Light Switch Problem

[Bill Hudson]

Folks,

Electrical issues are not my favorite thing to solve and I'm really frustrated with this one. Here are the details:
- prior to this I had never tried the lights (newly acquired Cub)
- 6 volt, four position light switch
- hood removed to do a split and headlight wires (two wires) marked for reattachment
- switch was not touched in any way
- mounted the hood and tried the lights
- smoke came from under the gas tank
- troubleshooting determined the smoke was from the switch resister and one terminal only when lights switched to low beam
- cleaned the accumulated crud from the switch and tested again, with the same result
- troubleshoot the switch and suspect a loose internal connection on one end of the resister
- installed a new switch with the same result
- rechecked that the wires were attached to the proper terminals, they were
- in all cases the lights operated as they should

My friend (much more knowledgeable about electrical) and I are stumped. Any help you can give will be appreciated.

Bill

[Jim Becker]

My (limited) experience with the new switches is that they always are a bit oily as they come out of the box. The resistor always smokes on first use until the oil burns off. Is that maybe what you are seeing?

[Gary Dotson]

And also, an old switch, that hasn’t been used for some length of time, may have crud on the resister that will burn off and smoke, just like the new one as Jim mentioned. When the lights are operated on the low setting, that resister gets very hot. If the light are working properly, as you mentioned, I don’t think you have a problem. Try running the lights for a while and see if the smoking stops.

[Bill Hudson]

Thanks fellas. I took your advice and let it 'cook' for a little while and the smoke quit. I repositioned the wire connections on the switch and tried it again and no smoke at all. I just got excited when I saw smoke coming from an electrical connection and envisioned bad things happening. Thanks again.

Bill

[Bob McCarty]

I just got excited when I saw smoke coming from an electrical connection and envisioned bad things happening.

Bill, I know how you feel. I've said many times that all I know about electricity is that I don't want to be between where it starts and where it wants to go.

[Bill Hudson]

... I don't want to be between where it starts and where it wants to go.

You betcha!!

Bill

[Rick Spivey]

Uh Oh, Mr. Bill, I can't believe you let the smoke out of it,,,,,,