Headlight switch and dash light brightness
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
From: dudley ma
Headlight switch and dash light brightness
all lights now work in dash but are not very bright. When I turn switch to brighten lights should'nt you be able to click it to turn on the courtesy lights? mine does not....... do I need a new switch?
thank you
thank you
Last edited by 78pace; Sep 16, 2009 at 06:14 AM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
From: dudley ma
Just rereading my post and it does sound as if I could have been more clear. I can turn the headlight switch and turn the dash lights off. Then turn it to brighten them. But they do not get very bright. The switch does not turn on the couresty lights.Do I need a new switch? Could a bad switch keep the dash lights from getting bright. Thanks bobs77vet for answeriing that part of the question.
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Last edited by 78pace; Sep 16, 2009 at 06:20 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,647
Likes: 1
From: East Aurora N.Y.
St. Jude Donor '10
The clusters don't get really bright on the brightest setting anyway....That being said, I'll bet that you have a couple bulbs out back there....I did , and your's is 1 year older than mine...I have 43k on mine , so mileage should not be a determinant in whether you think you have blown bulbs.....I'll put money on it....
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
I'm not sure how the '78 interior lighting is set-up. If the headlight switch is similar to earlier years, then turning the **** fully CW should cause the interior lights to come on. Question: Do the interior lights come on when you open the doors? I believe that later year C3's has an electronic light dimmer gizmo in the interior. If you do, does it work?
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
The switch "could" be the problem but when it comes to the interior lights the switch ONLY supplies the interior lights with a path to GROUND-the switch does not POWER the interior lights. "If" the switch is doing its thing internally AND the HL switch is in fact grounded AND the white wire is making contact at the switch AND the white wire is connected to the white wire courtesy light circuit the courtesy lights should come on if they work with the doors open. Its common on pre 78 models to find the switch ungrounded.
If you want to see if the switch is the problem as to the dash lights brightness just take a jumper wire from the courtesy light fuse to the inst light fuse and see if they get brighter-if they do get brighter then the switch has issues.
If you want to see if the switch is the problem as to the dash lights brightness just take a jumper wire from the courtesy light fuse to the inst light fuse and see if they get brighter-if they do get brighter then the switch has issues.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
From: dudley ma
Lights all work fixed that last week with new tach/speedo circuit board.....I will try the fuse to fuse idea later today. If so I will pull switch and try the contact cleaner
Thanks all
Thanks all
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
From: dudley ma
Well if the lights are not very bright to begin with maybe I am just chasing my tail. But, I cant turn the switch to the point where the courtesy lights come on so maybe by chasing that I will find out if the lights should be brighter
God if it wasnt for the vette I dont think I would have a life: LOL
God if it wasnt for the vette I dont think I would have a life: LOL
Last edited by 78pace; Sep 16, 2009 at 05:13 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
Likes: 3
From: Aurora Ontario
Well if the lights are not very bright to begin with maybe I am just chasing my tail. But, I cant turn the switch to the point where the courtesy lights come on so maybe by chasing that I will find out if the lights should be brighter
God if it wasnt for the vette I dont think I would have a life: LOL
God if it wasnt for the vette I dont think I would have a life: LOL
Jim
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
I'm just amazed that some vendor hasn't come up with a simple solid state brightness control for the light switch. That d@mn rheostat is an ancient technology...but, I guess it's cheap. A coil of resistance wire and a wiper is all it takes. But, it gets hot (if you dim the lights) and wears out with use/time. And the repro dimmer modules are absurdly costly for what's in them. Oh well....maybe one day....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,647
Likes: 1
From: East Aurora N.Y.
St. Jude Donor '10
....One other thing is when I turn the light **** all the way counter clockwise, it clicks to the brightest position...I now wonder if the "click" is the norm.......
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Yes the click is normal but the click is a tab forcing a metal tang to ground to light the courtesy lights nothing to do with the rheostat.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
You might want to try and ground one end of a wire and touch the other end to the nut that holds the light switch in the dash while turning the **** counterclockwise. If the courtesy lights come on try tightening the nut to see if that will ground the switch better.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,647
Likes: 1
From: East Aurora N.Y.
St. Jude Donor '10
