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jwinlaporte · 11-23-2010, 11:24 PM

I installed the brake light switch, $8 from Autozone. All external lights now working.

Ordered headlight switch from Pelican this afternoon. The thing is with the instrument lights, all of the bulbs were burned out (I replaced them while waiting for the cylinder head earlier).
Am I just gonna ruin the new switch and bulbs because of a bad wire somewhere? I thought that if there was bad insulation on a wire, it would cause a fault to ground which would cause a fuse to blow, but there are no blown fuses. Could the last guy have blown up the rheostat and all of the bulbs while installing his aftermarket radio incorrectly? If so, the wires may be okay. I've learned a lot about circuitry in the last 48 hours, but there's much more I do not know, and I don't want to blow up a $50 light switch. What do you all think? I do know there is power to the switch and all the other lights work now. Wait, except one--the cargo light does not shut off. I had to remove it from the socket. Probably a switch somewhere in the hatch for that, right?

11-23-2010, 11:24 PM	#15
jwinlaporte Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 50 '96 BMW 318ti iTrader: (0) Photo Gallery	Brakes light switch fixed it--but before I install a new headlight switch. . . I installed the brake light switch, $8 from Autozone. All external lights now working. Ordered headlight switch from Pelican this afternoon. The thing is with the instrument lights, all of the bulbs were burned out (I replaced them while waiting for the cylinder head earlier). Am I just gonna ruin the new switch and bulbs because of a bad wire somewhere? I thought that if there was bad insulation on a wire, it would cause a fault to ground which would cause a fuse to blow, but there are no blown fuses. Could the last guy have blown up the rheostat and all of the bulbs while installing his aftermarket radio incorrectly? If so, the wires may be okay. I've learned a lot about circuitry in the last 48 hours, but there's much more I do not know, and I don't want to blow up a $50 light switch. What do you all think? I do know there is power to the switch and all the other lights work now. Wait, except one--the cargo light does not shut off. I had to remove it from the socket. Probably a switch somewhere in the hatch for that, right?