Headlight switch, Exterior mirror switch fixes.

["stevepeck1" <stevepeck1@xxxx>]

This list has givem me THOUSANDS of dollars of great advice in the 
four weeks I have owned my DMC. I'd like to throw a little back, for 
what this may be worth to you. Fair warning: I make up words where 
I don't know their names...

My Headlight switch was misbehaving. It took some 6-8 pokes to 
finally engage. As a fix, I took the switch apart (very simple) 
Cleaned and tightened the electrical connections and added 
a "friction strip" between the black casing and the steel "click 
controller" bar. 

The bar it turned out was flopping around and dropping out of its 
channel.

The friction strip I used was simply a 1" by 3/8" stip of stiff paper 
folded in thirds.

Switch works like new. Maybe better. good luck with yours.

My Exterior Mirror switch was also misbehaving. 

The fix for it it turned out was to straighten the metal parts that 
were a bit bent. 

The control "joystick" pulls off with a good yank, and the casing 
opens by cutting off the plastic melt-downs with a razor blade. Pull 
the switch apart, being careful not to let springs and ball bearings 
fly everywhere. You should not need to adjust anything on the 
joystick side at all. Just put back the bearings onto the springs 
and back onto the "quattropus" and set it aside. The three dumbell-
looking parts go onto springs on the switch. I found that a dab of 
grease also acts like glue to hold lightweight things where they 
belong. 

Clean the contact surfaces of everything with dull sandpaper,steel 
wool or a pencil eraser! The "disk" is the critical component. Mine 
was bent in several ways. You will want to straighten things so that 
everything is parallel. You'll understand once you're in there.

Assembly is simple. You will need to re-seal the casing by using a 
electronics-type soldering iron. If you use a plumbing-type one 
you'll melt everything! Just touch it to each of the places where 
you sliced off the plastic "melt-downs" and you can also "weld" the 
back to the casing by sliding the soldering iron along the seam. 
Works like new...

My dash dimmer switch was also not working. Disassembly and a dab of 
epoxy and solder and it now works OK... Not perfect...

Good luck

-Steve #3302