what goes bad on a 1989 headlight switch?

[handmedownreatta]

since the 1990 switch is being discussed i was wondering what goes wrong on the 89 switches?do the contacts burn or does the plastic break?im wondering if adding a relay will prolong the life of my switch.

[Jim]

Unlike the '90-91 switches the '88-89s are a complicated arrangement of sliders and contacts, some hidden contacts.

There is more current flow through the '88-89 contacts and as a result they can and do get pitted and can cause the wires behind the switch to melt. I have seen this a couple of times and also have sent wiring connectors to several folks who experienced the wiring problem. I am not going to say it never happens on the '90-91 switches but I have never personally seen that happen or have never had anyone ask me for connectors and wiring for those years.

Adding a relay will not help, you simply need a good switch. Because these switches were so complicated and prone to contact failure GM redesigned them for '90.

I also repair the '88-89 switches for $ 65 exchange and guarantee them to be good.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Jim (see edit history)

[DAVES89]

$65.00 for a rebuild with a core exchange?

I didn't know you rebuilt the '88/89 switches.

I'm gonna stop giving away my cores and get them rebuilt...

Jim, I'll trade you a good wiper switch for a letter "I" as I need to complete my second set. Email me if interested.

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

I have had times when the cruise control switch on/off on my white 1989 would not stay on.

I think thats on the bottom of headlight switch (have not driven the car since September).

Anybody else have that? Overheating?

Tom

[Guest Mc_Reatta]

Adding a relay would help alleviate the stress on the contacts inside the switch and would definitely be recommended for those folks who want to run higher wattage headlamps. This will not fix any damage that the contacts have already suffered, so it won't fix a current problem if there is one. Only cleaning, burnishing or replacing them will.

What I find is the most common failure of the 80s switches is that the nylon wedges used to operate the internal sliders wear, especially the one for the Off button. This results in increased difficulty in turning the headlights off. This is why the Off buttons on many switches have suffered greater wear than the other buttons.

A word of caution if messing around inside your switch, the is a lot of exposed metal inside the switch that carries current. Adding anything metallic or any other conductive item inside the switch or a loose item can short out the circuits. And since the headlight circuit is on a breaker and not a fuse, vast amounts of current can be drawn into the switch which overloads the wires and contacts in the connectors causing the overheating that melts the plastic, insulation etc.

I expect that age, heat, and usage all result in the degradation of the electroluminescent panels. But they seem to keep on going and going just like the energizer bunny. I expect a new panel would be much brighter than a 25 year old one with the same inverter, but the loss of brightness is so gradual that we don't notice it. When a switch is replaced, you suddenly see difference and find one switch is much brighter than another.

[handmedownreatta]

[quote name=Mc_Reatta;994678

What I find is the most common failure of the 80s switches is that the nylon wedges used to operate the internal sliders wear' date=' especially the one for the Off button. This results in increased difficulty in turning the headlights off. This is why the Off buttons on many switches have suffered greater wear than the other buttons.

that was what was wrong with the switch that was in the car when i got it.i lucked up on a much better switch from a riv.im going to add a relay to try to make this switch last.