Melted Rocker Switch holder and control panel plugs

[EdW]

Hello All, I'm working the restoration of my Gen 2000. Cleaning the control panel I noticed that the grey rocker switch holder is melted one one end on the underside of the control panel. My model also has 3 black plastic plugs that go on right hand side of control panel to hold it to frame. The middle plug is fine but likewise the two end plugs are melted on the underside. I haven't fired up the grill yet as I'm just getting it put back together from painting etc. I have brand new Weber burners, but still have original manifold ... which I'm hoping to re-use due to cost. Any ideas on what may have caused those parts to melt? Many thanks in advance, this forum is so unbelievably helpful to noobs like me, truly appreciate it. - Ed

 

[Ron G.]

For starters (hey, an unintentional pun) it's NOT a rocker switch; it's an igniter for lighting the burners. AFAIK Weber never built in any Electrical accessories. Mine is a bit newer than yours, but these are usually Piezoelectric devices -they generate the spark by compressing some sort of Crystal material. Each of the wires should go to the corresponding burner, where you should find a spark-gap device, with a metal electrode held close, but not touching some metal near a hole on the burner. When you "click" the igniter button, it produces a spark at each of the igniter-equipped burners.

From the number of wires you are describing, I would bet that one is Ground, to the body of two igniters, with one Hot wire igniting the Main burner and maybe the other to a Side Burner if your Genesis has / had one.

I wonder if it was melted, maybe someone had a gas leak under the control panel, or maybe left the grill on on High too long / forgot to shut it down and it over-heated with heat collecting under the control panel?

Mine still lights on the first click almost every time! Sounds like you need to procure a new igniter assembly, but also check the spark-gap devices near the associated burners.

 

[LMichaels]

Those things you're calling plugs I believe are the remnants of spider guards. Odds are the previous owner never maintained the grill and had a huge grease fire. If it was that bad you might want to look at the fire box carefully for burn through and warpage. I've seen a number of them like this and it renders the fire box pretty useless.

 

[EdW]

For starters (hey, an unintentional pun) it's NOT a rocker switch; it's an igniter for lighting the burners.

I agree, just going by what Weber calls those parts (see below). I've added pics to show exactly what I was talking about the plastic plugs on end. The plug in the pic is the only survivor of the three. Since I cleaned the control panel better, I was able to make out the Model number as 430000, which would make this a Genesis 4000 and not a 2000 correct? The only difference I can see from my grill vs the pics of a 4000 is that mine does not have the cooktop to the right of the control panel, rather I have the wood workspace instead. Mine also does not have the drop wood table on far right. I have the serial # and will call Weber tmrw to see what this thing is

 

[Greg M]

You might already know this but you can find that rocker switch, bracket for the rocker switch, and the end plugs on eparts.com. I replaced all of those parts when I recently restored my genesis 1000.

 

[LMichaels]

yep that baby definitely had a heck of a fire

 

[Ron G.]

OK - The pics and Parts List are useful (Have not had to look-up anything on mine yet, because it all still works perfectly)

I was surprised that Weber actually CALLS IT a "Rocker Switch" (even though, technically, that IS NOT what it actually is...)
But nit-picky semantics aside:

From what I can see on your pic - It actually looks like it did not melt. To me, it looks more like the pivots simply broke / snapped-off and it got a little "crud" on it.
But - if I were you, I would replace the Switch, the Switch Bracket, and the Ignitor that mounts into it (the thing that actually "clicks" and produces the spark).
Plus, like I said earlier - see if the spark-Gap devices at the burner(s) all look good, because you may need to replace those as well.
[For the Main Burners - you usually only find a Spark Gap Device on the front burner. Once that one is lit, the other burners ignite via the small cross-over tube that carries the flame from the front to the middle and rear burners.]

Hope this helps

 

[EdW]

OK - The pics and Parts List are useful (Have not had to look-up anything on mine yet, because it all still works perfectly)

I was surprised that Weber actually CALLS IT a "Rocker Switch" (even though, technically, that IS NOT what it actually is...)
But nit-picky semantics aside:

From what I can see on your pic - It actually looks like it did not melt. To me, it looks more like the pivots simply broke / snapped-off and it got a little "crud" on it.
But - if I were you, I would replace the Switch, the Switch Bracket, and the Ignitor that mounts into it (the thing that actually "clicks" and produces the spark).
Plus, like I said earlier - see if the spark-Gap devices at the burner(s) all look good, because you may need to replace those as well.
[For the Main Burners - you usually only find a Spark Gap Device on the front burner. Once that one is lit, the other burners ignite via the small cross-over tube that carries the flame from the front to the middle and rear burners.]

Hope this helps

Couldn't agree more, why didn't they call it Ignitor Switch? Oh well, yeah the switch holder is def melted, probably a bad angle and the two plastic plugs on the end were all melted too. I have brand new ignitor and burners, soon ordering a new switch, and all the other little bits n pieces. It's a fun project, addictive.

Greg M, thanks for the tip I will look there too!
Ed

 

[EdW]

Wow, just spoke to Weber people, unreal customer service. I needed that switch and the piece that holds it, some various small pieces like end plugs etc and the left hand slide table hardware. They charged me for the slide table and the switch and threw in the rest various small pieces. Everyone here on TVWBB said that Weber Grill cust service was something and it is. Turns out my grill is a Genesis 2, not a 2000. She said its from the 1980's!