At 08:53 2/7/2005, Greenamyer, William L wrote:
>(backup lights on when the ignition was turned on).  Finally found that if
>I pushed in on the top contact, I had the short and if I pulled out a
>little on the contact after pushing the wire on, the short went away and
>the switch operated normally.  Is this characteristic of the switch
>failure mode?

That would be the one where a high-resistance contact melted the plastic
housing that retains the contacts in place.  I'm going to hazard a guess
that the switch had an aluminum body.

Both the switches I've dismantled (one aluminum and one brass, one each
from '84 and '85) were thoroughly ruined by overheating (aluminum body) or
corrosion (brass body).  In both of them the rubber diaphragm that
separates the switching bits from the transmission environment was
perished; but in at least the excellent-looking brass one there must have
been environmental leakage from outside as well.

david

--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage," '85 GL "Poor Relation"

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