At 13:05 10/23/99 , Per Lindgren wrote: >I dissected the old switch, and it was melted solid. I don't know what caused >this, but the fan ran much better with the new switch than it did with the old >switch. If another meltdown happens, I guess I will have to investigate >further. I know! I know! The switch is made (thank you VW) of thermoplastic, and carries 12 amps. When it gets a bit of contact resistance the contacts heat up, the plastic gets soft, the movable contact presses the fixed contact down into the soft plastic -- voila, it has just built itself a little playpen. The contact pressure is less, the resistance is more, the contact gets hotter yet... I *love* relays...my switch on high speed is now supplying all of 100 ma or so to power a relay that feeds the fan from a dedicated circuit. At lower speeds it has no trouble driving the fan itself. david David Beierl - Providence, RI http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon.htm '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation" |
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