Sprint Pod Switches

[l10tus]

Perhaps someone has had a similar experience and may be able to advise please ?

The Headlight Pod (courtesy light ) switches have been replaced as a matter of course during my rebuild, however they do not operate when the pod's are lowered - the switchprobe seem to be too short ( by 5 or 6mm), and dosn't meet the contact point(s) on the wing(s).

The switches are pretty much exactly the same as the original ones, so:-

Are there special 'extra - length' switches available?
Is packing under the swich mounting / pop-rivet, recommended?
or do I add, a 'raised portion' to the contact point under the wing? (fibreglass?)
Any other suggestions/answer ?

Many thanks in anticipation;

Phil.T.
'72 Sprint NWU 7K DHC

[oldelanman]

Hi Phil,
First I would check that the pod stop bolt is correctly adjusted so the pod is correctly aligned with the body when down, if the pod is not fully lowering that could be your problem.
If that's OK then I would think packing under the switch is the simplest solution. My door switches have a number of fibre packers which I'm pretty sure are original, I doubt you can get them now but simple to make something up. If you were to build up the fibreglass under the wing it would be more difficult to "adjust" if ever you have to replace the switch again and get one of a different length.

Fibre packing pieces under switch

I replaced my headlamp switches with microswitches mounted on brackets on the pod stop screws, these switches are cheap, readily available and easy to adjust.

[fatboyoz]

Phil,
My S4 has the same fibrous packing under the pod switches as Roger. Better to have these than something permanent.
Colin.

Perhaps someone has had a similar experience and may be able to advise please ?

The Headlight Pod (courtesy light ) switches have been replaced as a matter of course during my rebuild, however they do not operate when the pod's are lowered - the switchprobe seem to be too short ( by 5 or 6mm), and dosn't meet the contact point(s) on the wing(s).

The switches are pretty much exactly the same as the original ones, so:-

Are there special 'extra - length' switches available?
Is packing under the swich mounting / pop-rivet, recommended?
or do I add, a 'raised portion' to the contact point under the wing? (fibreglass?)
Any other suggestions/answer ?

Many thanks in anticipation;

Phil.T.
'72 Sprint NWU 7K DHC

[john.p.clegg]

Roger
Are those micro-switches rated at 1 Amp ?

John

[oldelanman]

Roger
Are those micro-switches rated at 1 Amp ?

John

They are actually rated at 12amps at 250Vac so should be OK for the 0.65amps at 12volts that the relay draws.

[ricarbo]

When i got my Sprint, i thought the original system was a bit rubbish as it is not protected from getting wet and a courtesy light switch will suffer from corrosion/poor contact over time. Also, the courtesy light switch is always flexing the connecting flex. Not being fanatical about preserving originality if i think it is inherently unreliable, i replaced it with a magnet and reed relay in a glass envelope (magnet epoxied to the headlight pod, reed relay to the body). Unfortunately, the small reed relay can't pass enough current, so i had to make a small transistor amplifier (1 resistor and a small transistor, if i remember right) on a scrap of stripboard, in a small plastic box to keep it dry.
I suppose modern day courtesy light switches which have rubber boots to keep them dry and no flexing wires would be pretty good and could drive the relays without any electronics.
Anyway, that's what i did, if it's of any interest.
Richard

[l10tus]

Many thanks for the answers, plenty of choice there!

Regds,

l10tus