Door Jamb Switches

[Frank Murch]

Hi

After cleaning these switches several times, I need to give up on this switches. I understand there are some options (none of which I have used).  I understand

1. There is an AC Delco Part #F6035 (UPC 21625479576)

2. Airtex/Wells Part # 1S1098 used in 1968 Ford Falcons and Torinos (also has numbers 88924188, DOOZ13713A, DIAZ13713E, D70Z13713A and SW110)

3. A Mercedes 1999-2000 CLK430 switch (square) WO133-1893249

These are all 3-pole switches.  I would rather not use a one or 2 pole and combine the circuits. 

What works and what did you do???  I would like to copy a success and experiment a little less

What cha think???

[Jason Edge]

The door jamb switches are simply taking the 3 light circuits to ground, completing the cicuits and turning the lights on. If any of these circuits are shorted its going to blow the same fuse (I believe body feed) regardless if the black ground wires are connected together or individually to go to ground when door is open. Taking the black ground wires, connecting them together and attaching to a single contact door jamb switch hurts nothing and is in principal the same as running each individual black wire to a switch that takes it to ground. My car was wired like this on driver side for 10+ years.  If you think about it, the switch is actually just introducing the contact between the 3 ground wires just past where they connect to the switch, directly at the switch point.

In house wiring this would be the same concept as if you had a double gang outlet box with the ground wires, attached to ground feed via one wire nut, or two separate room outlets on the same circuit across the room from each other. They both terminate with the same ground circuit  and an "issue" at the outlet or further up the hot side of each circuit will cause the same shared circuit breaker to jump.

The absolute easiest way to test the individual light circuits on these 3 contact door jamb switces is to: pull the light switch, unplug each of the 3 black wires and touch each male tip to the metal lip.   3 things happens:
1) light works meaning that circuit is good 
2) light doesn't come on, bulb probably needs replacing or loose wire or break,
3) or fuse blows...short in circuit. You simply don't attach the bad circuit to switch until you have found the problem.

I just reposted the a video testing the light circuits via the door jamb switch ground wires, back when I had a 2 contact switch, (I've got the factory 3 contact switch) at this link: http://youtu.be/hk41yxlF3aM

Here is the video embedded:

[Frank Murch]

Thanks, but I would rather not use a one or 2 pole and combine the circuits. 

All the wiring is 50 years old.  By isolating the three circuits a problem in one will not knock out the other 2. With 50 year old wiring it is very possible there will be problems. Particularly in the doors where the wiring is actually moved – causing a flex every time.  So the reason to search out a 3-pole switch is that it has an isolation advantage.