General Headlights

[pete1nlancs]

Does anyone know where i can get a better quality headlight switch from?? I got one from Horners Fiat and its done the same as my old one. Melted around the terminals due to me putting halogen headlight bulbs in.

Thanx

Pete

Pete
K&N Induction Kit On A Panda?? Never!!!
P.S: The new Fiat Panda was shown on Top Gear tonight and got a good review. Nice looking car too.

 

[John H]

Perhaps it's worth getting the same switch again, but use it to power a pair of relays behind one of the headlight units (drivers side?), and run substantial cable from the battery (via a suitable fuse) to them and power the headlights (dip and main beam ) from their own separate relay.

That way all the cable and switches associated with the headlamps will be under run, and should last a while..


Regards


John H

 

[Enzo]

Originally posted by pete1nlancs
Does anyone know where i can get a better quality headlight switch from?? I got one from Horners Fiat and its done the same as my old one. Melted around the terminals due to me putting halogen headlight bulbs in.

Thanx

P.S: The new Fiat Panda was shown on Top Gear tonight and got a good review. Nice looking car too.

Which power do your lamps have?I used two halogen bulbs of 55/50W (Philips)on my Panda and never had problems with the stock switch!Maybe your switch are not good quality ones, even if bought from Fiat dealers!?

 

[steveyensen]

I've had no problems either with the standard halogen bulbs. It's possible you have the higher wattage ones for use off-road. I was under the impression that those would fail the MOT if fitted ...

Steve "2 Pandas" Yensen - the white-haired lunatic and beagle fanatic ...

Rugby is a game played by men with odd-shaped balls

 

[Pete]

Over the years, I have had three of these switches fail. I have never used up-rated bulbs, so I presume that the problem is in the manufacturing quality/design of the switch itself. If anyone knows different, I would be interested to hear of it.
Rgds, Pete.

 

[dave]

Ive got a switch here it would fit a hole about 10mm, its mainly all metal has three spade connectors on it you rotate the knob to turn it on has two clicks, i think it could be made to fit a panda. thing is im not sure but i think it came off a triumph dolomite.

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[John H]

Originally posted by Pete
Over the years, I have had three of these switches fail. I have never used up-rated bulbs, so I presume that the problem is in the manufacturing quality/design of the switch itself. If anyone knows different, I would be interested to hear of it.
Rgds, Pete.

That being the case.. the following is all hypothetical/guesswork:

Does it melt near where the connectors on the back push into the "dashboard"??

If so you may have sprained connectors in there, causing a slight increase in resistance at the point of contact: an odd ohm here will give you 10 watts or more, which is straying into small soldering iron territory.

Another option is that you have a main/dip/dim dip wiring fault and have both beams on when on main beam.

That would try things out a bitB)

Something approaching 20 amps through the switch[:0]