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> @#$%ing Dimmer Relay Tried to Kill Me
bbrock
post Oct 21 2021, 09:59 AM
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Two weeks ago I was coming home after dark at the end of a long 250 mile round trip through SW Montana for work. [Side note: if you pull up to a Montana rancher's house in a 914, he WILL get a kick out of it.] I noticed my lights were occasionally having trouble switching between dim and bright which required a double pull on he switch, but it wasn't consistent. I made a note to myself to look into it. I then crested a fairly remote and very dark mountain pass and dimmed my lights for an oncoming car. Then as I headed down the back side at 70+ mph into a sweeper on the descent, I tugged the switch to go back to brights. Instead of brights, I got total blackness... on a pitch black night in the middle of a curve on a remote mountain pass at high speed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yikes.gif) I hit the brakes to scrub speed while feeling for the shoulder and flicking that dimmer switch with furry. After a half dozen tugs, the brights popped on. [side question: anyone know how to clean shit out of brick weave vinyl? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) ] Needless to say, I was not happy.

I finally got a chance to dig into the problem and started with the relay. This is not a 50 year old part. It was purchased new from Pelican less than a year ago as part of my bare metal restoration, and has seen less than 5 hours of service. Popping the cover off quickly revealed what shit build quality these new relays are despite being rather spendy. The relay pulls a thin metal finger into a 2-part (plastic and brass) rocker mechanism with two valleys and a splitter tooth between. Each cycle of the relay is supposed to position the splitter so the finger slides into the other valley on the next cycle. But the build tolerances were crap and there was so much float in the relay plate that the metal finger didn't line up consistently with the splitters. Often it wouldn't switch positions and sometimes it would miss the brass part of the splitter completely and get hung up on the plastic. When that happens, it's lights out!

Attached Image

I was able to use a pair of needle nose pliers to squeeze the notches that guide the relay plate closed a little more to reduce the slop in the plate travel, and bend the tang holding the metal finger so it consistently engaged the brass splitter. After that, I was able to reliably cycle between bright and dim with no blackouts.

The only question I have is if there are new replacements that are good quality and reliable. I think I paid $40 for this one and it tried to kill me. Most importantly, I wanted to warn people to beware of faulty dimmers. A jinky dimmer relay can go from just annoying to potentially deadly very fast!
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bbrock
post Oct 22 2021, 08:08 PM
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From: Montana
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QUOTE(Arno914 @ Oct 22 2021, 02:35 PM) *

After more than 100 entries in your restauration project thread (which I read with great interest btw.) your guardian angel decided that you really deserve to keep this beautiful 914 forever! Thankfully everything turned out ok for you!


Maybe the gods are paying me back for letting me be stupid enough to wreck my first 914 the first week I had it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

That thread isn't finished yet BTW. Still a few more projects to cover.

QUOTE(emerygt350 @ Oct 22 2021, 07:42 PM) *

I have the original lights, I like the warm hues. My high beams still work, but nobody can tell. Therefore, I don't have to stress the relay by switching them on and off with traffic. Problem solved.


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) That would solve two problems. I always wouldn't have been screaming down the mountain at 70+ mph because 20 was about as fast as I ever felt comfortable driving with those original lights at night (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I just pulled the car into the garage after a night run to town. Dimmer relay worked perfectly. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)
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bbrock   @#$%ing Dimmer Relay Tried to Kill Me   Oct 21 2021, 09:59 AM
SirAndy   Glad you are still here to tell that story ... :b...   Oct 21 2021, 10:10 AM
tygaboy   Holy moly. That is some scary stuff. Words fail to...   Oct 21 2021, 10:19 AM
914Sixer   I know exactly what you are talking about, I had a...   Oct 21 2021, 10:37 AM
76-914   Note to Chinese Manufacturer's: Just because y...   Oct 21 2021, 11:12 AM
mepstein   Do you have led bulbs. With the good ones, you won...   Oct 21 2021, 11:27 AM
bbrock   Do you have led bulbs. With the good ones, you wo...   Oct 21 2021, 01:38 PM
mepstein   Do you have led bulbs. With the good ones, you w...   Oct 21 2021, 04:33 PM
trick-e   …or the company that sent the inferior specs to ...   Oct 21 2021, 11:28 AM
Justinp71   Scary, glad you're ok. I have the same issue w...   Oct 21 2021, 11:29 AM
ClayPerrine   Brent, How much basketweave cloth have you :strom...   Oct 21 2021, 02:13 PM
burton73   Brent buddy, Thank the lord that you are OK. L...   Oct 21 2021, 03:07 PM
EdwardBlume   Brent buddy, Thank the lord that you are OK. ...   Oct 21 2021, 03:22 PM
Dion   Bloody hell Brent! Glad you are ok. Have to c...   Oct 21 2021, 04:04 PM
bbrock   I think I still have the original relay somewhere ...   Oct 21 2021, 04:53 PM
ClayPerrine   Another thought..... Make sure you can turn your ...   Oct 22 2021, 09:34 AM
MM1   Glad you made it through that dark curve, Brent - ...   Oct 22 2021, 12:58 PM
bbrock   Another thought..... Make sure you can turn your...   Oct 22 2021, 01:21 PM
Arno914   After more than 100 entries in your restauration p...   Oct 22 2021, 02:35 PM
emerygt350   I have the original lights, I like the warm hues. ...   Oct 22 2021, 07:42 PM
bbrock   After more than 100 entries in your restauration ...   Oct 22 2021, 08:08 PM
altitude411   If that modified relay has survived two tours down...   Oct 22 2021, 10:52 PM
wonkipop   @bbrock in australia the old school trick for ho...   Oct 23 2021, 03:05 AM
barefoot   Is there a solid state relay that can replace the ...   Oct 23 2021, 07:08 AM


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