Got a gremlin 'round here...

That's just doing some wierd shutt. First the H & now the 400. The 400's malady was only temporary, though. I don't quite know what I did wrong or if it was even my fault. The 400 is wired up with a fresh harness & headlights. Twelve volt conversion & all that jazz. Finally got the battery box drilled & functional. I spent today tighening up the rest of the tractor, minus the hood tin. Just in case something goes a-wry. I conected the battery & just because, I tried the lights first. No lights. There was a hiss & all the magic smoke came out of something, but what? I pulled the ground off of the battery & looked over top of the valves at the back of the dash. Couldn't see a thing. I reconnected the ground & ran around to look behind the dash again. The lights came on when I turned the switch this time. No smoke. I grabbed a stool so I could get a better look back there. The coiled resistor(?) on the light switch was melted. A strand of molten wire did not fall all the way off & fused the broken circut. Lights work. Tractor turned over & fired right up after a few cranks, so no problems there. Charges just fine, too. Should I even worry about the light switch or, if it fixed itself, should I fix it again? If I replace it, is there a 12v switch? I thought they were all the same. It's been converted for a year or two & haven't had a problem with the lights, 'till today.

Thanks,
Mike

The wire wound resistors are open to the air. As they heat and cool, they oxidize, eventually getting thin enough to glow red then burning out. If any different, or brighter lights are used, or if the lights have a short to ground in the wires it will burn the resistor immediatly. a 2 ohm 60 watt ceramic power resistor can be used in its place. Jim

That "coil" is for your headlights 'dim' function.

Sounds like ya need a new light switch and all will be well and completely funtional again.

Allan