Re-wiring Factory Connectors? Flasher Replacement?

[SMILLER@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject vehicle:  1990 E30 325i

I attempted to change my turn signal/hi beam switch this weekend
(separate post yesterday).  After removing the steering wheel, lower
steering column cover and all the under-dash trim and such, I discovered
that the old switch's harness includes a wire for (I think) the horn (it's
brown with a yellow stripe and connects to a plunger that contacts a
ring on the steering wheel).  The replacement switch (cheap, used) did
not have this wire.  (The replacement switch has the button for the OBC,
which the old one does not have.  I'm trying to fix an unusual headlight
problem, and the hi beam switch is just a guess, but I'm going to upgrade
to the OBC some day, so this fix has a dual purpose.  I expected more
wires in the replacement connector, which it had, but I didn't expect to
have to give up use of the horn!)

My first thought was to remove the wire and its pin from the old switch's
harness and install it in the replacement switch's harness.  However, it
was not clear to me how to remove the pin from the connector without
destroying the old connector.  If for some reason the replacement switch
doesn't work, I would want to switch back (pun intended) to the old
switch.

Questions:  Is it possible to remove a pin from the old connector and
install it in the new connector, without destroying the old connector? 
How?  Special tools?  If not, can I buy the pins, solder a wire on and
install it in the connector?

The connector in question has places for 13 wires, two of which (ends)
are a larger guage than the others.  The brown/yellow wire in question
looks like it may be a narrower gauge than most of the other wires, or
maybe not.  All the pins are round in cross-section.

If I can't modify the replacement switch connector, I'll have to return it to
my friendly local used parts supplier and see if they have the right one.  It
would have been nice to have the old switch out for comparison when I
bought the replacement, but that would have required disabling the car
with the risk of not getting the right part and having to put it back together
again without fixing anything.  So instead, I bought the replacement
switch first, then took the car apart, and put it back together again
without fixing anything.  Hmmm, maybe I need to rethink my strategy.

Oh, the flasher:  There is a square box attached to the steering column
and connected to the turn signal switch by 3 wires, which I assume is
the flasher.  This seems like a kind of stoopid place for the flasher, since
it requires steering wheel removal to access, and you're supposed to
take it to the dealer to remove the steering wheel (air bag, you know). 
So, should I replace the flasher while I'm there as a preventative
measure, or should I just leave it there, since it works now?  How long
do E30 turn signal flashers last?

Side note:   About a year ago I asked about ways to make the large
rectangular switches work better (fog light, rear defroster).  The
suggested solutions all required removing the switches.  Now the fog
light switch is misbehaving and the rear defroster switch broke.  Did
Lucas have a contract with BMW for these parts back in 1990?  Or did
BMW figure out how to make lousy switches on their own?

TIA for any answers to life's difficult questions.

Scott Miller
Golden Gate Chapter
BMW CCA #44977
1990 325i/is hybrid

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