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MG MGB Technical - Headlamp toggle switch

The headlamp switch I replaced on a friend's car last year has failed again - I should have thrown it away when the plastic toggle fell off as I installed it instead of just gluing it back on

Who is supplying good quality versions of this switch instead of repro Lucas cr*p - or better still does anyone have a good used one to offer ?

Thanks
Dominic

dominic clancy

Tricky, you could try an electrics specialist rather than one of the general vendors, or maybe get an NOS at a spares meet. I replaced all my switches when I restored the car as the painted symbols were a bit faded, some more than others. A couple of years ago the 'new' headlamp switch failed, but as the symbols on that and the rest had also faded somewhat, and the original lighting switch was never too bad anyway, that has gone back on and has been fine.
PaulH Solihull

Dominic - You may have to resort to relays for the headlights to keep the replacement switches from failing. Just like the replacement brake light switches, I suspect that most replacement switches for out cars are junk (at least with headlight switches, manufactures can't blame the problem on the use of silicon brake fluid). Cheers - Dave

PS - I just finished installing headlight relays in our 66 MGB to (hopefully) prolong the life of the original headlight switch. I also installed a daytime running light relay to reduce the amount of use that the switch gets.
David DuBois

On some UK vendor site selling what are supposed to be "Lucas" headlamp toggles, the switch rating was 10A. Real system draw for a stock B would be around 13A, with no upgraded lights etc.
I am a proponent of relays for any heavy circuit, due to power losses in wiring, but this absolutely demands relays.

FRM
FR Millmore

And if you want originality, what can you do? As I just love tinkering,When the headlamp switch went, I replaced it with a modern equivalent. I don't know if I will get greater life, in fact I rarely drive at night! I keep a cardboard box will all the items that have been swapped. A 'new' owner if that ever occured, could have all the original bits. Mike
J.M. Doust

I've replaced a hydraulic brake light switch this morning. Had an organised run yesterday and discovered just a couple of days before that that they weren't working. However I did discover it was only high-resistance and not completely toasted, so fitted a relay. Then on the morning of the run checked again to find although the relay was clicking the lights were only coming on with light pressure, and going off again with normal pressure. Fortunately I had a switch under the dash wired into the engine compartment which reached the relay, so had manual brake lights. Only took five minutes to swap, it took longer to find a suitable piece of plastic to put under the master cap. I've not actually reconnected the relay, I don't see why suppliers should get away with crap components without being made aware of it, so I'll be checking them before and after each run for a while.
PaulH Solihull

I replaced my toggle headlight switch, with a NOS item, over 25 years ago and it is still going strong. I run my headlights whenever I drive the car, day or night. See and be seen. I have Halogen headlights and have never had the switch overheat. The switches, on the market today, will indeed require a relay just to last a few years. I still have the original pressure operated brake light switch. Almost all of my switch gear is 44 years old and still operating far longer than they were designed to. Locating NOS switches, if possible, is definitely the way to go. RAY
rjm RAY

Found an original switch at Andy Jennings

Thanks for the comments
dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 25/06/2011 and 09/07/2011

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