TIP: Fix those doorjam switches // no dome light...

[Intuit]

How to *permanently* repair door jam switches...

'94 LX ~238k

Ever open up the door and find that the dome light won't come on ? Do you have to play with the door jam switch to get the dome light to activate ? Have you cleaned it up only to run into the same problem again within a number of months ?

NUTSHELL: The permanent solution is to securely attach a ball of solder to the mating contact surfaces for the switch.


Tools needed:
Good 40W soldering iron.
Good quality Radioshack Silver Bearing Solder.
Phillips Head screw driver.
Good Metal File Tool
Four large Paper Clamps
Needle nosed vice grips.
Roughly 30 minutes to do all four (or two in some cases) door jam switches.

1) Use the phillips screwdriver to remove each doorjam switch.
2) Pull enough wire out to securely attach the paper clamp then disconnect wire harness from switch. WARNING: It is super important that you not allow the wire to fall back into the hole.
3) Use the metal file tool or flathead screwdriver to clean the four contact surfaces to a nice copper-colored finish. With exception to the stem, doesn't matter if you file down the plastic to get at the metal surfaces.
4) Secure your switch in the circuit open position in preparation for soldering. (vice grips)
5) Being very careful not to melt or distort the plastics, use the tinned soldering iron to heat directly adjacent to one of the four mating surfaces then apply solder. Repeat the remaining three allowing adequate time for cooling so as to avoid distorting, damaging or melting the plastics. Note that Cold solder joints will break.
6) Reinstall switches in reverse of removal.

In the end, you should have two sturdy solder balls on either side of the stem, plus the grounding pad on the base coated with solder. It may also be necessary to clean the part of the metal base that makes contact with the mounting screw. This is how the switch grounds itself for proper operation. Poor contact at the screw will also result in malfunction.

[zzyzzx2]

Pics?

[Intuit]

I'll fetch some. Check back in a week.

[Intuit]

Been a bit more than a week, but here are those pictures you asked for...

http://img9.imageshack.us/g/automoti...ms09y11m2.jpg/

One thing I obviously forgot to mention was that I soldered a wire to the surface of the contact ring. (shown in the photo)