panel Switch

[Aaron]

I am in the middle of re-wiring my '48 B1B and have found that my panel switch is on the fritz. I have attached a picture of it.

Does anyone know where a similar replacemant can be found. Tried NAPA and they have nothing.

[Reg Evans]

Have you tried flooding the inside with some electrical contact cleaner and clicking it on and off a bunch of times. I've had sucess with that a few times.

[JBNeal]

I went so far as carefully prying the tabs open and cleaning the innerds real good with rubbing alcohol, let air dry, then coated with the dielectric grease and put back together...did the same thing with the headlight switch.

If'n that don't work, you can always bypass this switch & wire directly to the headlight switch...that way, when ya hit the headlights, the panel lights fire up too, just like in modern automobiles.

[Aaron]

I thought about flooding it with an electrical cleaner, but just didn't do it. I will give that a try. Good suggestions...

[Merle Coggins]

I opened up my switches and cleaned/lubed them. They work good now but I notice that if I pull the Panel switch all the way out it doesn't work. I have to push it back in slightly to get the lights to come on.

I often wonder why there's a switch to turn the panel lights on and off. The headlight switch has to be on before the panel lights will work anyway. Why would I need to turn the panel lights off if I need the head lights on? I've been debating jumpering the wires together on the same post so that I don't have to mess with that switch anymore.

Merle

[Young Ed]

Merle you can get the switch to the proper position and just leave it. As you said the headlight switch overrides it.

[Merle Coggins]

Merle you can get the switch to the proper position and just leave it. As you said the headlight switch overrides it.

That's what I do. But then someone will comment that I left a switch on, so I'll push it back in until the next time I need lights.

Merle

[MBF]

I think this was an idea that Chrysler had going back to the 30's maybe earlier. In my 36 Plym, and my Dad's 35 Chrysler there is a 3 position switch on the left side of the steering column and under the dash of all places to turn the dash lights off, dim, and bright. Maybe a good reliable reostat was made at that time (I'm just guessing here) and to avoid glare-like the dash lights are bright enough to cause a glare anyway-they added the switch so that the dash lights didn't have to be on whenever the parking or headlights were on. I did just what the others said-opened up the switches, cleaned and lubed the contacts and put 'em back together. I guess every 50 yrs these need lubrication to work properly. I did mine about 10 yrs ago so I should be good for another 40! Mike

[Dave72dt]

Universal headlight switches are usually a 3 position push pull type. Knobs screw on and you'd only have to use one set of contacts. Some even have a fuse built into it for a little extra safety.

[mikesinky]

I am in the middle of re-wiring my '48 B1B and have found that my panel switch is on the fritz. I have attached a picture of it.

Does anyone know where a similar replacemant can be found. Tried NAPA and they have nothing.

like merle and i think young ed said the headlight switch has to be on to get the panel switch to work. but if the switch is bad here is what i did. one of the tabs were broke off of mine so i bought a switch from vintage power wagons. the knob would nt fit the new switch so i took the back off and replaced what i needed with the insides of the new one. this way my knob fits and the switch works good. it worked well for me i think the switch was like 30.00 but i cant reallly remember.

[HanksB3B]

I couldn't get my headlight switch to operate. I installed a spare one that must have been from a car because it had a rheostat dimmer. It didn't take the chrome eschuteon so I wanted to get my original to work. I took it to an Auto Electric shop. They sandblasted the switch with what must be a very fine sand. On the outside the switch looked new, the contacts bright copper. They asked me if I wanted to open the switch up, but I said before we do that lets test it. It tested perfectly. I was scared that the tabs would break. Not saying sandblasting will help your switch but I would give it a try, if it didn't work, then open it and sandblast the inside. That would be my suggestion. But it has to be very fine sand. I'm think this would be routine for most Auto Electric shops.

Hope for success!

Hank

[Aaron]

Flooded the switch with electrical terminal cleaner and works like a charm now. Thanks!

[HanksB3B]

"Electrical Terminal Cleaner" is there a brand name?

Thanks,

Hank

Edited March 28, 2010 by HanksB3B

[Aaron]

You can buy terminal or contact cleaner for electrical parts at any auto parts store or fleet farm center. Comes in a spray can and labeled for electrical parts.