76 Eldorado lamp monitors

[7gen]

Poking around in the car I just bought this year, I found a disconnected rear lamp monitor unit. The fiber optics have been cut. Shining a light on the cut ends indicates that the rest of the unit works fine.

How bad is this to repair? Can it even BE repaired as it would mean somehow reconnecting a severed fiber optic line? Not anything crucial, just thinking of a few winter projects.

I'm also thinking of running new fiber optic to get the high beam indicator working on my front lamp monitors. All other monitors are champion, just the one seems to be a problem. How bad is this to get into?

Thanks!!

[TJ Hopland]

I have read that these can be diy repaired fairly easily.   Trick is to get as clean of a cut as possible.  Most cutting methods and tools tend to mash what you are cutting.    Get a clean cut and then use electrical heat shrink tubing to keep the ends together. 

[7gen]

Well, I might try it, then. I did some reading based on your tip, found a site that sells fiber optic cutters, splicers and connectors and might give it a go this winter. I'll start with the rear lamp monitors - the unit is nonfunctional right now anyway so I can't hurt it!

Thanks for the tip!!

[Glen]

I had fiber optic connector making lessons but never did much of it.  This was for computer systems.  The ends of the fiber optic were sanded to be perfectly square.  This was done with a block with a hole just the right size to hold the fiber, and a very fine sandpaper.   The end was inspected with a powerful magnifying glass to be sure there were no imperfections then glued into the connector with a clear glue.
The connector is just another piece of the same plastic the fiber is made of with fittings to hold it to the piece it is to connect to. 
Ordinary Plexiglas works well as a fiber optic conductor.   

TJ’s remarks are correct.  My comments are to give more information that may spark some ideas.