I'm thinking that we are just seeing the end of the service life of some components. How many times over the last 260xxx miles and 24 years has that switch been operated?
No Brake Lights or Turn Signals, but Head, Tail, and Reverse Lights Work.
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someotherguy
Truly Awesome
If your truck was a BMW then that switch would outlast -everything- else.
Richard
Fair point. All the switches on my Merc function as they should. That stupid-ass hydraulic suspension not so much....If your truck was a BMW then that switch would outlast -everything- else.
Richard
seanwiklepleck
Newbie
I am also having issues with my 97 C1500. No turn signals or passenger side brake light. Also, the 20 amp fuse blows thats why I lose turn signals. Any help would be appreciated.
...and your cooling system would barely outlast the warranty.If your truck was a BMW then that switch would outlast -everything- else.
Eveready
I'm Awesome
Seems like I read that a lot of Beamers went to the crusher way early because of soy based wiring insulation. In an effort to be "green" they turned the wiring harness into not only mouse food but a mouse magnet. That really great switch would look funny with all the wiring gnawed off right up to it. Can someone refresh my memory on that problem?
My history with German cars is with Benzes. Great to drive but unnecessarily complicated engines with lots of very well engineered small parts that cost a bloody fortune to replace. My private theory was that it was a mode of revenge for us winning the war. I was REALLY tempted once to drop a Ford small block engine and trans into a Benz sedan. Double the power, 14 pounds heavier, same front oil sump. Just didn't have the money or the time when I had the temptation.
I'm on my second Benz, with a Beemer in between. I love driving mine, now that I removed the hydraulic suspension. That was great when it worked, but started failing regularly.
In the late '90s the German government mandated that every bit of a car be recyclable. BMW went with soy-based insulation on the wiring and biodegradable plastic in the cooling system. Hence, the first thing you do on any BMW is trash the cooling system and buy aluminum pieces. BMW could have done it at the factory, but the ultimate driving machines needed to be made cheaply. Look on FB Marketplace and I'll bet you can find at least three E36/E46 BMWs with cooked motors for sale, cheap. I think the wiring is more of a problem on the 5 and 7 series, where they ran enough computing power to monitor a manned Mars space flight.
Any which way, it was a rough decade for BMW, reliability-wise, and even knowing as much as I do about wrenching, I wouldn't own a BMW out of warranty. I think that now they've improved the plastics technology and have cars that can be both absolutely recyclable and more reliable.
Any which way, it was a rough decade for BMW, reliability-wise, and even knowing as much as I do about wrenching, I wouldn't own a BMW out of warranty. I think that now they've improved the plastics technology and have cars that can be both absolutely recyclable and more reliable.
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