My problem seems to be in a new headlight switch. After pulling it apart, I am really confused. Looking at the slide operation for all the contacts, there is no way for current to make it across to all the terminals. Can anyone explain how this sucker works or am I missing something here. Maybe a schematic showing how current comes in and where it goes on each step of the switch pull would be a great help. I have searched threads until my eyes bleed and have not found this situation written up. The next step would be to buy another switch but that seems silly after just getting this one. I get no juice to headlights or dash lights. Just for ****s and giggles I ran a jumper from one slide contact over to the other and all lights worked. What am I missing here. Any help or diagrams would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Norm

 

Maybe if I bump this post a couple of times, someone will jump in with a possible solution. No doubt we have some great electrical minds on this forum so all I need is one guru to jump on board.
Thanks

 

You have a good question... But I don't know of a good drawing/manual that shows the exact location of each wire running to and from the headlight switch. The 'general' wiring diagram delineates the wires connected to the switch, but not exactly to which terminals. Sorry I can't help. Surely, someone has a drawing or photo of the 'wired' headlight switch.

 

Hi Norm,
I'm with 7T1 on this one.
I looked through my manuals and couldn't find anything about checking/servicing the switch. Just how to replace it.
Sorry!!!
Regards,
Alan

 

I have had mine apart as well. But no pictures. The part that slides has contacts...spring loaded. Are you missing some parts?

Closest i could find is a link for a disassembled early 60's vette

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...post1569367973

 

This is from the 78' Electrical manual. I think they are all the same.

Gary

 

Thanks to all for the help so far. Yes the early 60's switch is very different. The diagram is helpful. I now have everything figured out except for the dash lights. Just can't seem to get power over to them. Have two switches now so I know mine is OK. Nothing to do but keep scratching my head until the light bulbs come on!! May take some time but this will get solved.
Thanks again to all,
Norm

 

Norm,
If your dash lights don't work, it could be that the ground for them has gone bad. Get a jumper wire with an alligator clip on one end (not a must, but it helps). Hook one end (with clip or ?) to a known good ground location. Then turn on the parking lights and turn the dash reostat full "ON"; then touch the other end of the gound jumper to a chrome surface on your gauge cluster. If the lights in the gauge cluster turn "ON", you have a bad ground connection somewhere.

 

Thanks 7T1vette,
Probably should add this info into the equation, complete wire system is new from painless. I put in four dedicated ground systems for this car to make sure we had that problem covered. Looking at the diagram that DUKE94 added, do I see the dash lights getting a feed from the parking lights? This is the part that is so confusing because when the switch is opened up and you check the moving parts and contacts, I see no way for juice to move over to the dash light terminal. When I check the GM wire daigram for a C-3, can't find a back feed of power anywhere for this circuit. Looks like I will run my own jumper downstream and feed current from the parking lights over to dash lights. Not the Generals' way but it will work until my feeble mind comes up with a better solution. Thanks again to all,
Norm

 

Do you have the dimmer option. If the retrostat has a break in it the dash lights will not work. Thats the coil looking thing at the front of the switch.

Jim

 

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

 

Thanks Jim,
Yes, that part checked out OK. Even went so far as to purchase second switch but still have the same issue. When I hooked up my jumper wire, dash dimmer and everything works perfect. Scary part is burning this thing to the ground with something stupid I did. That is my reasoning for all this research, trying to get it right so you never have that little doubt nagging the dying brain cells of an old man. Thanks again and we keep looking.
Norm

 

If I understand you right you jumped from the brown wire on the switch to the green wire?.

The power to the dash lights is distributed through the dimmer retrostat I think not on a contact in the switch. The contact is in the front where the retrostat is. Do you see that bar with bend in it in the picture? Thats what creates the contact to send power to the dash lights.

Your switches are new so Its mind boggling why the power does not get distributed. You said the wiring is new too. Is the plug the correct one? Example you may have a plug for a non-dimmer setup and have a switch with the dimmer function. So although you may have the green wire it may not be positioned in the right pin in the connector.

Correct me if I'm wrong. My drawing(s) for wires going to and coming from the switch show the following:

1) A red wire going in and yellow going out for the headlights. Splits to the high/low beam switch after the yellow. This red comes from the starter and is hot at all times. Obvious because you can turn your headlights on at anytime.

2)Orange going in and brown coming out for the tail lights. Splits to the signals switch. The orange wire comes from the tail light fuse and is also hot at all times.

3) On instrument lighting the book says "hot at all times" from tail fuse"...thats the brown wire I mention above. Only two wires come out for the instrument panel lights. A green that feeds throught the INT LPS fuse and the black which is the instrument panel ground.

So your dash lights are suppose to feed of the brown anyway. I just don't understand why you have to use a jumper. By doing this you are bypassing the dimmer (in the drawing).

Jim

 

There seems to be some slight differences in the pin alignment. What year switches did you buy? It could be just the picutre angle but the back two prongs appear to be in a different location.

1968-1977
http://www.zip-corvette.com/Zip/prod..._campaign=link

1978-1982
http://www.zip-corvette.com/Zip/prod..._campaign=link

 

Maybe this will help. I'm betting the wires in the headlight switch connector are wrong.[IMG][/IMG]

 

Great info guys! Just made copies of everything and headed back out after lunch. Surely with all this in hand, should be able to get it working. Will check back in tonight with results.
Thanks again,
Norm

 

Jim, Dr Corvette, and all the others that jumped in to help,
Here is what I have at this point and verified by every test I know. Both switches are correct and from different suppliers. Pin alignment is correct. Color code on wire is correct. No blown fuses. No faulty grounds. No broken wires. Everything wired to factory specs just like on the schematic that DrVet posted. By the way, where did you get the colored schematic, really makes following wires very simple. When I pull the light switch out to the first position, which should be for parking lights, "NO" contacts in the switch are hot except for the big red bringing in power and is hot all the time. Pulling the switch all the way out will put power only to the blue wires at a center contact which in turn goes to the dimmer switch. High and low beam lights work off the dimmer as they should. That is it, nothing else works off the main light switch. What the heck have I done wrong here? Why is nothing hot on a switch terminal when the **** is pulled out to parking light position? This is the part that has me scratching my butt. At this point I am ready to wire it my way and the hell with GM. Vet will never be totally original anyway and I know I can wire it up to work my way. Thanks to everyone, I really appreciate all the ideas and suggestions.
Norm

 

From what I see in my schematic.

Yes BIG red should be hot. But big red ONLY powers the headlights....nothing else.

The power should be coming from the orange wire for the dash lights if I read the manual correctly. The orange is fused in the panel...should be marked Tail/LP fuse 20 amp. Check the orange for power. Do your tail lights work? The power should go through the switch to the brown which powers up the tail lights,rear marker lights, directional switch and licence plate light. check you signals in various positions including the 4 way flasher.

Once in the switch the power jumps from the orange goes through the dimmer and should power up the green wire which goes to the fuse panel. This green wire is the one tha supplies power for the dash lights. The green goes through a fuse in the panel then connects to a gray which goes to the dash light bulbs.

Where are you attaching the jumper?

 

JDP6000,
Went at it again this morning before your post and found the problem. Amazing but you were dead on the money. Where were you four days ago!! Found the orange wire pinched and cut behind my fuse panel. I must have done it when bolting things in. What a pain this has been but once again someone on this forum figured it out. Looked like I may have been getting some juice every now and then so it just really screwed me up in the testing area. One wire corrected and just as you predicted, everything works as it should. You guys are the best and I sincerely thank all who responded. Took some time but we got it.
Thanks again,
Norm

 

Anytime Norm.

We have a bunch of smart guys here. Together I think we can figure our just about anything.

All the best,

Jim