Instructions for fixing a headlight switch | Page 4 | FerrariChat

Instructions for fixing a headlight switch

Discussion in '308/328' started by maddash, Sep 13, 2009.

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  1. redqv

    redqv Karting
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 26, 2015
    127
    Almost Oregon, California
    Full Name:
    Ron Stevens
    #76 redqv, Aug 28, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
    FChat is the Best! We were leaving the restaurant after dinner the other night, it was just turning dark, turned the car on and no headlights. They were doing all the things mentioned above, going up and coming back down immediately, one up then down. Only 2 miles from home, hell we'll just put the blinkers on and try and make it. We are lucky to live in a rural, unpopulated area. So we got half way home and after being "Lit Up" by the sheriff, he was nice enough to follow us home with his high beams on. So the first thing I did was check FerrariChat and found this thread. My loose wire was of course on the bottom, hard to solder when your old and can't see, but I made it happen and BINGO. They work. One bit of advice, make sure your put the knob all the way on. I did not push in the collar the first time thinking I would check to see if they were fixed and they didn't work, and yes the ball bearing is very hard to find.
     
  2. TonyMorristown

    Jul 14, 2018
    3
    Full Name:
    Tony Dwones
    Fchat is awesome! My 1981 308 GTSi headlights stopped coming up - or doing anything. The relays didn't click. I wasted hours chasing through the wiring looking for a break.

    After I found this thread and followed the instructions (the baggie is a darned good idea!) I found the underside connection had broken clean off. Solder had no connection to the copper of the switch. I had to clean the surface and tin it with solder, then held the wire in place with some needle-nose pliers and touched the soldering iron on for a second or two. Nice shiny hot joint. 10 minute job! Should be good for 38 more years. It's a little tricky getting the switch handle to slide back over the ball and spring. Again, the clear plastic baggie is a life saver.

    Thanks to all who went before and shared the lessons :)
     
  3. Dahlquist

    Dahlquist Rookie

    Aug 10, 2014
    9
    Hässelby, Sweden
    Full Name:
    Håkan Dahlquist
    Hi,

    Many tanks to FerrariChat, this thread and to you Verell. The head light didn't work suddenly last Friday and I've spend the weekend with checking relays and studying the wire diagram. The help came from this thread where the loose soldering of the green wire was the cause. Thanks again and maybe my problems and threads during the years could be of help to somebody else. Best regards, Håkan Dahlquist, Stockholm, Sweden.
     
  4. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 28, 2005
    4,119
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Full Name:
    Gordon
    Score another point for this thread - my headlight switch started acting up last fall, and I just got around to fixing it yesterday. Thank you Fchat!

    Only a couple of comments to add
    • Starting out - disconnect the ground switch under the hood - then there's no concern about power going through the switch while you're working on it.
    • I used a baggie when pulling off the switch casing... but nothing popped out. It seems that whoever worked on the headlight switch the last time didn't know the baggie trick, and when the ball bearing disappeared into oblivion they didn't bother sourcing a replacement. :mad: (At least the spring was present)
    • Regarding the assembly position, as discussed in the initial post and reiterated in Verell's post:
    • When the switch is in the OFF position, the plastic oblong at the outer end of the casing is holding the spring contacts open, ie apart. When the switch is in the ON position, the oblong is rotated to allow the spring contacts to close, and the oblong is not holding any pressure on the spring contacts. After examining the disassembled switch, it seemed that assembly is far easier (and much less likely to damage the spring contacts) by assembling in the ON position, where the oblong just sits nicely between the ends of the spring contacts. If assembly was done in the OFF position, the oblong would have to force the contacts apart while the casing is being pressed back on to the switch arm. It just seems, logically, that the potential for damage is when the switch is being assembled in the OFF position.
    • My recommendation - look closely to see what the alignment of the oblong at the outer end of the casing will be vs. the spring contacts. Assemble in the position where the oblong does not have to be forcing the contacts apart. For my Euro 308 QV, this was the ON position.
    • I used a standard BB as a replacement for the ball bearing - the bottle of 1,000 said they were 4.5mm, 0.177". Perfect fit!
    Cheers,
    Gordon
     
  5. robert2428

    robert2428 Rookie

    Apr 18, 2023
    1
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Full Name:
    Robert John LaPenna
    My 1983 308 headlights flip up and down off and on wildly even with gentle manipulation. Ferrari dealer said it was a common problem and suggested the entire steering column levers and wires be removed and sent in for rebuild. Two month down time and approximately $6000 cost. This was recommended by an older mechanic who specialized in vintage Ferraris and seemed very knowledgeable. Turned to FERRARICHAT and read multiple possible options. I pulled off the stalk head and re soldered the bottom wire to the copper clip. It took 10 minutes and a penny of solder. Problem 100% solved!! Bob in Kalamazoo
     
    MFlanagan, bitsobrits and afterburner like this.
  6. Alden

    Alden F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 25, 2010
    2,903
    Central Florida
    This fix also works for the wiper stalk, if you're not getting multi-speed wipers like I was on my 3.2 Mondial, it's the same broken wires in that stalk on the right side of the steering wheel, same repair, same results, everything works again!
     

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