The other night when I was returning from a camping trip in the mountains, I had some headlight switch problems. The dash lights on the truck, and the marker lights on the trailer kept flashing on and off.

The problem was traced to a bad ground connection on the trailer itself, but the real problem is this.

I purchased a new headlight switch from NAPA, thinking the problem was in the switch. I removed the old switch, installed the new switch, but I could not get the push/pull handle to lock in place. The push/pull handle does lock in place with the old switch. I tried three other new switches at the NAPA store, all with the same results. Is the quality control really this bad, or are the new switches missing something?

Has anybody else had this problem, and did you find a switch that worked with the old stem?

On mine, the knob had to go on the shaft in only one position for the tab to "catch". But that was a switch that had "LIGHTS" engraved in it.

mrfixit said:

On mine, the knob had to go on the shaft in only one position

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Ahh Too easy, wrong forum...

Yes Doug, it is that bad.

All the more reason to buy NOS OEM or Motorcraft replacement parts.

D

Lesson learned. I'll try a Motorcraft part. Thanks everybody. CaFordDude, wrong forum? What forum should I have used?

Ok, I'll ask the dumb question............did you push the button on the side of the switch?

fatherdoug said:

CaFordDude, wrong forum? What forum should I have used?

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Haha nah. He was referring to how he could spin Tom's post to be something dirty, but he didn't want to cuz we're not in the lounge

And yeah, Motorcraft FTW

Yes, I always push the button before I pull on the knob!!!!!!!, so to speak.

Aside from the electrical components, the problem is the quality of the locking system that the button actuates.