Another switch failed...

[KJ zGal]

So yeah, driving home from the movies tonight, what happens but the switch for my light bar stops working. Doesn't click like it did before, but the resistance is still there. What the heck! So anyone, checking fuses tomorrow, but if it's not that, I'm not sure what it could be. Suggestions? Tried wiggling it around to see if it was just loose or something, but it didn't do anything.

 

[NomadKJ]

Have you check the relay on the firewall?

 

[KJ zGal]

I don't know what either of those things are xD

 

[JLRockies]

I find that the back of the switch falls off the face plate. Pull the switch and push in on the housing and I bet you get satisfaction.

 

[KJ zGal]

Does anyone know which fuse runs the light bar? I can't seem to find it in the manual.

 

[jnaut]

Does anyone know which fuse runs the light bar? I can't seem to find it in the manual.

Should be noted on the fuse diagram (if I'm correct) on the plastic plate.

 

[KJ zGal]

Nope. Only things on the plate are numbers, and in the manual the closest things the numbers correspond to are the fog lights.

 

[JLRockies]

So you don't want to check my most-likely correct resolution?

 

[KJ zGal]

I've tried that, it doesn't seem to be working, unless I'm doing it wrong.

 

[Boiler]

Relays fail often. They are basically a little solenoid that switch contacts. Best thing would be to put a test light on both sides of your switch and see if current is getting through it when you have it 'on'. Then put the light on the relay and see if it's getting voltage to the coil, out of the coil, and probably even check if its contacts are burnt out.

 

[blue_kjR417]

Does anyone know which fuse runs the light bar? I can't seem to find it in the manual.

The fuse for the light bar is in the fuse box under the hood between the drivers side head light and battery, it is labeled.

 

[KJ zGal]

Relays fail often. They are basically a little solenoid that switch contacts. Best thing would be to put a test light on both sides of your switch and see if current is getting through it when you have it 'on'. Then put the light on the relay and see if it's getting voltage to the coil, out of the coil, and probably even check if its contacts are burnt out.

Okay...just for the record I have no idea what a relay is, or where, and what do you mean by putting a test light on each side of the switch? I'll gladly try it once I know what the heck you're talking about xD

 

[Boiler]

Think of a relay as a heavy duty switch that gets actuated by a solenoid instead of your finger. You manually actuate your low duty light switch on your dash, and it in turn sends current to the relay. Now the relay has power and the solenoid will shift the big switch. A solenoid is basically a rod inside of a coil. When charged, the rod moves and applies force to something, like in this case, the relay contacts.

I have no idea where the relay is for the renny lights. But often relays look like a little black cube, about 1.25" in each dimension. Often they have a tab for a screw to mount them, sometimes they plug into a wiring harness.

 

[KJ zGal]

Took it apart today, turned out to be that all four of the tabs holding the box against the switch had broken off. Looks like at some point in the past someone had ripped it out and broken them instead of squeezing the edges in to pull it out. My guess is the last tab finally just broke off. Anyway, a little superglue and a realignment and now I'm just waiting for it to dry so I can put it back in. Thanks for the help guys =]

 

[jnaut]

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

 

[KJ zGal]

So the light bar works again, and my brother and I just changed the spark plugs, so now I just need to fix that dim odometer and i'll be all set =D