sold as complete switch pod

5600 9212 --- SWITCH, Pod With Automatic Headlamp & Fog Lamps

 

Thank you! An excellent rest!

 

Those things are well known for having bad solder joints, could be yours just needs a touch up instead of replaced.

Ultimately the BCM controls the lighting, so if the switch there is good the issue could be with it.

 

Try some firm tapping on the face of the switch pod at night. If the lighting changes at all when you do that, you’re firmly in the “re-solder will fix it“ category.
Also,
If it’s just the headlight switch pod illumination/backlighting itself that’s inop. Even easier. That’s just two bulbs to replace. One is almost always dead (the little one) the other seems to be working 90% of the time.

 

Thanks guys. It is intermitent, sometimes works, sometimes doesn't and when it does sometimes it flickers. Gave me an idea, remove it and have a closer look at the contacts

 

The solder connections on these switch were done with a high silver content solder The simple fix is to partially take it apart and resolder with a 50/50 or 60/40 solder.

The VIC has the same problem

 

Yeah, that behavior is classic bad solder joints in the switch module.

 

from the ATF rule book
"high-temperature (1100°F) silver soldering"

from Brownells

called silver solder

 

My 2nd edition Oxy- acetylene Handbook from union carbide


chapter 32 silver-brazing opens with

"The making of silver-brazed or silver-soldered joints by the oxy-acetylene process is similar in some respects to braze-welding and in other ways to the making of solder-type joinings."

 

@gstroe, take a look at Headlight Switch Resolder for advice on repairing your headlight/dome-light control and ignore the noise I kicked off about silver brazing. I'll repeat part of what I said about repairing your part from my earlier post.

The preceding thread advice on resoldering the terminals is wise. The lead-free solder the factory used crystalizes over time and got brittle. Reflowing the old solder (With a little fresh flux, see Amazon Rosin Soldering Flux) should fix it, or flow some lead-based rosin core electrical solder onto the terminals. Reconnect the part to test it and see if it works again. There is a comprehensive old thread out there on rehabilitating the headlight/dome-light control describing in detail the resoldering process w/ lots of photos - see Headlight Switch Resolder.

 

I was taught that brazing was done with brass rod. We used silver solder for AC and refrigerant lines; Now they call it brazing. Either way if you are doing water pipe you can use acid core but for wiring you want to use rosin core solder.