Ladies and Gents,

I have an interior task ahead of me with my 1979. None of my dash lights, or center console lights are working when the headlights are turned on. Also my high beam indicator does not come on, nor does my LH turn signal.

I am figuring burnt out bulbs. I also have a new Headlight switch.

My questions are this. Has anyone seen any video's, or taken detailed pictures of the removal of the dash and upper center console pieces to get to the backs of both to replace the bulbs? I am about to attempt this, but am not real sure where any "hidden" attachment points might be at. I used to have a 1979 Chevy pick up, but taking that dash apart was a piece of cake compared to this one. One thing I do notice, is there's a couple of screws or studs or something at the base of the upper center console, but I am not sure if it's a screw, a stud with nuts attached or what. I have tried finding detailed pictures on various sites, but they are not clear enough to see. I was hoping that a shop manual might have something in there on it, but again nothing.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, and thank you in advance!!!

 

The 1979 Corvette shop manual helps a little bit. Do you have one?

We '77+ owners are lucky compared to the previous as dash removal is FAR, FAR easier!

Essentially you remove the seats--NOT the bolts you see under the cushions--the bolts from four legs directly into the floor. You need lots of socket extension for the rear two.

Then you remove the console carpet covers--the screws "hidden" in the carpet pile at front, middle and rear.

Then you disassemble the console starting at the rear.

The parking brake cover has four screws--two into the each side near the rear and two into the front that go into the shifter/climate control bezel.

Then the climate control bezel. Eight fasteners--two at the rear already removed for the parking brake cover; four (two each side) in the middle that are very apparent and the two tricky ones at the front. The front ones connect that bezel to the gauge pack bezel. They're hard to see even with a strong light. You use a "shorty" #2 Phillips. The attachment tabs and screws in the shifter bezel are angled such that they go straight into the gauge bezel. You'll have to disconnect some electrical connectors but you'll easily see what to do.

Next the glove box liner. All fasteners are easily visible. Remove passenger side the A/C duct.

Take out the gauge pack. Six screws all easily visible. If you have the original radio it will probably have support bracket at one or both sides of the rear leading to the "tunnel" sides that must be removed first. Slide out the gauge pack bezel very carefully as there's a "lantern" (it lights the HVAC panel) on top that can easily tear the dash. The lantern electrical connector is mid way between the gauge pack and the glove box. There's a large vertical connector in the center that you release by pressing tabs at the top and bottom. Factory radios have two simple connectors (plus antenna--multiple if you have CB) but who knows what if it's an aftermarket.

Remove the trim panel beneath the steering wheel that holds the headlamp door override switch. Four easily seen screws. Remove the driver side A/C duct.

Drop the steering column slightly by removing the two easily seen bolts near the rear of the dash/console piece.

Remove the speedo lens and cluster. There are fasteners at the sides and top Removing the lens give you some flexing ability that helps when removing the cluster with the steering column still installed. There's one electrical connector for the cluster directly behind and between the turn signal indicator lamps. It is vertically oriented with release tabs at top and bottom. The speedo cable releases by a pressing the metal tab you'll feel at 6 o'clock position. .

Remove the "A" pillar trim. All fasteners are easily visible.

Remove the four fasteners for the dash--two at each side--easily visible with the doors open.

There are two large metal clips that retain the dash from underneath. One is above and to the left of the glove box, the other above and to the right of the steering column. They're reasonably easy to feel and see. Press up (towards the sky) and the entire dash "pops" away. Remove the dash very carefully--the little "ears" at the upper corners have a built-in flex joint but it may no longer flex after all of these years The ears may well break off but at least they break at the joint and are fairly easy to repair with some rubber cement and flat black paint.

Some may say that you don't have to remove the seats and the center console but believe me when I say that such not only makes the job MUCH easier (more room to work) but it greatly reduces the possibility of breaking plastic tabs and other things.

 

I'd start out by removing the speedo/tach housing cluster, you'll find instructions on how to do this at the first link below. Once you have this cluster out you can then test and look at the bulbs. Also take a look at the pcb for burned spots.

http://repairs.willcoxcorvette.com/w...structions.pdf

For removing the center console, if you go to this link.... and start on page 3 at the bottom where it shows you the shift console side panels... you can remove the center dash cluster with ease. You'd want to do the same on this by looking at the pcb for burned spots and then test your bulbs. http://repairs.willcoxcorvette.com/w...stallation.pdf

Since the bulbs are a 194 bulb these sockets and bulbs tend to have issues as well.

If you put power on one side terminal and ground to the other you can test the bulbs in the sockets out of the car to make sure they are working.

What you have to look for is two things... the finger wires on the bulbs and the connectors inside the sockets. Typically you can stick a tiny screw driver inside the sockets and bend the terminals inward so they make better contact with the bulb wires (they will pinch tighter). The bulb also has a tiny wire that you can get under with that same small screw driver and tweak it outward to make better contact... Or you can just buy new sockets and bulbs.

Willcox

The speedo tach pcb is shown below so you can trace the circuits


The center cluster pcb is shown below so you can trace the circuits.

 

You are aware that your headlight switch can be bad ...thus causing your gauge lights not to work....and there is a fuse for your instrument lights which can also be blown.

DUB

 

It's all useful anyway, as the instrument cluster has to come out to get to the headlight switch, correct ? I dug that far into my 78 to swap the illumination to red LED and pull the wiper switch and rebuild it. I can't see the headlight switch being accessible from underneath.

 

BRO THANK YOU. The whole time I’m fighting the dash I get on here and found your comments. The CORNERS FOLD DOWN!!!!!!!!! that’s all I needed. Dang so simple. Thanks for the tip.