headlight switch
 

How hard is it to change the headlight switch in 1985 Econoline?

This goes back some and some models you were able to get the switch from underneath the dash and others you needed to remove the push in plastic covering to get to the switch.
The better thing to do is to disconnect the battery negative cable, pull out the stick as if to put the headlights on, depress the release button on the bottom of the switch and remove the stick/stalk . Now you can remove the slotted nut that holds the switch to the dash. Unplug the old switch and plug in the replacement switch. Assembly is reverse of removal .

Thanks. I think it has a short, I understand shorts are common on Ford headlight switches.

Hi Rusty!
Lots of folks call an electrical problem a "short" when it may really be something else.
Would you please tell us what the problem was and maybe why you feel it is the headlight switch? You are at the source of the problem and we can only surmise what is really going on, so help us !

There is a dead short. The fuse on the lights stays hot even when the lights are off. The outgoing side should only be hot with the switch on. Have run a short test at the battery and there is a constant draw, which depletes the battery, when the battery is connected. At the present time, I have a quick connect on the ground side of the battery, so I can disconnect it, when the van is parked. If I have time today. I will unplug the switch and see if the short is still present.

Rusty,
You are confusing me, and it doesn't take much !
I'm not sure what you are trying to say when you say that one side of the fuse is hot and the other side shouldn't be. I will check if I have a wiring diagram for your vehicle and let you know what else may be drawing current.

Things like dome light switches, wiper parking mechanisms, glove box lites etc., can cause a battery drain if not in the fully off position. A defective diode assembly in the alternator can also do that. Make sure the ignition switch is getting to the full off position. Are there any add ons that could be getting current when the key is in the off position?