2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Melted Headlight switch - again

[isb360]

The other day I began smelling that familiar acrid burning plastic/electric smell that was so mysterious to me the first time my headlight switch failed, so I preemptively bought a replacement at NAPA.



Last night when I was installing it, I noticed that the mating female connector (9-pins in my case) was severly distorted/melted/burned. Looking at the female pins, one of them is blackened and appears to be coated with a thin layer of plastic. Each pin is actually inserted into a captive opening in the larger black plastic connector that interlockes with the headlight switch. One of the nine pins had nearly all of the plastic melted away from it, mostly exposing the metal contact.



I pushed the new headlight switch onto the old connector and everything worked... except today I am smelling more burning.



1) Is it likely that what I am smelling is "left over" from the old headlight switch and will dissipate? I am going to remove the dash trim bezel and drive around with the switch dangling by the harness while the lights are on to see if it's getting super hot or anything



2) I have tapped into several of the wires going to the headlight connector to light my gauges (mechanical Isspro FP, AutoMeter Ultralite Boost and Autometer Ultralite EGT), but the first switch melted before I put my gauges in, so I am loathe to believe that the minimal current being drawn to operate the gauges is overloading the circuit. I forget where I am powering my TST box from, but I think it's under the hood somewhere.



3) Anyone experience similar problems?

Suggestions?

Thoughts?



Driving around only in the day time or in the rain with lights off is starting to really bother me.



Tim

 

[RustyJC]

Although this shouldn't apply to your 1998, if you haven't seen it already, you might want to read the following as it talks about procedures to follow where heat damage is present: Recall 819.



Rusty

 

[isb360]

Rusty,

Thank you for this information! I haven't seen the recall before. I am going to have the local dealer VIN check me to see if the recall might have been expanded. The damage illustrated in your link is exactly what I have been seeing.



At the least, I will buy the kit from Dodge and repair it myself... that way I can solder in my gauge wiring at the same time I am soldering on the new leads provided in the kit.



Tim

 

[McLaughlin]

Summit has/had a wiring harness that took the load off the headlamp switch in 2nd gens. It cost less then $50 and only takes a couple of hours to install. Look here for a previous thread on the topic.

 

[CumminsPower98]

You should replace that melted plug and then install the headlight harness to take the load off the switch. My '98 has not melted yet but I installed the harness anyway to help prevent it.

 

[WDaniels]

ISB360,

that service bulletin is for our year trucks My truck has had the switch replaced 5 times. 3 with the previous owner and twice with me. recall 819 with the resister will fix the problem if the problem is to much current in the light guage wires. But, make sure that when you splice the new plug in that you use the heat shrink that they provide. It has a glue in it that seals out moisture and air to keep the resistance from building up because of corroded wires.

WD

 

[Kalaehina]

After 3 replacements, I too installed the Summit wiring harness (Thanks Y-not) and no more melting switch.

 

[wlowe]

I just installed the Summit wiring harness yesterday. I replaced the fusible links with waterproof fuse holders and extended the ground wires, other than that it was a pretty easy install. Lights seem to be a little brighter and switch stays cooler with no load on it. .