| Author | Message | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 714 Registered: 5-2001 |
Doc, You've got eMAIL w/the tips. | ||
| Bill V (Doc)
Member Username: Doc Post Number: 312 Registered: 9-2001 |
Verell--mine turned out to be the wires. Each was dc'd from the copper contact piece. I soldered them back on and , voila, everything is in order again. Thanks for all of your assistance--you too, DJ ! | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 704 Registered: 5-2001 |
The base of each prong should have a wire attached to it via a rivit holding a ring connector crimped onto a wire. Sounds like you've got wires broken off. Try to open the crip up with an awl & re-crimp, If that doesn't work, then tack solder the wire onto the end of the crimp. Just be very careful to not heat the rivit up enough so that the plastic melts. The two prongs form a switch. Inside the twist knob is a rectangular tab that sits between the ends of the prongs. When the tab is longways between the prongs, the switch contacts are open, when it's shortwise between the tabs, the contacts are closed. | ||
| Bill V (Doc)
Member Username: Doc Post Number: 311 Registered: 9-2001 |
Well, I got the plastic end off of the headlight stalk and, as far as I can acertain, it looks OK inside ( ie no apparent broken pieces). Also, the good news is that everything works perfectly when I contact the 2 wires to the copper , pronged base. Question--I noticed that both the ground and live wires were not attached to the copper base--ie both are loose and therefore need to be brought into contact by the plastic swivel. Is this the way it's supposed to be or, should one or the other be soldered to the copper prong? If one is supposed to be permanently attached, I think I found a quick fix. DJ--were both of your wires loose or was one attached? | ||
| Bill V (Doc)
Member Username: Doc Post Number: 310 Registered: 9-2001 |
As soon as I get the piece off and determine the problem, I'll be in touch, Verell. As always, thanks so much. DJ--let me know how your switch works out --and thank you too. | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 695 Registered: 5-2001 |
Bill, I expect to have headlight stalk knobs in a couple of weeks. $55 including shipping. CAVEAT: Some switches use a slightly different contact mechanism. Make sure yours matches the one in DJ's photo. I can make the other type, but it may take an additional week or two to make the molds. Send your eMAIL order to: [email protected] & Include the URL for this thread. re:"replacing the whole unit" If more is broken, keep all the bits & pieces. If I can repair a headlight stalk, & most other pieces of the switch. If I have the pieces, I can make a mold & cast a new contact holder on the end. | ||
| Bill V (Doc)
Member Username: Doc Post Number: 309 Registered: 9-2001 |
Thanks for the tip, Verell--I'll be very careful! Re: your remanufactured piece, approx how long before you think you'll have one ready and approx what price will you be asking? Hopefully that's all that's wrong with mine. I don't relish the thought of replacing the whole unit at those insane prices. | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 694 Registered: 5-2001 |
Bill, CAUTION:When removing the headlight stalk twist knob, go slow & careful, with a cloth wrapped around the base of the knob. It's very easy to loose the small spring & ball that's in the side of the contact ass'y at the end of the headlight stalk. (The spring & ball are provide the 'click into place' feel when the knob is rotated. The twist knob is holding the spring compressed so when the knob is removed the spring loves to elope with the ball to parts unknown. re:"do you plan on making more than one" Well, after all, the 2nd word in my company name is 'Supply'. How many would you like? | ||
| Bill V (Doc)
Member Username: Doc Post Number: 308 Registered: 9-2001 |
Thanks, again, DJ. "The piece at the base of the knob"--is that that small black collar and to pull it out, I assume you mean to pull it away from the knob down the shaft toward the steering column? Verell--I'm not absolutely sure yet, but ( I think you can see where this is going), I may also need that swivel knob. If so, do you plan on making more than one? | ||
| DJ Geck (Djgecko)
New member Username: Djgecko Post Number: 13 Registered: 4-2003 |
Doc: In order to get the knob itself off, there is a piece at the base of the knob which should just pull out. It has some flanges on it that make it snap into the base of the knob. Once that is done, the knob should just be able to be pulled off gently and you will see the two metal connection tips and the wires that are sautered. There will also be a small bearing and spring in a hole close to where the wires are sautered. There is another thread posted on 5/1 that has a picture of the stalk without the knob on it, but here it is again just in case.  Verell is making me a new knob from a mold he will be making out of the original one. Contact him and see what he says. The cost will be much, much less than to replace the whole stalk. And yes, I love the Grigio color.  DJ | ||
| Bill V (Doc)
Member Username: Doc Post Number: 307 Registered: 9-2001 |
Thank you. Those threads are helpful. I do still have a basic Q though--how does the plastic swivel knob come off? I gather from what was said in the previous posts that the problem tends to be a broken piece of plastic inside of the knob.If so, I hope to be able to repair it. Do you have any idea what the cost is for the swivel knob only , ie not the entire switch ? DJ--very nice car! That color really really accentuates the lines of a 308 imo. | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member Username: Verell Post Number: 677 Registered: 5-2001 |
This discussion has proceeded in this thread: http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/112/240602.html?1051736433 Let's tie this thread off. | ||
| mike 308 (Concorde)
Junior Member Username: Concorde Post Number: 174 Registered: 8-2002 |
Check out this thread and contact Verell about a rebuild for a lot less expense. | ||
| DJ Geck (Djgecko)
New member Username: Djgecko Post Number: 1 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi, I'm hoping that someone here can help me. I just got off the phone with a gentleman at T. Rutland's in Georgia who told me that it would cost me $750 to have my headlight switch rebuilt. Well......I have the plastic cap that goes on the end of the lever, the ball bearing and the spring that goes inside this cap. Can anyone here give me any information on how to get this back together? A "friend" of mine decided to figure out why the headlights kept staying up and decided to take the cap off for me  So.....now I have the lever with the end exposed. The lever itself is intact with no problems at the steering column, it's just the cap on the end that needs replacing. Any help or suggestions would be wonderful! DJGeck |