Headlight dimmer switch replacement?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
From: dudley ma
Headlight dimmer switch replacement?
Have been on a tear replacing interior issues. Have resolved quite a few thanks to the people on this forum. So, how about one more time. At some point I became unable to click highbeams on/off. Ended up just unplugging Highbeams at the lights themselves. Lets not ask how I got inspection stickers.
How difficult is it to replace the dimmer switch in the column of a 78? And could there be another reason for said issue
Thank you again
How difficult is it to replace the dimmer switch in the column of a 78? And could there be another reason for said issueThank you again
Last edited by 78pace; Sep 17, 2009 at 07:25 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
The dimmer switch is actually mounted to the column opposite the ignition switch- on the left side. IF you take the lower column cover off the bottom of the dash and look up you can see it. It could be a simple as the rod came out of the socket. Or the pivot for the turn lever is broken.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
on my 77 it was a major PITA to get at this switch....and i finally gave up on it.....i unplugged the headlight wires at the bottom of the steering column and hooked them into an old style foot activated dimmer switch.....they bascially plugged right in although i had to modify the plug slightly and i think i had to grind off a tab or something like that and i have never looked back, that was several years ago and life is still good.....
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
From: dudley ma
bobs77vet,
Do you remember what vehicle the foot switch came from. Or are they basicly all the same?
how do I identify the light plug at bottom of colunm? Is it the only one down there?
Do you remember what vehicle the foot switch came from. Or are they basicly all the same?
how do I identify the light plug at bottom of colunm? Is it the only one down there?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
it was foot dimmer switch for the last year that they made them but i think they are all the same for Gm cars......the switch has a female receptacle and the lug pattern matches up almost exactly with the connector under the dash with the exception of the tang that hooks the two connectors together. i stumbled upon it since i had an old foot switch and was looking at it and realized the connections were almost identical. i did make a small platform for the foot switch to sit on.
