Push button light switch

[JohnnyReb]

Re: RE: Push button light switch

The early push button switches had problems and occasionally set themselves on fire.
The biggest problem we ran into was when the switches were installed and the ground wire was not connected first, as there's a little mini-computer inside that's static sensitive. I suggest carrying a three-lever for a back-up as the push button switches have no get-me-home feature
Once installed and initialized by pushing any button, they work by pressing the mode you want then pressing the enter button within five seconds. The keys are back-lghted amber and there's a blue indicator light on each button that's lit when that mode is on. To turn everything off push the all off button followed by enter and after about 20 seconds of delay it turns itself off.

What is the "get me home" feature on the old lever 3 way? I know "back in the old days" when cars had the push button dimmer on the floor.... If the dimmer went bad then you could hold the switch down with you foot to keep the lights burning. Better have some leather soled shoes or boots because that switch got mighty hot being held closed.

 

[Jones]

RE: Re: RE: Push button light switch

On the older three levers you can always flip to another setting unless the thing has broken and jammed itself up inside. The push button switches seem to quit working altogether and no amount of alternate button pushing will get a response out of them. At that point it's time to swap it out for the old three-lever you've been carrying around in your glove box all these years. Failing that; disconnect the wiring harness that goes into the back of the light switch and apply a short piece of jumper wire between the "F" socket (headlight switch feed) and the "H" (service taillights) and "M" (service drive) sockets of the cable. This will at least get you lights enough to make it to the next service station or pay phone.

 

[bulldog_mack13]

Im running a Push Button light switch in a 1951 M37 , works perfect

 

[cranetruck]

Re: RE: Push button light switch

....
What is the "get me home" feature on the old lever 3 way? ......

You can always provide a backup circuit by installing a separte override switch for the headlights. I overloaded the built-in circuit breaker one time and it's no fun driving without any lights at all. I made sure it wouldn't happen again.

 

[pagefamily96]

Im running a Push Button light switch in a 1951 M37 , works perfect

Does anyone know where you can purchase one of these push button switches (5930-01-491-9893). I contacted a company in Port Richey, FL but have not heard anything?

 

[m16ty]

I've seen them on ebay. Get your're pocket book ready though, they think alot of them.

 

[hndrsonj]

Do a search in the classifieds for "light switch" there is one there for $100.

 

[m16ty]

Well, I'm no longer "singing praises" of the push button light switch. Had mine almost burn my truck down today.

I was out helping my Dad haul some dirt today. I had the stop light position on all day and at one point I noticed it wasn't lit up. I tried to re-enter the stop light function but it wouldn't stay lit. I thought "well, it's finally played out" and because I was traveling off-road I didn't think anymore about it. For some reason, while I was sitting in the truck waiting to be loaded, I touched the switch and it burned me. I jumped out of the truck and tried to reach under the dash to unplug it (burning my hands). I finally got it unpluged and I think it's very possible, if I hadn't been in the truck, that it would have eventually burnt the truck down.

I had a spare 3-lever so I put it in. Don't think I'll go back to the push button.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I was just about to re-install mine that I stripped from the M275A2. Dang Ty, now I'm second guessing it.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Best bet is to keep it as a spare to get you home in a pinch. I have heard bad things about them too.

 

[m16ty]

I thought the push button was kinda cool but after the "meltdown" they scare me. The case of the switch was electrically hot also. I ended up having to unscrew it from the dash so I could reach the connector on the back and while it was dangling it was arcing every time it touched metal. It's got a dead short somewhere. I'm going to open the case and see what the insides look like.

 

[fasttruck]

Picked up a trailer load of new hummers two years ago going to tobyhanna depot and they all came from the factory with three lever switchs.

 

[Strykerboy]

the push button switch it neat but can fail..... when making the new stryker's for the army they still use the old school three knober in the latest and greatest SOOoooo there's my 2 cents

 

[Welder Sam]

Gotta ground it specifically. Theres an extra screw at the bottom rear of the housing. All instructions ive read say good ground is extremely important.

 

[bmH1065]

I did not ground mine thinking it had to have a good ground if installed in metal dash but thinking I am wrong as I have been having turn signal problems not working all the time (don't know if this is related) and was told last night that I had no tail lights the last time I drove it. Was wondering if no ground on the light switch could be the problem. My three lever switch quit working and had no head lights and replaced it with the push button light switch a couple years ago. At that time all worked well with new switch.

 

[CobraCDR]

After reading the article again I may be wrong. The article said "The old switch ( 3 Lever) won't work in a A3, even though they fit the same hole". It dosen't say anything about the push button not working in the A2.

The 3-lever does in fact work in an A3, I have one in mine and the -10 shows them as standard equipment.

As for the debate between them, I prefer the 3-lever over the push button any day of the week and EVERY day of the week in combat.

 

[crazywelder72]

my first duce will arrive in 5 days. it currently has a push button switch installed but the electrical is a slight mess. 2 previous owners ago it was installed along with a heater. all i know is the brake lights and turn signals dont work. i think the first thing i am going to do is get a 3 lever in it and start from scratch chaseing issues.

 

[Darwin T]

i would suggest buying new front and rear wiring harnesses and installing them. after a bunch of stuff i did not need that fixed my problems. if the turn lights don't work check the drivers side fender under the hood there should be a turn signal control box there, if not thats one problem.

 

[crazywelder72]

cool.... i have 5 days to look into the front/rear wiring harnesses before it gets here. is something like that cheap? i see the 3 lever switches around $75

 

[Darwin T]

not cheap but worth it if you have any headaches or gremlins. check it out first and see if it an easy fix.