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OK, I was finally able to download the Willcox instructions on my phone (neither computer will download it though), and email it to myself.
It looks like Willcox recommends the steering column to be removed - yikes!! Tknospdr - did you find any other instructions? This method seems pretty involved unless you are going to try it with the steering column in place? I guess if I ever have to do this, that'll be the time to get my steering column rebuilt.
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
On the job training!
Yes! When the suggestion to remove the dash came up I knew that 'remove the steering column' was the first step but I wanted to see the OP's reaction to that.
That doesn't look TOO bad, and it looks like you'll have pretty good access to the switch connector at 5:45 in the video. I was a little worried about this paragraph in the Willcox instructions:
People that attempt to replace the headlamp switch without taking out the dash pad will almost 100% of the time break the sub-straight of the dash pad between the speedometer and the tachometer.
I'm not sure what the 'sub-straight of the dash pad' is?
So is there anything else in line that I can check before moving to the switch?
What's directly attached to the other end of the blue wire for the dimmer?
What's directly attached to the other end of the blue wire for the dimmer?
The blue wire runs from the headlight switch to the dimmer switch, with a junction someplace between the two. At the junction, the blue wire splits off and also runs to the 'headlight door' warning light. I highlighted that circuit in blue in the diagram below. The junction is most likely just as difficult to get to as the switch (and might actually be AT the switch. Did your headlight door warning light work before? I think it would have lit up momentarily when you turned on the headlights, and then would go out when the headlight doors fully opened. One thing that you could possibly try (but not positive it would tell us much), is to find the wire that attaches to the switches under the headlight doors, and ground that wire while the headlight switch is on. If the headlight door warning light turns on, then the switch is probably good. If the warning light doesn't go on, then the bulb might be burned out or the headlight switch is still possibly bad. I highlighted the wire that runs from the headlight door warning light to the switch in 'orange'.
Other than that, I think the best approach is to check the headlight switch, unless anybody else has any other suggestions.
I have a red headlight lamp on my instrument cluster that comes on when I turn on my headlights, but it stays on constantly until I turn the headlights off. Is that what you’re talking about?
I have a red headlight lamp on my instrument cluster that comes on when I turn on my headlights, but it stays on constantly until I turn the headlights off. Is that what you’re talking about?
Yes, that should be it - does it still light up when you turn on the headlight switch? Most likely, your switches under the headlights are non-operational, which is why the light stays on.
No, the light as I expected is currently not lighting up, and since the dead blue wire goes to both the lamp and the switch I guess I'll be spending Saturday afternoon replacing my light switch.
So that light isn't supposed to be on all the time? I just figured it was on to let me know that headlight doors were open.
The switches under the headlight doors are notorious for breaking. My light is not operational, but I'm fairly certain it is supposed to go out once the doors fully open. Once you get the lights working, you can disable the dash warning light by unplugging the wires at the switches (if you dare to attempt another project 😉 ).
Last edited by bradleyb66; Mar 11, 2021 at 11:42 PM.
Put a new headlight switch in, it's not fun, and the bottom of my dash panel now has a weird angle to it that wasn't there before. Someone that was incredibly sloppy took this interior apart before and just put it back together with whatever screws they could find, and if holes didn't line up they just made new holes. I want them dead... Also, what's that hole in my lower dash, there's one on the passenger side too?
Anyway, started the engine, turned on the lights, and they worked. Then I put the high beams on, and they started flickering. Turned the engine off and the lights stayed on, but were still flickering. When I'm on low beams they don't seem to flicker. Still have to Dremel old screws out and get the switch attached, but for now I'm gonna wrap the whole thing in electrical tape, and just use low beams only.
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
Job well done!
The high beams flicker because the circuit breaker (built into the headlight switch) is not working correctly.
The fix is to install two relays.
Well of course there’s more to the story, Why is the circuit breaker in my brand new switch not working correctly, and where pray tell do these relays get installed?
How do I tell if I have stock headlights?
Last edited by tknospdr; Mar 14, 2021 at 09:56 AM.
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
Originally Posted by tknospdr
Well of course there’s more to the story, Why is the circuit breaker in my brand new switch not working correctly, and where pray tell do these relays get installed?
The electrical contacts in all of these connections have been exposed to decades of oxidation, lending to potentially poor conductivity. I examine all of the connections, carefully cleaning with a deoxidant spray (Craig Labs Deoxit D5). Then I apply NyoGel 760G which protects against future oxidation and improves conductivity.
They look like stock sealed beam style to me. Whether they're factory T3 or not isn't important unless you're going for points judging. I think he was getting at aftermarket LED or laser night piercers as something that could add a variable to the stock set up.
As long as they don’t flicker on low I’m gonna call it a win.
After looking at your illustrations I’m no closer to knowing how to put in the relays.
I don’t understand schematics and wiring diagrams, I’d need before and after pictures plus step by step instructions.
Glad that you got it fixed! Sorry I wasn't online yesterday - spent most of the day outside getting the garden ready. Unfortunately, a lot of the aftermarket switches seem to be inferior to the originals, but the originals aren't available.
Relays do help - they take most of the current out of the actual switch, and most of the current goes thru the relays instead. However, doing that conversion does entail a fair amount of wiring and crimping or soldering, but it's all under the hood - no working in the dash area. Even the 'kits' I've seen are not 'plug-n-play'. If you decide that it's something you want to tackle in the future, you know where to find us. Just a high level overview - how most people do it is to unplug the current wires from all of the headlights, and run new wires and plugs from relays that get mounted near the horn relay. The 'trigger' for the relays comes from one of the 'old wires' that you removed from the headlights, and power for the relays comes from the horn relay. An alternative would be to only wire the high beams up to a relay, so a little less wiring, but the principle is still the same.
...what's that hole in my lower dash, there's one on the passenger side too?
That hole is for a **** that controls an air door at the ball vent to the left. Your passenger dash should have one too. The **** looks like a '70s door lock **** on passenger cars.
Here's a Forum thread on the assembly with pics and diagrams.
