I recently replaced my headlight switch due to the gauge light dimmer shorting out.
I'm now on my 4th new switch, from 3 different vendors.
The original dimmer issue is solved, but now I'm getting flickering from the center cluster gauges only, as well as an irregular headlight warning lamp.
Both of these symptoms seem to be related with the hi-beam floor switch. When the lights are on, and I step on the hi-beam switch, the center gauges tend to flicker, and the warning light will act up.
I thought the first new switch was faulty, and then the second, and then third was just a wrong order, as I didn't realize it was not the type with the vacuum ports
Starting to come to the realization that it's not the switch!
Any clues where to look?
It seems like a ground issue somewhere, but not sure where else to check.


Also - none of the switches I tried do a good job of retaining the pull ****. The little spring/button that releases and retains the end of the shaft, are not very effective. Is there a secret to getting it to lock in properly?

 

The **** and shaft should be one piece. That shaft/**** assembly is removed by depressing that spring-loaded button on the side of the switch. To reassemble it, you should only have to insert the shaft and push it fully inward to re-engage that detent.

I suspect that you problem lies with proper grounding of the electrical components in the dash area. There is a ground wire which runs from the forward pillar post of the driver's door to the metal at the speedometer/tach housing. The headlamp switch also gets ground and there can be connection problems with that wiring. The gauge cluster ground is separate from those, but different depending on model year. Early C3's have a ground wire coming from the trans tunnel area; later years have a circuit board in the gauge area which receives ground at that point.

You should realize that your problem may reside in MORE than one area. You symptoms would indicate a grounding issue AND a problem with the HI/LO foot switch/wiring.

 

Thanks 71. Yeah, I know I've got ground tracing in my plans this weekend. I was trying to do this fix without fully dropping the steering column,so I'm struggling with the left side dash not giving me a lot of room to work behind.
I see the ground wire connected well at the left hinge pillar area. And I know the switch itself grounds directly to the Speedo metal via a small stamped finger bracket. I just can't get back there sufficiently to see what's happening behind the Speedo. The flickering lights seems to vary if I'm jiggling the switch wires so there is a clue there. The hi beam switch and connector seem solid electrically as i don't get any flickering from there unless I depress the switch.
As for the shaft of the switch, the detent on the tip of the shaft doesnt seem to be well retained by the spring button on the switch. Each of the 4 switches fail to retain the shaft after only a few cycles. And I don't see any damage to the tip of the shaft either.

 

Hi! Bergerboy, I have the same problem as you, when it comes to the light switch coming out when the **** is pulled. I replaced my switch about three years ago. It has come out about four or five times on me. I thought the next time it come out I might take a small file and try to file the grove a little more to see if it helps. I think like you said I just don't think the the tip dopes into the grove.
Hope you find what is causing your other problems.

 

Did you notice the warning sheet that came with the switch