Renegade light bar relay

[Rant72]

Hello all,

My light bar recently stopped working. Done some troubleshooting and I believe it's the switch/relay that has gone bad. Of course, this is an obsolete part (I did find one website that claimed to have it, but I've never heard of them).

There is hope though, from some research it appears the actual relay used on these switches is the same Ford used on crown vics. The relay originally used is obsolete, but there are replacements available (it appears). I'm starting the process of comparing specs of relays right now, but was curious if others have run into this issue as well.

Has anyone else here torn their switches apart and replaced that relay?

 

[Billwill]

A relay is relay...nice to get one that simply plugs in but if needed then you need to get any relay that is rated at the same voltage, amperage and has the correct amount of Normally Open and Normally Closed contacts. You then solder wires onto your new relay and solder these wires into the gutted shell of your original relay so that you can simply plug it in.

I am sure that you should be able to find a direct replacement relay with a bit of searching!

 

[Rant72]

Here's what I'm looking at so far: 1, 2, 3. These are pictures of whats inside that momentary push button switch on the dash. A relays a relay, but this little guy is rated for 30 A, and I'd really rather not mess around with running lead wires off the board and out of the case for a relay with different pin layout.

All the replacements I'm finding are rated at 15A or so. I have found a listing on ebay though. I was hoping to match over to a relay still in production for people in the future to continue using, but it's not looking like that's going to happen. These are all I've found: 1 & 2 (pg. 8)

 

[Billwill]

Don't see any pictures. Surprised you battle to find a larger rated relay...here in SA I can walk into the nearest small spares shop and pick up a 35 Amp rate relay for next to nothing. But you should be able to find a direct plug in replacement.

If you have a multimeter...measure the resistance of the relay coil to see if it has burnt out......should have a reading around 30 Ohms....infinite reading means it is burnt out.
Then open up the relay by carefully cutting its cover off. Now use some fine sandpaper to clean the relay contacts...they often get dirty or burnt when carrying a large current and a good clean often makes them work again.

 

[uss2defiant]

Billwill: the numbers are links to the pictures.

It's rare in the US to find a brick and mortar electronics only store.

 

[uss2defiant]

All the replacements I'm finding are rated at 15A or so. I have found a listing on ebay though. I was hoping to match over to a relay still in production for people in the future to continue using, but it's not looking like that's going to happen. These are all I've found: 1 & 2 (pg. 8)

Just so everyone is on the same page.
The P/N for the relay is EQ1-11111S

The datasheet for it is EQ1-11111S datasheet(2/4 Pages) NEC | Same pin-layout as conventional relay, 70% less relay volume than conventional relay

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Good findings since the dimensions are the same. However, the max switching current is still below the original EQ1 relay.
I did a very quick search on digikey and for the specific rating, the dimensions would be different.

These are all I've found: 1 & 2 (pg. 8)

I think the ebay would be a good buy. parts + shipping will be probably the same from a distributor like digikey/mouser, etc.

 

[tjkj2002]

Billwill: the numbers are links to the pictures.

It's rare in the US to find a brick and mortar electronics only store.

You can walk into any auto parts store and get standard 40 amp relays all day long.

 

[uss2defiant]

You can walk into any auto parts store and get standard 40 amp relays all day long.

sure you can, if you want a blade style relay.

That's not what the OP wants nor is the relay on that board a blade style relay.

 

[Rant72]

Sorry for the confusion, yeah my post is full of hyperlinks. I didn't realize they wouldn't automatically be a different color and stand out. Every time I said "this" or the like, it was actually a link.

So to *** back on track, I ended up ordering the one through eBay so I could solder it right to the pcb and have all the stock readings.

This isn't a relay that's under the hood and can be bought anywhere, it's a specialty one mounted to a circuit board, that is actually inside of that momentary push button switch that came on the renegades. I'll post a picture later if I get a chance. Type of thing that if the switch was available, I'd just buy a new one.

 

[uss2defiant]

i assume you biased the control lines of the relay to see if it worked?

 

[uss2defiant]

here you go

You must be registered for see images

 

[Rant72]

I actually have not tested the relay itself, but through my other trouble shooting, and the fact that there's a bulge on it, I confident that's what is bad. I haven't messed with desoldering it from the board, going to sweet talk a lady at work (who does just this for a living) into swapping them for me. I know she can do it without other components falling off. Not so sure if I could lol

Here is a link to all the photos I have of the switch.

 

[Adam Roby]

...I didn't realize they wouldn't automatically be a different color and stand out. Every time I said "this" or the like, it was actually a link.

I've been complaining about that to the admins of this site since I joined but they don't seem to think its a problem or they can't do anything about it.

 

[GunnerSchenck]

Right.. I've always thought links should automatically be underlined at least

 

[Rant72]

I guess now I know.

Still waiting for that relay to come in. Looks as though the seller may be a dud. I may have to go with one of the lower rated relays and see how it lasts.

 

[Rant72]

Anyone have any other ideas? I have started the process of getting my money back from the ebay link I posted, haven't heard from the seller in 16 days.

Anyone happen to have a eq1-11111s relay laying around?

EDIT: Scratch that folks. I was bored and decided to test the board to be sure it was the relay. It most definitely was the relay not working, that is until I decided to double check.. Well my clumsy dumb @$$ ended up losing grip of the board and the multi-meter probe shorted a couple pins; that familiar burnt electronics smell filled the air. Now the switch turns "on" (lights don't turn on because the relay doesn't work, but the indicator on the dash lights up) but does not turn off unless I power cycle the board (turn the key off and back on). Must have fried something in the logic chip that's mounted on the board. I did just find this though. Just ordered it, hopefully it really is in stock. If not looks like I'll be hard wiring the lights to my own switch and relay.

As a side note if anyone is interested, the coil in the relay was fine, and the Normally Closed contact was switching on and off with the relay fine (before I fried the board), it was just the Normally Open contact that had burnt out which is the contact that the lights use.

 

[Billwill]

That link to the supplier of those relays looks pretty good. You guys in the USA/Canada have a much easier job of getting spares than I do here in SA. Ordering parts from here is a major schlep...always get held up in local Customs!

I was in electronics for 34 years before retiring and most of the equipment I worked on, IBM and Hitachi Mainframes and Westinghouse, Bosch and GMFanuc robots were very good in placing reverse-biased diodes across the relay coils and the no/nc contacts to stop the back-EMF coming from the switched off item causing sparking across the relay coil and contacts. So having burnt out contacts inside the relays was pretty much unknown. So I find it strange that nowadays a lot of equipment I work on such as the Jeep or broken TVs etc. do not bother with this anymore! The coil on the A/C clutch does have a special diode across it but not the other relays etc. that I have worked with.

Good luck with getting this sorted out!

 

[Rant72]

Yeah I'm back to square one. The site I ordered the switch from refunded me within 3 hours because they didn't have it. Ugh..

Looks like I'll be making my own switch & relay to turn them on.

To anyone in the future who happens to stumble on this with the same issue, you're SOL & have to hard wire it. You'll lose the dash indicator light that tells you whether the lights are on or off (so what?). When I get around to wiring it up myself I'll take some pictures so you know what to do. I want to figure out how to use the stock switch housing for a clean look inside of the car.