Time delay relay for lignition key.

The relay that times the title light, key, etc is availed on eBay nos. But I was looking for a cheap source or even new technology timer that could be substituted. Any ideas?

While I am no electronics expert, I would imagine this "timer" is really nothing more than a capacitor. Stores energy while the circuit is powered and burns off the energy lighting the light when the power is off. Once the available energy in the capacitor is gone the light goes off.

Where the expertise is needed is sizing the capacitor to do what you want it to do.

https://www.eeweb.com/extreme-circuits/car-interior-lights-delay

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/light-delay

http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=2066

https://www.amazon.com/Dome-Light-Dimmer-Delay-Timeout/dp/B016B414PI

It's just a capacitor, is something wrong with the one you have?

The original module from the factory did not use a capacitor at all. It was just a thermal driven device. Think of it as a one shot 552 turn signal module. Once the door would open creating a ground, the winding on one blade would heat up, flex toward the other blade, make contact and light the key light, map light, etc. Door shuts, blade cools down in thirty seconds or so pulls away and breaks contact. Bulbs turn off. Simple as that.







Jim

On mine, the post with the heating element and the insulation sock broke from of its weld.

It was used in a wide range of vehicles from the 70s through the 80s including vans...I've got a whole bag of them from going to the boneyard..It's easier to simply replace it with another one and not worry about it for years to come...

I just came to that conclusion. I pull a real nice one out of a low mileage 69 NYer from my parts car collection. Looks like I’ll hit the wrecking yard to see what’s left.

IF you don't have any luck PM me and I'll pull one or two out for you from my lifetime supply...

Thanks for the offer.. I found a couple of them on some junk wiring harnesses I have saved so this will get me out of my immediate spot. I need to go to the junk yard anyway for some other parts anyway.