Combo Switch

[87DXTypeR]

Can anyone tell me what exactly fails in a combo switch that causes the low beams not to work, I have completely disassembled one and cleaned the contacts thoroughly, they had some slight discoloration but after cleaning them they are fine now, none of the soldered wires on the back of the unit are burnt but the low beams still do not work, I cannot see anything on the actual switch that has failed that would cause this. The fuses are fine and the brights work so I know that the harnesses are fine.

I have searched this and I know that there are tons of posts on this but nothing about what actually fails in the switch to cause this. I have two switches now and both do not work with low beams. Is there anything else that might fail.

[Blkblurr]

I guy I know had the wires break that power the low beams. These are high stress pojnts for the wiring harness so you need to check them. The low beams have a separate hot wire from the high beams.

[87DXTypeR]

All the wires seem fine, solder joints seem in good shape. Is that the only thing that fails that would cause this?

[Blkblurr]

There is another switch in the combo switch assembly. It's the one that gets tripped when you use the passing light lever. I think this is a closed switch and has most likely failed. As a test jump around the leads that are used for low beams. You may need a volt meter to figure out which ones. The switch must reclose to turn the low beams back on. Hope this makes sense. I don't have manual in front of me so I can't tell you the wire colors. The switch has a power lead or common, a lead for the low beams and a lead for the high beams. power should switch between the low beam and the high beam lead when you pull back on the combo switch lever.

[smufguy]

well two weeks back mine just broke inside. so i just put a toggle switch where the roof switch was. it was from radio shack. its a 10amp full steel body switch with 6 pointers. with up and down three way switch with the middle being off. Ill take pics of it and the back of it. I basically ran three wires to the switch and spliced off the I and II stages on the switch cause i still wanted to use the high beams atleast to flash people. And the power input for the toggle switch is from the single outlet on the dash fuse box.

by the way, this is the second combo switch that broke on me.

[87DXTypeR]

well two weeks back mine just broke inside. so i just put a toggle switch where the roof switch was. it was from radio shack. its a 10amp full steel body switch with 6 pointers. with up and down three way switch with the middle being off. Ill take pics of it and the back of it. I basically ran three wires to the switch and spliced off the I and II stages on the switch cause i still wanted to use the high beams atleast to flash people. And the power input for the toggle switch is from the single outlet on the dash fuse box.

by the way, this is the second combo switch that broke on me.


Yeah if you could get some pics of that setup it would be great.

[Blkblurr]

Yeah if you could get some pics of that setup it would be great.
Do you have yours apart?

[87DXTypeR]

Do you have yours apart?


Yes I have mine apart.

[Blkblurr]

Yes I have mine apart.
Take some pics of the switches the lever operates and I or someone else can guide you on what to check, replace or jump around.