Headlight switch/dash problem, kinda bizarre

1990 XJ, standard GM style headlight switch.

Yesterday I went to turn the parking lights off while we had lunch out wheeling and the entire headlight switch fell into the dash. The knob prevented it from disappearing entirely and for the rest of the day I would turn off my lights by reaching under the dash, grabbing the switch and then pushing in the plunger.

Tonight I took it apart, removed the dash bezel, took off the gauge cluster, etc. and the hole that the switch is supposed to sit in, where the slotted locknut tightens down on the switch, was all broken and the hole had enlarged. I can only guess by the feel of the plastic that it has gotten hot over time and become brittle.

Since this is a conical shape and the switch attaches further back from the front of the panel where it's attached, I'm not sure what to do. It's all one molded piece of the dash and I can't replace just the damaged piece. It would involve replacing the entire dash on at least the left side.

First, has anyone ever had this happen?

Second, any brainstorms for fixing it?

I had thought at first about cutting out the bad piece and attaching a replacement cut out from the wrecking yard.

I've also considered a flat plate over the existing hole and having the switch stick out and extra inch. I could conceivably remove the knob and shorten the plunger rod since I wouldn't need the total distance anymore.

I'm hoping someone over time has seen a situation like this....help!

I had the exact same thing happen to me years back.

I tried all sorts of things. Spent time at a hardware store trying to find perfect sized washers and anything round I could find to fit in that conical recess.

I finally bought some QuikSteel (I think that's what it was called) from Wal-mart. You can probably find it at any hardware or auto parts store. It is a type of clay-like epoxy that you can shape...like Playdoh really. I put a little bit of QuikSteel to fill up the back of the recess, paying careful attention not to overdo it and plug up anymore of the recess than necessary. I just wanted to use enough QuikSteel to replace whatever plastic backing had broken off. I made sure to get it as flush (behind the dash) as possible so the switch could mount up flat enough against it. I let it set overnight.

QuikSteel dries hard! Great stuff. I've never had any luck with plastic epoxies or plastic welds but this stuff works very well. I even used it to repair a heavily cracked plastic aux cooling fan.

Anyways. I used a drill to drill through the QuikSteel. It took trial and error to enlarge the repaired hole large enough to mount the switch properly. I didn't have a Dremel back then and so I just used the drill to file down the QuikSteel.

That repair has held up through the years. Never broke again. The knob sticks out a little further and is slightly crooked but it is functional. I suppose I could take my Dremel and even things up but why bother? I'm not anal about things like that.

Approach it like trying to repair a drywall hole.

QuikSteel info:

http://www.cargochemical.com/prdtech/coldweld.htm

http://www.madsens1.com/jbtri.htm

Btw I did my repair by reaching up from underneath to squish the QuikSteel around the back of the hole all while squishing some through the front of the conical recess. Then I let it cure overnight.

I hadn't thought about taking the gauge cluster off. Did that offer a better view of the switch encasing for you? I guess I'm a masochist.

XJade said:

Btw I did my repair by reaching up from underneath to squish the QuikSteel around the back of the hole all while squishing some through the front of the conical recess. Then I let it cure overnight.

I hadn't thought about taking the gauge cluster off. Did that offer a better view of the switch encasing for you? I guess I'm a masochist.

Click to expand...

Thanks...I hadn't thought about using some type of plastic material to reform the missing piece. I'll look for that material today and give it a go.

As for the gauge cluster, yes, you do get more access. You can't reach straight down, but instead from the right side from about where the tachometer would be. I'm thinking about taking a hole saw and drilling straight down and creating an access hole above the area where the work will need to be done.

Can this material be easily drilled? Would a spade bit used for drilling wood work in this scenario? I think I can get closer to the actual hole size that way.

Also, would it make sense to imbed a washer to create the proper size hole or do you have that much flexibility with the material?

Thanks again.

Yes, that stuff is drillable. You can drill it without it cracking. I would still go slow and easy though just in case. I was reading the specs on their website and it supposedly can be used to plug up small fuel tank holes. It's quite amazing putty.

I would just use a normal drill bit. Make the hole just large enough to get that slotted nut/screw through to the switch.

I used an Exacto to remove any excess QuikSteel in the cavity. Basically cleaned it up a bit so the knob could function properly and slide smoothly in the cavity.

I found that using a washer would impede that slotted nut. I couldn't get it to thread onto the switch with a washer in there. Probably due to the conical shape of that recess which limits how far a washer will go in there. I never ended up finding a suitable washer thin, sturdy, and wide enough. And I gave up on trying to grind one down. And there was no telling how long that would last before maybe the washer pushed through the weak plastic.

I would just try to put on that putty up from under the dash. It's a bit of a yoga exercise but then again I hate messing with that bezel and cluster. Use your fingers to squish it from the back and maybe a screwdriver to squish it from the front cavity. Definitely let it cure overnight if possible.

It sure sucked having to reach under the dash to operate the lighting! :looney:

XJade said:

It sure sucked having to reach under the dash to operate the lighting! :looney:

Click to expand...

I did it four or five times and that was enough for me. I'll try it tonight and report back in a day or two.

Thanks again.

John

Imbed a washer into the QuikSteel? That could work. I hadn't thought of that. I was trying to jam a washer into the recess instead of using one as a backing on the outside. Hmmm. You may be onto something. Just make sure it's not crooked when it cures though or that knob might be off kilter.

Update...found the Quick Steel putty that was suggested by XJade while on the way home and tried it out.

Problem appears to be solved.

I took a mouseball sized wad of this stuff and kneaded it per the directions and packed it around and behind the hole in the dash. About 5 minutes later it got really hot (catalytic process I guess) and then began to cool and about 30 minutes later I was able to drill a hole through it. I used a 3/4" spade bit to mill down the thickness after drilling out the pilot hole and kept trying to fit the switch to the thread nut and it finally fit and the switch plunger sunk all the way in and worked again.

Put the dash back together and all is good.

So, after $4 and some obsessive/compulsive fear that I wouldn't get this fixed in nearly as elegant a fashion as I did, I need to thank Xjade for the idea. What a great product and I can see other uses for it too. Further, I was able to cant the headlight switch slightly off center and allow myself a little extra room to work on it next time I have to tear this apart.

Thanks again.

Great! Glad things worked out for you, John90XJ.

Yeah, I forgot to warn you that the putty gets a little hot. Pretty interesting stuff. I like its ability to adhere to plastic. I've yet to come across anything that had a lasting bond to plastic. Most plastic epoxies and welds I've come across eventually break after some time (if not immediately).