No headlights

Some of you may have read my thread where my hi beam indicator was stuck on wether they were in use or not.

Now, its out. HOWEVER, my headlights either won't turn on (only parking lamps) OR they go out on me while driving.

The turn signal switch does not "click" when attempting to engage hi/low beams. Now I have zero hi beams when the lights DO work.

When they go out, I have to repeatedly pull the stalk back rapidly for them to come back on. Sometimes takes 10 minutes to get them to come on again.

Any help/diagrams/part #s, etc will be much appreciated.

No one?

I'm far from an expert, but I be leaning heavily toward whatever the switch is in the stalk/column.

I just tossed a half a dozen columns that I had laying around, otherwise Id tell you to come grab one.

Doug

Thanks Doug.

I just posted on the big board and got a quick reply. Hopefully the part I need, what you also think it is, will be here in a couple days.

With the help of Dave and his Saginaw column link and a new dimmer switch, we now have light!

Until I got the switch, I just ran a jumper wire from the light green wire in the headlight harness (before it splits to the pass side) to the + on the battery. Needed for my 15 minute midnight commute.

Anyhow, I dropped the lower dash, which requires removal of the fuse panel cover, gage cluster bezel, and open the glove box.
I also had to remove the flat metal knee knocker plate (black) x4 bolts along with the rounded plate under it between it and the underside of the column (black) x4 10 mm bolts.


Then undo the two large nuts on either side of the column to lower it. It's impossible to reach the 2 8mm bolts and 1 10 mm nut without dropping the column. Make sure you remove the PRNDL cable clip



Note the shiny clip on the new switch. This must be remove to allow the rod in the column to properly engage the switch via turn signal lever.



The old switch looks fairly new right? Wrong. Take a look at the harness connector. It was actually melted to the old switch. I had to pry it off with a flathead.



Once I had the new switch mounted, I plugged it in an BINGO! I have lights again. Highs, lows, and the high beam indicator light comes on and doesn't stay on anymore with low beams activated.

Took me about an hour to do.

Here's the Saginaw tilt column link.

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/images/d/d6/Jazzman_Steering_Rack_Rebuild.pdf

This link also helped me reassemble the high beam push rod and plastic lever at the turn signal lever so it engages the switch properly.

Noice. Thanks for posting those photos Brian.

If I wasn't at work sweating through my uniform, I would have done a play by play picture tutorial with edited pictures circling and labeling what I'm doing. Next time

Does anyone know if its all the same for 91-93 B bodies and fleetwoods?

^I'm not positive, but I'm fairly certain the inner workings of that column go back for decades and even share parts with my '74's column, lol.

That's what I assume. Too bad you don't have the '93 anymore. We could get an answer.

Nice work, that is one melted switch!

It sure is! Thanks for the link, Dave.