'94 Chev K3500 continually cooking light switches

[T. Shane Freeman]

As my topic describes, my '94 Chevy K3500 is having problems continually cooking the light switch.

 

Not that it matters but my '94 Chev has a 454 V8 and is an automatic. It's also a 4 wheel drive as indicated by the 'K' in its name. This truck also came equipped with daytime running lamps, which was standard on canadian trucks of that era.

 

The first sign of any problems after installing a new headlight/park lamp switch is that you can smell the presence of a hot plastic within the cab. When you hold your thumb against the switch, you can actually feel it hot to the touch. Even though this is happening, the light still work properly until a rapid clicking noise can be heard coming from the switch itself. The daytime running lamp dash indicator begins rapidly flashing on and off, almost faster than you can focus on it. The radio has also been known to power down/off. At this point the light switch has deteriorated to the point where the lights may or may not work anymore. However, no fuses ever blow.

 

This is the point where the switches integraty is too much of a liability and I have to change the switch. This process only takes a couple of weeks to completely ruin a new switch.

 

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas or input for me. I'm at the point where I'm tempted to re-wire the entire system.....but I have a suspition that if this problem was associated to a dead short somewhere in the system that fuses should be popping......but they aren't!

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

 

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[jdnoble18]

Do you have stock bulbs?

[T. Shane Freeman]

For headlights, I'm running GE Nighthawks. Stock clearance on top of cab and stock front turning signals. Everything else is Grote LED clearance, brake, and turn signals.

 

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[ChevyTech77]

Sounds like excessive load somewhere or a poor connection at the switch itself.