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164 Power Mirror Switch Refurbishment

3K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  Del 
#1 · (Edited)
If your power mirrors stop responding normally, it's probable that the door mounted switch is corroded.

1. If you're getting nothing out of the switch, it's possible that the fuse (fuse F5 on the aux fuse box above the main fuse block) is blown. However, if the courtesy lights are working (same fuse) then it's not the fuse.

2. In my case, I was getting nothing out of the switch, although it was getting 12v into the switch from the fuse. Noted, however, is that since I'm almost the sole driver of the car, the mirrors haven't been moved in a very long time. Like personal exercise, use-it-or-lose-it. My switch looked great on the outside, but inside was full of scale and green oxidized gunk. The top picture is prior to cleaning and the bottom picture is after cleaning.

Cleaning the switch is somewhat of a tedious process and one that should be done on a clean table and carefully guarding against losing some VERY small components. Ask your wife to leave you alone for a while.

You'll need some electrical cleaner spray like CRC QD Electrical Cleaner, some fine emery paper, a very small jewelers screwdriver for prying apart the switch and scraping scale off the switch components, and some kleenex/soft cloth.

Carefully pry the switch apart at the four lock fittings. Just get it the tabs unlocked, then very slowly pull them apart horizontally. The pins you see in the second photo are spring loaded, although not heavily so. As you get the two halves apart, the pins will unload from their springs and cones may fall loose. Do this over a piece of cloth so anything that falls out won't go rolling into 5th dimension.

Once apart, pull the pins and spring out of their holes and spray with electrical cleaner spray. Same with the cones. They will just fall out of their sockets. You will probably have to scrap the scale off everything and dig out the muck with the jeweler's screwdriver. I used some very fine emery paper to get down to clean metal on the contacts.

Reassemble opposite to how it came apart. I used some dielectric grease to hold the cones in their sockets as well as some on the pins and L/R switch contacts. Reassemble horizontally just like it came apart. Hopefully the pins don't hang up as they get compressed. Mine did not.

Reinstall in the door panel and test. Hopefully that fixes it for another 27 years.

PDF guide below for downloading.
 

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#5 ·
Amen to that. I recently replaced a semi ok driver's side sun visor with a very used one that still works 100%. Did I throw away the old one? Not on your life! It still sort of works....

I agree, very good write up and just the sort of information that makes this bb golden.

Those switches live in a hostile environment for low voltage electrics. Damp, not temperature controlled and pretty much inaccessible for any routine preventative maintenance. I had my mirror switch replaced years ago when parts were still available. I should have insisted my mechanic save the old part. At least now I know the drill to resurrect this part if need be.

For practice in assembling those tiny bouncy parts try re-fitting the tiny spring to a modern model railroad coupler.....
 
#6 ·
"For practice in assembling those tiny bouncy parts try re-fitting the tiny spring to a modern model railroad coupler..... "

Yup, esp if it is N gauge, as my layout is. I keep a very big magnet nearby, plus also my handy automotive magnet on a stick, for when I mess with the couplers.
 
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