Headlight Problem Revisited

Hi guys,

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, our internet access was removed at work (some of the adult children employed there were caught chatting on MySpace while talking to customers on the phone, complete idiots, I now spend hours sitting with my eyes closed just trying to stay awake between calls). Anyway, while making my dash all one color I decided to take care of of the nasty charred headlight wire. I think the biggest problem is the size of the copper terminal that the wire is plugged into. I do find it interesting that the daytime running lights connection does not have the same problem. -- I know they are supposed to be running at 80% brightness but I don't buy it as I can see no difference when they are switched back and forth while I watch them.-- I believe I have come up with a solution to the problem that entails opening the fuse block and separating the headlight connection to it's own terminal. It's a little tricky, but if it holds up with no evidence of overheating, I may go pick up a couple of fuse blocks from the junk yard and sell them already modified, on an exchange basis. All you would have to be able to do is remove your fuse block, cut the headlight wire from the terminal, crimp a terminal I would provide, and install the new fuse block. Let me know if this is something that interests you and once I get moved home to Washington (thank God I am finally getting out of the Texas heat)I'll try to make at least a couple available.

PS I am coming to get you Doc, or at least I'm going to live closer!!

I went to the pick'n'pull yesterday and gotta way with a couple arm loads of stuff for my metro. (How can I say no to half price!?) I pulled a fuse cluster from an old sprint or somethin like that (I picked the cleanest one I could find). I switched out my bad one, as well as the wiring harness (burnt headlight wire).

Here's a pic of the one that I took out of my car. Hopefully this will shed some light on what is happening.

Jai

http://www.hi5.com/friend/photoshare/displayPhotoHi5User.do?albumId=706843&ownerId=67936137&currentIndex=0

P.S. There's got to be an easier way to do this.

gotta love the junk yard. the problem with doing the fix that way is we know the design has a flaw and eventually your new fuse block will look like your old one. I believe I have a workable fix by accessing the headlight power line while it is still a wider peice of copper. It is not a simple modification for most people to do so the easiest solution would be to purchase a modified fuse block and swap it out with your original. By the way I recommend pulling out the drivers seat to access the fuse block or anything else under the dash. It's all 12 mm bolts and pretty straightforward to get out.

Good Luck Jai

Thanks Jon,

I knew that this was a band aid solution, but that frickin' terminal was not conducting anymore, and I needed a now kinda solution. Are you going to post pics for this, or will you just send the modified terminal to anybody who needs it. Personally, I hate ordering from the states because of all the things that can go wrong when packages cross the border.

By the way, I also nabbed an instrument cluster with a tach this weekend! MAybe I will send it to you for detailing. Gotta figure out costs for this first, as I am pretty tight for money lately. How far north in Washington are you moving? I am planning a summer road trip to Vancouver, BC in July. Maybe we can do this in person.

Jai

I was thinking of offering them for 50.00 with exchange. Not trying to rip anyone off just trying to cover the cost of picking them up, altering them, and absorbing the cost of the ones that break. I'll be shipping by UPS as we are through trying to send the more valuable items by parcel post. That way it will be insured and you'll have a tracking # to see where the item is. I'll ship the cluster back to you the same way if you decide to have me do it. If you want to try to fix the original fuse block you have, I'll PM the process to you and you can try to repair the one you took out. Just keep me posted. I am moving to Longview Washington, just across the Washington, Oregon border, so all the way at the other end. I understand the money thing, been living that for way too long. I am hoping the new start in my old home town will turn my fortunes around.

Take it easy,
Jon