dizzysn

Hey guys, thought this might help some people.

I had to replace my hazard safety switch in my C5 Z06, since I had no brake lights. I've read a few write ups and they all say it takes over an hour to do. I did it in 18 minutes. After doing it myself I'm absolutely shocked at the amount of time it takes people to do this and I think my way is a lot easier. With the method below, the center console bezel does not need to be removed, and the head unit doesn't need to come out either.


The steps with no video or pictures are easy and I felt they did not require visual instruction. If you feel otherwise let me know and I'll get it done.

Step 1: Pop off your trunk release switch on the left side of the steering wheel with a flat head, and your air temperature sensor cover on the right side, next to your ignition, with a flat head as well. This exposes two torx screws. Undo those screws and set them aside.

Step 2: Underneath the knee bolster there are two more torx screws of the same size. Undo those and set them aside.

Step 3: Gently pull on the bottom of the knee bolster until it pops. You need to be firm, but don't man-handle it. Be careful because there is a wire that is attached to the temperature sensor that's attached to this as well.

Step 4: I was able to gently wiggle the bolster out out without having to remove the center console bezel, and without breaking anything. I gently pried up on the bezel around the ignition and it slid right out. Once you've done this, disconnect the air temperature sensor cable, from the sensor itself.

Step 5: Pop off the hazard button. I just used my car keys to do this. I stuck them in between the button and the bezel, turned them a bit, pulled back, and it popped right off.

Step 5.5: A few people have replied to let me know that they had issues getting the hazard switch to unclip. Mine was a crappy OEM one and it just pushed right out. The general consensus to get it out is to take a small to medium sized screwdriver and give a good knock on the handle to pop it out. Alternatively if it's thin enough, you wiggle it in and use that to depress the clips. This should only add another minute or two to the total time, if any at all. (Big thanks to those who updated me with this extra step they had to take, so I can pass it on to you guys!)

Step 6:


Step 7: Shouldn't really need to be stated, but hook up the new switch and verify that you have turn signals, hazards, brake lights and tail lights before you put everything back together.

Step 8:


Step 9: Use a pair of long and skinny needle nose pliers to pull the switch forward. Looking at the face of the switch once it's in, there is an empty triangle that you can use to grab on to with the pliers. Once you've secured it in it's place, you can push the button back on.

Step 10: Reattach temperature sensor to the cables you unplugged from it, and slip the knee bolster back into place the same way you took it out, by pulling back a bit on the ignition bezel.

Step 11: Put the torx screws back in, reattach the temperature sensor cover, and plug the trunk release back in and you're good to go!

Total time took 18 minutes, not including the water and cigarette break.

pewter99

gonna add this to the DIY

sunchaser73

Definitely going to try this method if/when I have to replace mine...great post, including the videos! Thanks!

1965markaccount

Just finished doing my replacement the other way. saw this after I was done. Wanted to fix the dim HVAC issue so I would have gone the way I went anyway but your trick looks promising if I ever have to do it again.

dizzysn

Thanks. I sure hope that someone some day that has to do this sees it before they go removing the center console and everything!

dadaroo

I too have had some intermitent turn signal function but it happens when the car is cold and hot. I have my console apart for fixing the HVAC unit so I think I will replace the hazard switch and see if that helps. Glad I saw your post while everything is apart.

lionelhutz

So, how'd you get the tabs holding the switch in place to release?

It seems really odd you're showing a video if it just falling into the dash when you give it a little push considering there are tabs on the top and bottom that clip the switch body into the air vent.

dizzysn

On the OEM one I was able to get my fingers back there after reaching up through the dash and depress them to get it out. The one in the video was an aftermarket one that just kind of... sat there, so I was able to push that one out. Current OEM one also has those tabs which depress to get it off

This is the that came out in the video:




As you can see there are no tabs. I was going to replace it anyway, because the few times I had to use the hazard switch, when I pushed the button a lot of times it would fall back into the dash.

I also realize now that I didn't address that in the video. I did the instructions based on the crappy one that was in there, and not the OEM unit. However like I said, there's enough room to get your hands in there and depress both tabs down to get it out.

pewter99

maybe if you have smaller hands than me and I don't have big hands so I am taking the whole fking thing apart

funnyguyMI

Just did this fix, and I was able to wedge a small flathead screwdriver between the black plastic mount and the lower tab, causing the tab to depress. After that, a couple good whacks on the switch from the front of the dash knocked it loose.

Hope that helps someone. I was struggling to get the old switch loose for a bit, and trying to push up on the little green tab with a screw driver with the limited access wasn't cutting it for me!

Sure am looking forward to reliable turn signals!

dizzysn

Thanks for the info! How long did it take you, and were you able to fit your hand up through the bottom by the knee bolster area like I was?

You know, I WAS able to replace my oil pressure sensor that's behind the intake manifold, without taking the manifold off... I guess I just have dainty little girl hands

funnyguyMI

Yep, I was able to get at it through the knee bolster. Not sure on time. Less than an hour. But, this was my fist time tearing into my new to me Vette, and I was taking it slow and steady. The hardest part was getting the damn tabs to depress so the old switch would come out. The little screwdriver trick worked like a champ though.

Thanks for the heads up on the knee bolster. If I had to take the whole center console out, the faulty hazard switch would have been in there another month or two until I got around to adding the iPhone controller mod...

dizzysn

I hear you on taking it apart slowly. The first two or three times I took anything on my center console it was as slow as possible. Now I know how to do it and it's a cake walk. Glad I was able to save you some time!

Schubs

Great job, i remember when i first bought my car, i had to replace mine, i followed GM's Instructions and pulled the whole dash. Your way seems a lot easier lol

pewter99

well I still haven't removed the old switch but since I was fkng with it the thing seems to be working fine now so fk it

427ZM

I think mine is in the first staes of this. I have rear lights and the turn signals are working fine, but under braking I only have 3 brake lights. I think it's time to knock this out before it get worse.

WICKEDFRC

Nice!! When I replaced mine, I took apart the whole center console, radio, A//C unit etc and that alone took about 18 minutes.....Reseating the Hazard Relay Switch took another hour!!! This looks to be much easier. Thanks for sharing

DEnglish29

Did it your way, was a breeze, only hard part is getting the old switch out, wedged a small screw driver in the top, used my thumb to push the bottom and pushed on the front with another screw driver, finally released it took a little patience and time, overall about 30 min

dizzysn

Glad I was able to help! I didn't have any issue getting mine out because it was a pretty loose fit to begin with. Guessing that's where the extra time took for you with the one you had in there. Glad it was a breeze and you didn't have to take a few hours taking the dash apart!

FFIN90

I just did. Having issues with no brake lights and the dashlights turning on when applying the brake pedal with the ignition off. Thinking it might be this switch.