I think my combination switch is fritz...

[Tj]

So today I'm driving about and suddenly a little bit of smoke starts coming from the steering column 

I know white smoke signifies a new pope so I'm guessing in a Japanese car it's to signify the new Prime Minister?

 

Anyway, a cautious drive home followed by a frantic raiding of the tool box - fire extinguisher in hand - led to.. well, nothing that I could see.

Thing is, I now no longer have headlights. Parking lights work, and the wipers still work so the rest of that combo switch seems ok. Fuses are ok, before you ask. When I hit the "pass" button on the indicator stalk I can hear the relay operate but still no lights. I can't hear a relay click when i turn the headlights on.

 

Possible causes in my mind:

I just last week installed a pair of H4 headlights running 130/90W globes that had been working previously and where actually on at the time when my car started to dutchie up the car (I usually drive with lights on fwiw)

 

or;

 

I just yesterday installed a Stebel Nautilus Compact horn because a friend of mine said the zeds horn wasn't manly enough 

The horn came with a relay but seeing as the zed already has a relay on the horn circuit I just plugged it straight in.

 

I'm thinking either of those two things is pulling too much current which lead to (presumably) my headlight switch to give up the magic smoke that makes it work.

As I already mentioned, the fuses are ok.

 

Any ideas where I should be looking for a fault? and if it is the combo switch how hard are replacements to find?

 

Thanks guys.

[Zeddophile]

I just last week installed a pair of H4 headlights running 130/90W globes that had been working previously and where actually on at the time when my car started to dutchie up the car (I usually drive with lights on fwiw)

 

If you didn't have or fit relays when you put those headlights in, you've just destroyed your switch.  Like most other cars of that age, there are no relays in the headlight circuit from the factory, meaning that the headlights draw full current through the switch.  This burns enough switches out with normal 55w globes, which why a lot of people make it the first mod they do to the car.  For the minimal cost of the relays, you save yourself the cost of a new switch (its a 'when' it burns out, not an 'if'), and get a bit brighter lights to boot.  If you've just gone and plugged 130w globes into the standard loom you've more than doubled the current draw through wiring that wasn't really up to the original draw.

[Tj]

I figured that's what happened. Just wish I'd figured it a little earlier  :-\

 

Anyway, thanks for that. Now to track down a switch.

[Cozza]

If you didn't have or fit relays when you put those headlights in, you've just destroyed your switch.  Like most other cars of that age, there are no relays in the headlight circuit from the factory, meaning that the headlights draw full current through the switch.  This burns enough switches out with normal 55w globes, which why a lot of people make it the first mod they do to the car.  For the minimal cost of the relays, you save yourself the cost of a new switch (its a 'when' it burns out, not an 'if'), and get a bit brighter lights to boot.  If you've just gone and plugged 130w globes into the standard loom you've more than doubled the current draw through wiring that wasn't really up to the original draw.

I thought that was what fuses were for, to protect the wiring and switching within the circuit?

[Zedman240®]

Fuses are good for short circuits but passing a heap of current through a small switch is asking for melted plastic and/or a fire. Original zed wiring was only supposed to handle bulb wattages under 50W. I'd say it's been getting hot for a while but it could only last for so long..

[Tj]

Yeah well the new lights only went in late last week and I haven't done a lot of night driving 

This is all a bit embarrassing really.

 

Tomorrow I'll call Sportsclassic (old car club acquaintance) or failing that Stewart Wilkins may have one.

 

I'll also be picking up a 1kg fire extinguisher to mount in the car