Light switch mk 1

[willjan]

Help.
Mk1 light switch,My lights went out on the way home from meeting last week,looks like double switch problem,small side and rear ok.Have gained access to the rear of switch,all by feel alone.have nothing to fit small fixing nuts on switch,does anyone know the size,nuts are also reccessed which makes them very difficult to work with.Is it a case of a very tiny box spanner.

Bill.

[James]

They burn out very easily — sometimes you can take them apart and fix them up.

Best to relay your lights to prevent it from happening again.

[willjan]

Hi James.
The lights are already relayed,i think the damage must have been there already.

Bill.

[CAR]

In my experience the same can happen when the switches get dirty inside.
Our estate had a similar problem nearly a year ago. I had relayed the standard sealed beams over a year before this happened and although the switches are totally different (mk2s have a rotary switch on the column) I lost all lights one night, not funny!
I stripped the switch out a few days later and totally drenched it internally with WD-40. Probably some electrical contact cleaner would have been best.
This made no difference at the time, but after leaving it a few days to dry I tried it again, it worked perfectly and has done ever since.

Colin.

[Charles H]

Bill
I think it is a 3/8 AF socket you need. If you take out the cubby box behind the gear lever, it makes it a little easier! There are I think two of the little blighters. Good luck.

[willjan]

Thanks charles,unfotunately socket does not have enough depth to clear the threaded part to locate on the nut.However will try again,and find a way around the problem.

Bill.

[Alec]

Hello Bill,

as you obviously don't have any deep sockets, a trick worth trying is to put the socket on the nut and just insert the lever into the socket. With low torque nuts such as these it's often enough to undo them.

Alec

[CAR]

Just heard from Dad, he has found something that fits.
Charles you were correct with the size, Dad tried a 3/8 socket that was possible 1/4 drive and the hole in the centre would not allow the threaded section to pass through.
Alec's solution was correct too, Dad tried a 1/2 drive 3/8 socket and found that the nut was only hand tight, so he has managed to get the nuts undone and will remove the switch when he is back home later.
The longer socket wasn't a goer, Dad has a deep 3/8 drive socket but unfortunately there isn't room to swing a cat or use a deep socket of that size.

Taking out the cubby box behind the gear lever does give more room, the one on Cecil has been out more times in the last year, than Dad's GT6 (Cruel but true)

Colin

[wild bill]

I know that these switches can burn out if not relayed,but sometimes ,the fact that they are relayed can cause problems after a while.Before relays,the switch made and broke with a load on it which could clean as it arced,where as now it isn't cleaning as there is no load at all! I am finding the same problem with no load solenoids and emergency stop switches at my work.As Colin suggested,maybe a good clean would suffice.Good luck.Bill.

[Dave B]

Lancs group member Colin Windle had exactly this problem on his MK1 a couple of years ago (and he was also on his way home from a club meeting !). It turned out to be a bad earth where the headlights are earthed on the horn fixing bolts on the front panel. Worth a look !