Rear Defrost Switch to Fog Light Switch Transformation

[CenTXFJ60]

Many thanks to John @John McVicker for helping me with my switch while at the SAS on Ouray

 

[John McVicker]

Looking good. Were you able to get both of the lights inside the switch to work?

 

[CenTXFJ60]

Looking good. Were you able to get both of the lights inside the switch to work?

Have not worked on the driving light yet. Should be a simple fix as I just need to connect to a hit when lights are turned on.

 

[89BIGBLUE]

Thank you to @FJ6T, and all who posted here! Decal is on, switch is in the funky-62 spot, and all lights work!
Woo-hoo!
It’s the little details man!

 

[Gretsch]

Don't know how to do the drawing thing, but it's really simple as there are only 3 wires I used from the OEM defroster switch. All these colors are from the OEM switch

1) Blue with Red stripe is 'constant hot' into the switch.
2) Soild Blue is switched power to the device you are turning on when you push in the switch:aka Turing it on.
3) White with Black stripe: connected a 3rd wire here and ran it over to a good ground. Anywhere is good, but I ran it under the dash and above the steering column over to my 'hood release' pull that that is attached to the metal dash with a 10 mm head bolt, a very good ground.

Easy peasy, if you switch #'s 1 & 2 above the orange light won't work. The device you are powering will work, but not the Orange light. Took me a while to figure that one out. Let us know how this works for you.

John

7/25/15 Edit: I now have both bulbs working, so now am using all 5 wires. The 2 remaining wires are: 1 to ground and the other to any wire that is hot when you turn the dash lights on. I ran it over to the wire that lights up the ring around the cigarette lighter. This way the new emblem is lighted when you turn on the dash lights.

Old thread here I realize, but wanted to also thank @John McVicker for the wiring info above. Saved me some time figuring this out myself with a multi-meter. I might do the graphic mod later but for now I am just wiring some lights using a defrost switch and the wiring info worked perfectly. Thanks again.

 

[John McVicker]

Good to hear Robert. . Getting both lights to operate is not hard at all.

 

[Gretsch]

Nope, easy peasy once you know how.

I did discover the bulb that works the backlight in the switch I got is no good. Switch was only $10 shipped so I am OK with it as everything else works with it. I think you listed somewhere EIKO 8111 Minature as being a workable bulb replacement. Any other options that are a better fit or is that still the closest fitting bulb available? Coming up snake eyes on finding the 8111 bulbs. Thanks again for the help.

Edit: I did find this but I thought there was a bulb ready made with the base and everything. Maybe I am mistaken.

 

[John McVicker]

Don’t for sure remember if another bulb would also work, but prob would have updated my post if I had known. Sorry.

 

[Gretsch]

No worries. I'll keep looking around for the 8111's. Thanks.

 

[87CRUSR]

No worries. I'll keep looking around for the 8111's. Thanks.

Keep us posted. Thanks.

 

[89BIGBLUE]

Nope, easy peasy once you know how.

I did discover the bulb that works the backlight in the switch I got is no good. Switch was only $10 shipped so I am OK with it as everything else works with it. I think you listed somewhere EIKO 8111 Minature as being a workable bulb replacement. Any other options that are a better fit or is that still the closest fitting bulb available? Coming up snake eyes on finding the 8111 bulbs. Thanks again for the help.

Edit: I did find this but I thought there was a bulb ready made with the base and everything. Maybe I am mistaken.

I got some of these. Fit is a bit sloppy, but it lights.
I was tempted to see if the bulb and socket from the AC switch would work also, but didn’t have that bezel off to try at the time.

 

[Gretsch]

I got some of these. Fit is a bit sloppy, but it lights.
I was tempted to see if the bulb and socket from the AC switch would work also, but didn’t have that bezel off to try at the time.

So you got the EIKO 8111 Minature bulbs? Did yours come with the little base as well? All I can find here is just the bulb which I guess you re-wire to the base. Not sure how these are on here. Looks like the bulb leads are pushed through the base and then wound around the sides. My old eyes can't see something that small so would like one with the base included.

Seems the full bulb type is something called T-1 1/2 Neo-Wedge. Seen something similar here:

T-1 1/2 Neo-Wedge Lamp 14V

I am not sure how to order from this place. I talked to @beno and he says the bulb is still available OEM. Depending on price I might go the OEM route to get this to be sure it fits. Would be set for another 30 years. Talking to the guy I bought the switch from to see if he can hook me up with another bulb.

Anyone know where to source this Neo-wedge bulb type?

 

[NookShneer]

So you got the EIKO 8111 Minature bulbs? Did yours come with the little base as well? All I can find here is just the bulb which I guess you re-wire to the base. Not sure how these are on here. Looks like the bulb leads are pushed through the base and then wound around the sides. My old eyes can't see something that small so would like one with the base included.

Seems the full bulb type is something called T-1 1/2 Neo-Wedge. Seen something similar here:

T-1 1/2 Neo-Wedge Lamp 14V

I am not sure how to order from this place. I talked to @beno and he says the bulb is still available OEM. Depending on price I might go the OEM route to get this to be sure it fits. Would be set for another 30 years. Talking to the guy I bought the switch from to see if he can hook me up with another bulb.

Anyone know where to source this Neo-wedge bulb type?

Builds - FitzJ60 1983 FJ60 Build

Does it have the factory locker? It doesn't, locally I've been looking for awhile and haven't seen any come up locked. Most that I have seem to want to sell them as a pair. Planning on using Harrop e lockers at some point down the road.

forum.ih8mud.com

Check out post #128 (turn your phone sideways if it isn’t displayed)

I went thru how I swapped the LEDs for the defrost bulbs.

 

[89BIGBLUE]

So you got the EIKO 8111 Minature bulbs? Did yours come with the little base as well? All I can find here is just the bulb which I guess you re-wire to the base. Not sure how these are on here. Looks like the bulb leads are pushed through the base and then wound around the sides. My old eyes can't see something that small so would like one with the base included.

Seems the full bulb type is something called T-1 1/2 Neo-Wedge. Seen something similar here:

T-1 1/2 Neo-Wedge Lamp 14V

I am not sure how to order from this place. I talked to @beno and he says the bulb is still available OEM. Depending on price I might go the OEM route to get this to be sure it fits. Would be set for another 30 years. Talking to the guy I bought the switch from to see if he can hook me up with another bulb.

Anyone know where to source this Neo-wedge bulb type?

The OEM bulb will come with the plastic base. Yay!
The 8111 did NOT come with a base.
I put the 8111 in the plastic base, and then in the switch. The 8111 bulb is a smaller diameter than the T1, so it’s a bit loose in the plastic base. Not the best solution, but it lights, and I got a dozen of the bulbs for fairly cheap.
We’ll see how it goes.

 

[Gretsch]

Builds - FitzJ60 1983 FJ60 Build

Does it have the factory locker? It doesn't, locally I've been looking for awhile and haven't seen any come up locked. Most that I have seem to want to sell them as a pair. Planning on using Harrop e lockers at some point down the road.

forum.ih8mud.com

Check out post #128 (turn your phone sideways if it isn’t displayed)

I went thru how I swapped the LEDs for the defrost bulbs.

The OEM bulb will come with the plastic base. Yay!
The 8111 did NOT come with a base.
I put the 8111 in the plastic base, and then in the switch. The 8111 bulb is a smaller diameter than the T1, so it’s a bit loose in the plastic base. Not the best solution, but it lights, and I got a dozen of the bulbs for fairly cheap.
We’ll see how it goes.

OK thanks to you both. Swapping the actual bulb seems to be the way to go. I wasn't sure if the base was part of the OEM bulb or the bulb was just glued into the base as a unit. @beno confirmed for me the bulb is still available OEM (amazing). I'll see what the OEM cost is and then see if I want that or just go the 8111 route knowing I'll have to re-wire it to the base. Thanks again all.

 

[87CRUSR]

Builds - FitzJ60 1983 FJ60 Build

Does it have the factory locker? It doesn't, locally I've been looking for awhile and haven't seen any come up locked. Most that I have seem to want to sell them as a pair. Planning on using Harrop e lockers at some point down the road.

forum.ih8mud.com

Check out post #128 (turn your phone sideways if it isn’t displayed)

I went thru how I swapped the LEDs for the defrost bulbs.

How was the final fit?

 

[NookShneer]

How was the final fit?

It was good, to be clear I removed the led and swapped it into the old bulb holder and it works well and illuminated perfectly.

I’d recommend it.

 

[Gretsch]

It was good, to be clear I removed the led and swapped it into the old bulb holder and it works well and illuminated perfectly.

I’d recommend it.

So looking through the SuperBrite LED site you posted in your build thread regarding the LED swap......seems they have a ton of options for the NEO LEDs they sell. Did they not have any direct fit options where the LEDs have bases that fit into existing defrost switch holes? There site photos seem to show ones that would work without swapping anything. I am guessing here just by looking at the photos so wondering if you tried using a ready-made one and they for sure did not fit our switches even though they look like they do in the photos.

 

[NookShneer]

So looking through the SuperBrite LED site you posted in your build thread regarding the LED swap......seems they have a ton of options for the NEO LEDs they sell. Did they not have any direct fit options where the LEDs have bases that fit into existing defrost switch holes? There site photos seem to show ones that would work without swapping anything. I am guessing here just by looking at the photos so wondering if you tried using a ready-made one and they for sure did not fit our switches even though they look like they do in the photos.

The one I ordered was the closest dimension to the original. When I was looking they did not have any options that were a direct fit. Swapping the bulbs was a very simple process.

 

[Gretsch]

The one I ordered was the closest dimension to the original. When I was looking they did not have any options that were a direct fit. Swapping the bulbs was a very simple process.

OK thanks for the confirmation.