Oliver Buhler (O.Buhler@damtp.cam.ac.uk) writes:
> With the annual inspection looming, the non-working Hazard lights
> on my british Spitfire 1500 (1978, never left the country) now need
> attention.
> I bought a new switch (the one that's coming out of the dashboard)
> and plugged it in, but still no hazard lights. The regular
> left--right indicators work fine. Only additional clue: when one
> indicator is on and I pull the hazard light switch, then the
> indicator stops flashing.
I think Bob Sykes (S1500@aol.com) hit the nail on the head when he
responded:
> This is not uncommon, especially if the switch is not exercised
> regularly. Working it back and forth (on and off) a few times
> usually restores operation.
> This is strange I've never known anything else to cause this problem.
The multiple exposed contacts in the hazard switch oxidize quickly
and easily, leading to the problem as stated (hazard lights will
not engage when the switch is pulled, but turn signals stop flashing
if they had been turned on).
If a switch is not used regularly, the contacts inside will oxidize
and fail to make electrical contact. This can even be the case
with a new switch, especially if it is NOS, and has been sitting
idle in a box for many years.
If actuating the switch several times doesn't clear up the problem,
stronger measures are called for. The solution is pretty simple,
relatively cheap, and doesn't require removal of the switch from
the dash.
Go to a local electronics DIY place (someplace like Radio Shack
will do--are there Radio Shack stores in the UK?) and buy a can
of electrical contact spray cleaner. Get the variety that *does
not* include a lubricant. Contact cleaner usually comes with a
long thin red tube that fits to the spray nozzle. Affix this
tube to the nozzle, snake it under the back of the dash, and spray
the hazard switch liberally with contact cleaner while working
the switch.
If the switch is badly oxidized, it may require a repeat treatment
right away, or again in the near future. Once you have cleaned
the contacts, make it a practice to work the switch once every week
in order to keep the contacts from building up an oxidized layer.
Good luck!
--John Hazelton
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1980 Spitfire (R.I.P.)
1979 Spitfire
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