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Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 7:51 pm
by charlie63
I noticed today when I had my tractor running the ignition switch seemed to be heating up and was warm to touch as well as the surrounding area of the dash at the ignition switch area. It is a combined light/ignition switch and the lights were not switched on at the time. I wouldnt have thought this to be normal. Has anyone else come across this. Just to be on the safe side I have disconnected the battery whilst it is sitting.

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:03 pm
by Mervyn Spencer
Have you checked for any loose connections or bridging of connectors. Just another thought you could do a process of elimination by disconnecting individual wires to prove where the problem may be?

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 6:52 pm
by charlie63
Mervyn,
Had another look at it today. Rechecked all the terminals and all are tight. No sign of burning either. I reconnected the battery again and checked to see if the switch was heating up when just sitting with everything off. It seems that it is heating up only when the ignition switch is on and the tractor running.

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:24 pm
by Mervyn Spencer
Hi Charlie, you mentioned that your switch was a combination of ignition and light. I do recall some time ago someone mentioning that over time rain water enters the switch and thus causing corrosion, how about squirting some wd40 or equivalent into the barrel, maybe you have already tried that? The other thought is to feel if any one wire is getting warm and if so identify where it is going, sounds like low insulation somewhere. I hope you can get the problem sorted.
Mervyn

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:28 pm
by MikesDexta
Hi Charlie
Heat is caused by excessive current draw and a bad connection draws excessive current - so I advise checking all connections including crimping on the back of your switch. Alternatively the switch itself maybe failing and causing a partial short circuit which would draw excessive current and generate heat. If it was a dead short circuit I would expect smoke or something coming on that shouldn't ...

cheers

Mike

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 12:58 am
by Bensdexta
If you have a multimeter, you could investigate to see where the current is going.

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 7:45 am
by charlie63
Thanks for the replies guys. It is a brand new switch and hasnt been exposed to any rain or water. I will have another look and recheck all the crimped connections and check everything with a meter again. Will report back on my findings.

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 7:24 pm
by charlie63
Well after a bit of debating with myself I decided to remove the combined ignition/light switch and have replaced it with a genuine Lucas 4 position light switch SPB 107 and a separate Durite On/Off ignition switch. It meant making up brackets for the control box to sit behind the dash to one side to allow room for the ignition switch. I removed the mounting bracket from the combined switch which was only fitted on with 2 rivets and fitted to the new light switch to allow it to be fitted to the dash and then painted it black so it looks nice and tidy. Once the bracket was removed from the old switch I was able to dismantle the switch and found the internals were all corroded so it obviously had some water ingress from me washing the tractor and then corroded with it sitting. No wonder the ignition switch was sticky and problematic to switch on. Thats what I get for purchasing cheap and nasty reproductions. Will post more pictures to show everything fitted into place once completed.

Switch with original mounting bracket fitted and painted.

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Terminal Setup.

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Light Switch fitted to lower dash.

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Ignition Switch fitted to lower dash panel.

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Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 8:13 pm
by charlie63
New ignition switch and separate light switch all fitted, connected back up and dash refitted. Everything working as it should now. :D
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Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 12:21 pm
by Mervyn Spencer
Nice work Charlie, does that now mean you can tick the box for a completed overhaul :lol: .
I'm still battling to get my pictures of the top of my Dextas block onto the forum. I am using Postimage.org, I think I have the pictures onto Postimage. Can you possibly guide me further please Charlie?
With regards my head only the valves have to be replaced, so I went to collect a sample of each valve from the engineers then shot up to my spares dealer. Unfortunately he gave me the wrong valves, valves for the MF 135 that have a 30degree chamfer instead of valves for the MF 35 with the 45degree chamfer on the head. I will have to wait now till the Christmas holidays are over and see what goes in 2019. :(

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:31 pm
by charlie63
Mervyn,

I still have the sidelamps/tailamps and number plate lamp to run the wires to and complete and then that will be the restoration complete. Been busy with the lorry brakes and steering this trip home.
Thats a bit of a pain getting the wrong valves for the cylinder head and having to wait until after the holidays now.
As for posting photos. I resize all my photos as I download them on to postimages to 640x480 ( for message boards ) and no expiration. When you then want to upload a photo on to the forum all you do is have your message already open and open up another window with your photographs, hover the mouse over the photo that you want to upload to highlight the icon nect to the dustbin and it will come up share. Click on this and it will open another window with all the share options, There are boxes down the right hand side of each share link, click on the one thumbnail for forums and the box will turn blue and tell you its been copied, then go to your message and right click and then click paste this will put the link on to your message. Once your message has been completed and posted just go back and check to ensure your photos have been uploaded. Goodluck.

Regards
Charlie.

Re: Ignition Switch Heating Up

Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2018 5:51 pm
by Mervyn Spencer
Charlie

Okay, so still a couple of items to finish. Nice that you had an opportunity to spend some time on the lorry as well.
I'm not to phased about the valve delay as I still have to remove the engine which I will try and get done in January 2019, subject to health :curse:.
Thank you for the assistance with regards uploading pictures to the forum. As you will have noticed I did eventually get some pics up before I saw your note. How I eventually posted them is a ???

Mervyn.