High Beam Switch On the Floor

[jolobo64]

1964 C10 short bed is the concerned truck.
Is there any way to test the High Beam Switch on the floor? I have power coming to the headlights and to the switch. I checked with test light but when I step on the switch the low beams go off, and there are no lights on at all at that time.

Step on it again and the low beams return. I was hoping to test it before buying a new one.

[scottybaccus]

Look for a high beam relay first.

[jolobo64]

Originally Posted by scottybaccus

Look for a high beam relay first.

Yea when I test the high beam relay on the headlight side and floor side I get power on my test light when the high beam switch is pressed in but no lights.

[chevy_mike]

Is the switch pushing in and coming back out each time you step on it? It needs to. You don't want to hold it in or allow it not to come back out. These switches are a common failure point and are cheap to replace. I would swap it and be done. You are likely spending more time testing than the time it takes to replace it.

[jtrichard]

AGREE just go get a new switch and be done with it

[Jim53066]

For $10 it is cheap insurance that it will be good for years.

I replaced my dimmer and still had a problem with the connector that mounted to it.
The blades were not making good contact. Once I bent them into place where they made contact, it all worked like new.

Jim

[HemiChallenger71]

Had the exact problem on my '66 and it led me to a poor connection at the core support. Installing relays and upgraded wiring on my truck soon.

[dtkarst]

Had the same problem with my 64 C20, turned out the the floor under it was a bit too rusty for it to ground. So I put a new ground wire on and it worked.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by jolobo64

Yea when I test the high beam relay on the headlight side and floor side I get power on my test light when the high beam switch is pressed in but no lights.

Dimmer switch on floor is simple, cheap, easy to test, and easy to replace. But, check your bulbs to ensure you don't have 2 bulbs with defective high beams! Simple problem to have, yet it[crap] happens &, if overlooked, can cause a bit of havoc when trouble-shooting.

Much better way to say things by you/us/we English majors: "EXCREMENT OCCURRETH". GOTTA LOVE IT!
Sam

[fleetsidelarry]

Originally Posted by jolobo64

Yea when I test the high beam relay on the headlight side and floor side I get power on my test light when the high beam switch is pressed in but no lights.

jolobo, have you installed relays in your headlight circuit or are you talking about the floor switch? if you have power into AND out of, the floor switch, on HIGH beam but the high beams aren't coming on, it's not the switch. as HemiChallenger suggested, check the wiring and the connecting plugs (firewall and core support) between the switch and the headlights.

Originally Posted by dtkarst

Had the same problem with my 64 C20, turned out the the floor under it was a bit too rusty for it to ground. So I put a new ground wire on and it worked.

it's a switch, not a relay, right? why would it need to be grounded?

[jolobo64]

Originally Posted by fleetsidelarry

jolobo, have you installed relays in your headlight circuit or are you talking about the floor switch? if you have power into AND out of, the floor switch, on HIGH beam but the high beams aren't coming on, it's not the switch. as HemiChallenger suggested, check the wiring and the connecting plugs (firewall and core support) between the switch and the headlights.



it's a switch, not a relay, right? why would it need to be grounded?

What I checked was the headlights, fairly new. Also I checked the connecting plugs at the firewall and and also at the switch in the floor. I don't have any relays just the the connecting plugs and the floor switch. The wires area also in very good shape.

[dtkarst]

All I know is that it didnt work before i ran a new ground wire lol

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by fleetsidelarry

it's a switch, not a relay, right? why would it need to be grounded?

Originally Posted by dtkarst

All I know is that it didnt work before i ran a new ground wire lol

That's definitely a strange coincidence. Like fleetsidelarry said, the high/low beam dimmer switch doesn't need a ground connection.

Power from the headlight switch is fed down to the dimmer switch via the light blue wire. The dimmer switch simply routes that power out through either the tan wire for low beams or out through the light green wire for high beams.

[franken]

Contacts get dirty on the switches. Cycle 10 times and they usually start working.
This is a common question but it seems people don't want to go to the effort of clicking the switch repeatedly.