So, my dimmer switch broke two years ago so I had no brights. Friday morning on my way to Staples, my brights came on along with my dims. Odd, I thought. Then a few minutes later, they started flashing like a strob. Then, the brights would only work with the wheel tilted just right. Then all my headlights quit all together. Good thing my fogs are super bright.

So I bought the only 92 dimmer switch in town, interestingly at the place with the lowest price. I knew I'd have a problem because when the switch first died, I tried to fiddle with the mechanism between the lever and the switch. A plastic piece fell out and now the lever doesn't actuate the rod that pushes the switch. It'* overly complicated. They shoulda just put the switch up by the lever. So, I tear apart the appropriate stuff, and find that the switch is hardwired to the not easily accessed harness just above your left foot. Using a small screwdriver should hold the tabs on the connectors and just slide out. Nope, mine all broke. So, I cut the wires off the old switch, put quick connects on the old wiring and the new wiring and plugged my new switch in that way. And I put in bulb grease to ensue contact. Then mounted the switch under the dash in an easy to reach position so I can use my brights until I figgur out how to get that plastic piece back in. Seems to work fine.

Anyone know what piece I'm talking about? Know how it goes back in?

What color plastic and how high up the column do you think it was?
does it seem to be disconnected up high or down low?

It'* black. I believe it went directly between the rod and the signal stalk.

Ok I know exactly what pc your talking about! I was cleaning around that area where the switch was and I took off the cover to vaccum out the dust and so forth...I keep bonnie sqeaky clean baby! Anyways, this black plastic pc falls off and I thought ohhh well I'll just slip that right back on. Yeah right......I have had no brights now for 3 months and now my Virginia inspection sticker is past due and I can't get one until this is fixed. HELP! I'm so tired of fooling with it, I'm just thinking of taking it to the local dealer and letting them fix it, but I don't wanna be out any serious cash. Any advice or help? I'd appreicate it.

Frustrated Female in Virginia


ambro98

No Diggity No Doubt

According to my Alldata, The GM switch #10499721 takes 1.1 HRS Labor. Even at say $70.00 per Hr it would only cost you $77.00 plus tax for the work.

Good Luck,
Sellncars

I haven't fixed mine yet.

I'm not sure which cover you're referring to here, but the black piece installs way up the column, immediately under the base of the turn-signal stalk. I'm thinking that what happened here was that it fell out long ago when you or somebody else first pulled out the shift bowl and/or the turn-signal switch, and maybe no one noticed at the time, but over time it worked its way down the steering column housing and eventually fell out the bottom. Putting it another way, I don't see how even a thorough cleaning could have dislodged it; it probably fell out long before that.

So anyway, this is a... what'* the technical term... yucky pain in the butt to reassemble, and I don't know of any trick other than patience and making sure everything is lined up.

This is all from memory, but I think when you're disassembling stuff, you reach a point where you've removed the turn-signal lever, ring-shaped turn-signal switch and its wiring harness (or at least pulled it up and off the end of the steering shaft, then flopped it over to one side), and revealed about three large screws that secure the upper half of the tilt mechanism to the lower half and the ignition switch. When this assembly is taken apart, the black plunger that connects the turn-signal lever to the metal actuating rod below it can fall out. When you're putting things back together again, you have to hold the plastic plunger in position over the end of the actuator rod while you snuggle the whole upper assembly back into alignment, then get the screws started again. It takes some patience -- you have to look at the alignment of all parts on both sides of the column, including the plunger, push it all down, check your alignments again, see if it'* all seated yet, wiggle it around if not, etc.

Patience, good lighting, patience, and a bunch of screwdrivers are all required here. Good luck.