused this, and how I could fix it.

[Barney Eaton]

The connector shown is "BC" and the melted pins are "1" & "2"

"1" is 12V coming from the fuse box and is hot all the time.

"2" is switched on when the lights are turned on and that circuit goes to the low beam indicator.

I suspect when you open the headlight switch there is damage inside that cause things to heat up and melt the connector. 

Good news is the Riviera used the same headlight switch so if you can find one at the pick-n-pull cut off the connector also in the event your is damaged beyond use.

[DAVES89]

I have extra switches [both the Riviera style that has the extra slider and Reatta] available and extra harness's. You can just use butt connectors to replace that harness. Do not reuse the harness. I did and burned up a second switch. 

 If interested contact me at;

 lemke1044@aol.com

[KDirk]

As Dave said,  once this has happened it also damages the connector on the dash harness. I had this happen on one of my 88's a while back. The connector shell on the mating plug was damaged by the heat, and the insulation  on the wires for the two terminals mentioned above was also visibly discolored. I ended up damaging a second switch because the plug was damaged  (I suspect the internal terminals were not making good contact with the blades on the switch) and it melted the replacement switch as well. I had to replace the plug  and terminals with a good one from a parts car to correct it and avoid further problems.

 

One more thing, if your now melted switch has good buttons  (the legends are clean and undamaged) and good backlighting (the blue light is still bright) Don't  chuck it as those are useful parts. I'd be interested in the old switch to get those parts for rebuilding other switches if you have no other plans for it.

 

 

Edited April 14, 2017 by KDirk (see edit history)

[Guest 88 Reatta restore]

The buttons on switch are bit faded, but the back light is really strong. Thank you guys for the insight it is much appreciated. Still have a lot to learn about this car and cars in general. 

[DAVES89]

Switch sent.

 Remember to cut each lead one at a time and connect them via butt connectors one at a time. If you cut more then one at a time you will at best only blow a fuse. [Ask me how I know!]. There is plenty of room to tuck the wires in so cut your wires close to the plug to give yourself maximum opportunity to trim the wires easily.

[drtidmore]

This is another reason why many of us have gone to the trouble of bypassing all the high current away from the headlight switch.  These switches were the weak link in the exterior light circuit and mid-year on the '90 model, Buick did a running change and installed a relay to carry the headlight current.  Bypassing the headlight current from the switch has been discussed and documented on this forum if you search.  I also have all my own documentation as to what I did on my '89.

[89RedDarkGrey]

This is what I'm installing soon.

 

http://thereattastore.com/h4-100w-ceramic-fused-pnp-heavy-duty-automotive-wiring-harness-headlight-foglight-booster-relay-12v/

 

Very easy install. Some users have complained about the quality and durability of the included relays- which are easily substituted with a superior brand, if you wish.

Edited April 15, 2017 by 89RedDarkGrey (see edit history)

[KDirk]

I'd add that I ultimately added a relay to control the headlamp load on both my 88's (as was eventually done at the factory mid-production in 1990) thereby loading the switch only with the power required by the relay coil.  This was a fairly simple operation, though I never wrote it up to post. I guess I should do that. In any event, it should save my switches from further heat induced damage. I have plenty of extras but don't want to keep trashing switches needlessly; two was enough.

[Ronnie]

9 minutes ago, KDirk said:

I'd add that I ultimately added a relay to control the headlamp load on both my 88's (as was eventually done at the factory mid-production in 1990) thereby loading the switch only with the power required by the relay coil.  This was a fairly simple operation, though I never wrote it up to post. I guess I should do that. In any event, it should save my switches from further heat induced damage. I have plenty of extras but don't want to keep trashing switches needlessly; two was enough.

 

Please post what you did when you get time. I was just looking at the schematics today to figure out how to add the relay. I actually have a rough sketch laying on my desk right now but knowing where to find all the wires would be helpful. You could probably save me a lot of time. I rarely use my headlights but I would like to take the load off the switch when I do.

[DAVES89]

1 hour ago, Useless Grandstander said:

This is what I'm installing soon.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMN30HY?keywords=Octane Lighting H4 100 watt harness&qid=1450090249&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

 

Very easy install. Some users have complained about the quality and durability of the included relays- which are easily substituted with a superior brand, if you wish.

 Both my '89s have that relay harness and I did swap out the relays as you did. The relay harness is in Ronnie's store...

[89RedDarkGrey]

http://thereattastore.com/h4-100w-ceramic-fused-pnp-heavy-duty-automotive-wiring-harness-headlight-foglight-booster-relay-12v/

[handmedownreatta]

my only concern is installing it so that when the headlights rise nothing rubs or snags.

[drtidmore]

34 minutes ago, handmedownreatta said:

my only concern is installing it so that when the headlights rise nothing rubs or snags.

That would be my concern as well.  The OEM connectors were a tight squeeze on door opening and they are right angle connectors.  Has anyone installed this already to verify the clearance and that it does not impact the headlight door functionality.  I ask about the door operation as the Reatta's door control module grounds thru the headlights so anything that isolates the headlights from the module may impact that module.

Edited April 15, 2017 by drtidmore (see edit history)

[DAVES89]

39 minutes ago, handmedownreatta said:

my only concern is installing it so that when the headlights rise nothing rubs or snags.

 

 Then you shouldn't be concerned.  The clearance on the plugs are good.

 The relays are mounted at the two junction boxes near the radiator overflow tank and then one lead goes to the passenger side headlight. The other lead is run under the top plate [I used zip ties to hold the lead in place] covering the radiator/condensor to the drivers side headlight. The headlight plugs in the kit  provided are ceramic.

 The kit is of good quality but the leads are barely long enough.  Also while the relays provided are clear and are neat looking, buy some good quality relays to have on hand. On both relay kits, the low beam relay failed and had to be replaced. I believe I replaced both relays in each kit [I have two kits, one for each 1989 Reatta] after that happened. 

 Remember you are buying the kit for an easy wire in, relays are cheap.

 I had to use the kits because when I installed the Truck Lite LED lights and I turned them off the lights would go out but the pods wouldn't close for some time [2-5 minutes]. That was the only impact on the module. It took awhile to recognize the lights were off and then activated the closing sequence. Now the pods close immediately and the lights go out about 5 seconds later.

Edited April 15, 2017 by DAVES89 (see edit history)

[drtidmore]

Dave,

That is great info for anyone looking to remove the headlight load!  FYI, the issue you ran into with the headlight doors not closing after you swapped to LED headlights is exactly what I was alluding to regarding the headlight door module.  As I mentioned, that module uses the headlight filament as a source to ground when powering down and without that ground the module does not work as designed.  LEDs simply isolate the ground too much.  I figured the relay coils (those effectively are replacing the headlights to the headlight door module, was sufficiently low internal impedance to allow the module to function properly.  

[DAVES89]

David I did an addendum addressing the module recognition of the lights off.

 I sometimes "race" the lights and see if I can get out of the car and watch the lights turn off  with the headlight switch off and the pods in the "down" position. I think its neat to see.

[drtidmore]

One additional thing to consider is that those 12, 2057 taillights present an almost identical load to the headlight switch as the headlights themselves, so to really remove the load on the headlight switch either the tail light bulbs (i.e. not the turn filaments) need to be bypassed or LEDs used.  I chose to go down the LED path as I wanted to remove the heat load on the plastic of the tail light housing, the faster illumination of LEDs and to remove the current load off the aging factory wiring.  A relay set could be done to remove the tail light filaments while retaining the incandescent bulbs

Edited April 15, 2017 by drtidmore (see edit history)

[DAVES89]

I never thought about the taillights through the headlights. So how about leaving the turn signal bulbs as they are with 2057s but replacing the 6 center [non flashing/directional] bulbs with LEDs? Would that still "look" right and how much load savings would there be. I suppose also change the rear 194 bulbs with LEDs as well?

[handmedownreatta]

10 hours ago, 89RedDarkGrey said:

http://thereattastore.com/h4-100w-ceramic-fused-pnp-heavy-duty-automotive-wiring-harness-headlight-foglight-booster-relay-12v/

i actually already have this exact kit.i can't get motivated to try to install it.

Edited April 15, 2017 by handmedownreatta (see edit history)

[drtidmore]

15 minutes ago, DAVES89 said:

I never thought about the taillights through the headlights. So how about leaving the turn signal bulbs as they are with 2057s but replacing the 6 center [non flashing/directional] bulbs with LEDs? Would that still "look" right and how much load savings would there be. I suppose also change the rear 194 bulbs with LEDs as well?

That would remove half of the tail light load but my experience with 1157/2057 LED equivalents is that their output is on par BUT different than the 2057 incandescents.  I did not even consider a relay to remove the current load from the tail lights as I was going the LEDs which have their own set of issues to solve on the 88/89 Reattas.  A relay would need a new source of +12 to power the taillight bulbs which would mean running a fused 10 gauge wire from the engine compartment all the way into the trunk area.  

[DAVES89]

  Has the taillight draw caused any switch issues? I don't remember reading about any.

 I really am reluctant to cut into a wiring harness that one cannot easily see what has been done and why. I did the sequential directional kit and tapped into my rear speakers to add a powered Kicker woofer but these things can be easily seen and restored back to original. Same with the relay harness we have been talking about for the headlights. 

 If the next owner [not likely as I am pretty sure I will be the last owner of both the Red and the 'vert, the Black is destined to one day be a parts car] was to look at the car, I want things to be easily reversed. 

 I'll have to think on that.

 However for the sake of discussion the way to do this is to run a 10 gauge lead install a relay and just tap into the 6 center taillights? what does one tap into in the engine compartment. Then one could also leave the standard bulbs in as the relay is taking the load off the switch, right? This would at least keep everything looking the same in the light. 

[DAVES89]

15 hours ago, drtidmore said:

This is another reason why many of us have gone to the trouble of bypassing all the high current away from the headlight switch.  These switches were the weak link in the exterior light circuit and mid-year on the '90 model, Buick did a running change and installed a relay to carry the headlight current.  Bypassing the headlight current from the switch has been discussed and documented on this forum if you search.  I also have all my own documentation as to what I did on my '89.

 Where abouts did the "running change" happen on the 1990 Reattas? My 'vert is #3406. What do I look for and where?

[Ronnie]

4 minutes ago, DAVES89 said:

 Where abouts did the "running change" happen on the 1990 Reattas? My 'vert is #3406. What do I look for and where?

Sorry for butting in but I thought you might find this helpful.

 

[drtidmore]

2 minutes ago, DAVES89 said:

 Where abouts did the "running change" happen on the 1990 Reattas? My 'vert is #3406. What do I look for and where?

Barney would the one that could likely give us the VIN# where the running change occurred

15 minutes ago, DAVES89 said:

  Has the taillight draw caused any switch issues? I don't remember reading about any.

 

 However for the sake of discussion the way to do this is to run a 10 gauge lead install a relay and just tap into the 6 center taillights? what does one tap into in the engine compartment. Then one could also leave the standard bulbs in as the relay is taking the load off the switch, right? This would at least keep everything looking the same in the light. 

Everyone has blamed the headlights for the headlight switch failure, but it was in fact the combination of the taillights and the headlights.  Remember that the headlight switch was originally designed for the Riv which had fewer tail light bulbs.  Once the headlights are off the switch its life is vastly extended. 

 

If I was doing a relay for the rear bulbs, I would tap into the +12 junction on the passenger side fender area (under the red cover).  I would fuse it close to the point where connected and then run it to the rear.  Once you have power to the trunk, you would need to remove the existing taillight feeds and attach it to the new relay coil (grnd the other side).  Then connect the relay contacts to the new 12volt feed and to the tail lights.  I would have to investigate which side of the car Buick ran the tail light wiring.  I believe that ALL 12 of the 2057 low output filaments are connected in parallel from a single feed, but I would need to verify that Buick did not split them across two feeds in order to use smaller wiring for each feed. 

[DAVES89]

Thanks Ronnie, now I remember about this being posted. I will check on it when I get the 'vert out next week. If it hasn't been done do you suppose Buick will authorize a warranty repair?

[DAVES89]

While we are doing all this switch talk I will state that one should not spray anything into the switch to hopefully clean the contacts. This could lead to shorting in the switch, melting the switch and damaging the harness. 

 If your contacts are bad they are bad. Send the switches off to Jim who maybe can recondition them.

 

[Ronnie]

When I look at the OP's photos it tells me we should all use some Deoxit on the headlight switch connections. The reason I say that is because the problem appears to be a bad connection between the switch and connector pins instead of an internal problem. Resistance from a bad connection can generate that kind of heat under a heavy load. Even though I think it is expensive for what you get, DeOxit is good stuff that can insure a good connection in situations like this. I'm going to use it to clean my headlight switch connections today.

 

 

[drtidmore]

Pulled the FSM and Buick DID split the feeds into two circuits, BUT did so at connector C400 (brown wire) which is in the trunk, passenger side, between the tail and the wheel well (near the power antenna on the coupe).  This would be the place to isolate the lower side filaments from the headlight and insert the relay.  The simplest would be to cut the brown wire going into C400 and then tie the wiper to the tail light wires and the NO contact of the relay to the +12 source.  The feed FROM the body wiring going into C400 needs to be attached to the coil connection of the relay.  (I screwed up on what I originally posted here)

 

 

While I would prefer a new 10 gauge feed from the +12v junction in the engine compartment to feed the tail lights, the power antenna feed in the trunk is fused at 10amps and it hot at all times.  The 12, low side 2057 filaments pull between 3.25 and 3.5amp, so there is a possibility that if the power antenna was laden with ice and then started to retract or extend and the taillights were on, the 10amp circuit might not be adequate. 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2017 by drtidmore (see edit history)

[Ronnie]

18 minutes ago, DAVES89 said:

While we are doing all this switch talk I will state that one should not spray anything into the switch to hopefully clean the contacts. This could lead to shorting in the switch, melting the switch and damaging the harness. 

 If your contacts are bad they are bad. Send the switches off to Jim who maybe can recondition them.

 

 

I think you are correct although when I first came on the forum it was recommended that I use WD-40 to fix a switch with sticking buttons that wouldn't hardly turn off the lights. It worked for me but I guess it was beginner's luck that I didn't have problems. My switch has worked perfectly since then.

[DAVES89]

12 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

 

I think you are correct although when I first came on the forum it was recommended that I use WD-40 to fix a switch with sticking buttons that wouldn't hardly turn off the lights. It worked for me but I guess it was beginner's luck that I didn't have problems. My switch has worked perfectly since then.

 Ronnie you were smart enough to let it dry out. I wasn't. So I burned up two switches which normally doesn't bother me but the one I burned up was a recent replacement by the P.O. and was mint. 

[DAVES89]

16 minutes ago, drtidmore said:

Pulled the FSM and Buick DID split the feeds into two circuits, BUT did so at connector C400 (brown wire) which is in the trunk, passenger side, between the tail and the wheel well (near the power antenna on the coupe).  This would be the place to isolate the lower side filaments from the headlight and insert the relay.  The simplest would be to cut the brown wire going into C400 and then tie the wiper to the tail light wires and the NO contact of the relay to the +12 source.  The feed FROM the body wiring going into C400 needs to be attached to the coil connection of the relay.  (I screwed up on what I originally posted here)

 

 

While I would prefer a new 10 gauge feed from the +12v junction in the engine compartment to feed the tail lights, the power antenna feed in the trunk is fused at 10amps and it hot at all times.  The 12, low side 2057 filaments pull between 3.25 and 3.5amp, so there is a possibility that if the power antenna was laden with ice and then started to retract or extend and the taillights were on, the 10amp circuit might not be adequate. 

 

 

 

[DAVES89]

Thanks for looking that up. It now seems like a doable project that still looks/works like stock and the wires can be traced to a nearby harness. I didn't want to deal with splitting the harness and running leads all over the place. Looks like all I need to start is a relay plug, relay and some 10 gauge wire.

 I'm starting to like this.

 David why don't you go back and edit the post that you say is incorrect? That would limit misinformation if anyone was to do this and stopped at that post.

Edited April 15, 2017 by DAVES89 (see edit history)

[drtidmore]

Yea, this would be a pretty simple, visually obvious to future owners, mod.  If you pickup the +12 power from the power antenna relay it would be even simpler.  By cutting into the brown wire leading into C400, you avoid having to deal with the two feeds to the actual tail light bulbs as Buick did the split on the mating connector to C400 (i.e. the harness that goes thru the rear wall of the trunk and contains all the actual bulb sockets).

FYI, I chose 10 gauge wire considering that you would be running all the way from the front of the car and 10 gauge wire will not suffer any voltage drop over that length of run.  It is likely a bit of overkill as per the American wire gauge table, 14 gauge would only suffer .3v of drop on a run from the front of the car while delivering 4 amps of current.  14 gauge would be easier to work with and again, you are not likely to see any difference. 

[Ronnie]

I have these on order to do the '90 headlight relay upgrade on my '88. I may use one of them to do the taillights the way you describe at the same time. I have the taillights burning anytime I'm driving while I only use the headlights occasionally.

[DAVES89]

I have three Reattas and think each taillight should have this set up. And if the 'vert doesn't have the relay upgrade I would need on there. So that would be 4 out of the 5 needed. Pretty good deal. Thanks Ronnie!  And David as well for a great "How To" write up.

[89RedDarkGrey]

Would it be possible to use that relay-harness headlight kit for the taillight module, just for the taillights and 2 markers on corners?

[drtidmore]

5 hours ago, 89RedDarkGrey said:

Would it be possible to use that relay-harness headlight kit for the taillight module, just for the taillights and 2 markers on corners?

 You ONLY need one relay and the relay harness is designed for low/high beam headlights so it has two relays and sockets to make it plug and play.  You would actually be cutting it apart for parts.  A high quality relay and socket is less expensive.

[drtidmore]

On 4/15/2017 at 0:00 PM, DAVES89 said:

And David as well for a great "How To" write up.

Happy to have contributed to an easy way to get the tail light 2057 bulbs off the headlight switch.