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300TDi CSW Phil

Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 852

1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Epsom Green

Door Switches - Classic Defender

My rear light has been pretty much non functional for several months and the front one has been a bit iffy.

I think we all know that the switches that operate these are very basic and probably designed in the 1960's with bits of exposed copper which make contact when the relevant door is open.

When I took the rear door (safari) switch out the copper was almost navy blue in colour and I had a brain wave. Previously I have used contact cleaner and a toothbrush to clean them up but.....

A squirt of contact cleaner and left for a few minutes while I got my little ultrasonic cleaner out.

I took the rubber bits off and put them with a fairly weak solution in the ultrasonic cleaner and set it running. It defaults to 3 minutes but I decided in for a penny and all that and set it to the max of 5 minutes. Waited for the beep and then had a look.

They were a lot more copper coloured but I thought I could do better so another 5 minutes was applied.

Result more copper coloured and tested to have zero resistance on my multi meter rather than the 1.2 Mega Ohms it started with.

Click image to enlarge

I should have taken a before photo but if I'm honest I didn't expect it to work.

With this success I took the front switches out and gave them the same treatment... success the iffy operation has gone, on and off every time now.

Then I did the contact plate and switch contact out of the rear fitting and it is better but the earth connection via the nut and stud on the backing plate doesn't appear to be copper but has cleaned up enough that it is working.

I have already ordered the MUD interior lights to replace the originals as the little LED panel lights I have in them keep dropping and then not diffusing properly through the lens, but at least I know they will definitely work when I put them in. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green- Slowly Turning into Keswick Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS

28th Aug 2025 6:27pm

donmacn

Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1909

That looks really good. The ‘boss’ has mentioned an ultrasonic cleaner recently - maybe I should cave in (and drag my interior light switches off the back shelf where I abandoned them about 10 years ago!

Since then, when I want light I switch something on.

Is the cleaner anything special, or just one of those wee jewellery cleaning jobs? Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...

28th Aug 2025 7:37pm

300TDi CSW Phil

Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 852

Nothing at all special, it is a cheapy 600ml capacity Amazon special with some Sea clean2 metal jewellery cleaner which is said to remove "tarnish, rust and carbon" the only warning is not to use it on plated metals but I thought the copper would be OK.

I went in to the whole endeavour with the view that as it didn't work before I had nothing to lose and potentially £15 to put to something else instead of new switches. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green- Slowly Turning into Keswick Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS

28th Aug 2025 8:13pm

300TDi CSW Phil

Member Since: 03 Apr 2016
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 852

I should also say that it has done a better job than the toothbrush and contact cleaner that I did during Covid Boredom. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green- Slowly Turning into Keswick Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home
M0XQS

28th Aug 2025 8:14pm

donmacn

Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1909

Thanks Phil - worth knowing.

Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...

28th Aug 2025 8:36pm

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