Greetings!

Newbie here... Just got my first Camaro, 91 Z28 TPI 305, needs a little love but sound and solid. Gotta say I already love working on it, which is good since whenever the woman drives it it breaks...

Anyhoo, both the rear defrost and fog light switches are shot, the physical switch internals are snapped off to the switches don't actuate. These things seem to be tough to get replacements for, so I think I want to replace them with toggles... but, when you look, of course you see these don't appear to simply be 'just' switches... they have guts, little diodes and whatnots etc. Is it OK to rig the fog lights and rear defrost to standard toggle switches? Will it work? Anything I should know before I attempt it, like oh, have a backup 'puter on hand cuz I'll fry it when I do this wrong?

I searched the forum a bit and didn't find any threadies on the subject...

 

I have a foglight switch and can get a rear defrost if you're interested. PM me

 

PM sent!

 

Neither have anything to do with the computer, so no worries frying that.

Both have fuses - worst case scenerio is that you fry a fuse or switch wiring.

BUT - in all honesty, if it were me, I'd located switches. You can find them on ebay alot of times - just search "82 92 Camaro fog switch" or "82 92 camaro defrost switch" and you'll find them. Today, there is only brand new very expensive fog switches, but several cheap defrost switches available to bid on. You just have to look every few days and be patient til you find one. And, being yellow print, they tend to be a bit more elusive and cost more (not as many ever made). But that's the fun of the hunt!

The switches are complicated inside b/c of the little lights that light up, and because of having instrument lights in them so you can see the switches at night.

Also, the defroster switch has a timed circuit built into the switch - when you turn on the rear defroster it only works for about 5 minutes or so, and then it shuts itself off (since you no longer need it b/c window should be clear).

And the foglight switch has internal mechanism that turns off the fog lights when hi beams are on - no need to see the road at your feet when your obviously looking way down the road, so when hi beams are on the switch cuts off the fogs until you go back to low beams.

That's why they 'look' so complicated inside.

If using a toggle for either, I'd incorporate a relay - most toggles these days are el cheapo china/taiwan junk, and won't handle (even if it is rated for it) the amperage (especially on the fogs).