Technical What did i buy?

this was on ebay for 7 dollars. i figured if it is what its advertised as, it would be worth the price.

now that its here, it obviously isnt a mercury switch. it looks kind of like a capacitor.



i intended on using this as a switch on my '57 ford on the trunk to add a light.

 

It MIGHT be a switch. Put a meter across it and try it in different positions.

 

Now that you've got one of those, would you be interested in a bridge?

 

after some testing... its definitely a mercury switch. but it has one wire?

 

Common configuration. Run hot wire to light, then to switch, which is bolted to ground. and oriented to be open when lid/door/etc is closed and closed with lid/door is open.

 

I think it has a ball that rolls and makes contact inside the metal socket/housing. I messed with one like that on a '54 Chrysler. It took some electrical cleaner and WD to get it working consistently. You may find them in the trunk as well as under the hood, and the wire will sometimes be pinched between the inner and outer panels. Very exciting when that happens.

 

Under hood light?

 

It is called a mercury switch because it has mercury in it. There should be a place for a light bulb in the "switch".

 

All of the ones i have seen, the wire goes to power, the metal housing is ground, and there should be a socket for a bulb attached to the metal housing.

 

ahhh, okay, im definitely making use of this switch then.

 

i didnt hear anything when i shook it, and it works like a mercury switch with my test light.

 

trunk, plan is to have a light mounted solid underneath the parcel shelf.