Cant drive at night - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

FAT TONY · 08-14-2012, 11:12 PM

alright so yesterday my high/low beam switch gave out on me i can no longer drive without having my foot on the light switch at all times, and that is pretty hard when clutching.... but i was wondering do these switches normally go bad?, is there a way to rewire it to an after market switch like on the newer vehicles where its on the column?

this is the switch that im talking about encase some of yall dont remember them/ i know a lot of people dont have them any more

the wires im thinking one is power/ one is for the low beams and one for the high beams, but the column switch i have now only has two wires

i was playing around with it and found out that the aftermarket switch only works as power on or of it clicks once and there's no power running through it, you click it again and it runs power through, so im looking for a way to rewire it so that low beams would turn off when i cut the high beams on

im not to sure of what doesn't work on the original switch, one day i went to turn the lights on and they wouldn't work, then i turned the high beams on and it would only work if i kept my foot on the switch, i tried removing it but one of the bolts was to rusted to the floor to come out but some how i took out everything that was inside the switch and it doesn't seem like a very complex mechanism, would it be something that i could just fix instead?

id really like to get this fixed as soon as possible because driving at night is something i enjoy doing, just not when i cant see , plus i run the risk of getting pulled over, so any help is appreciated

71swb4x4 · 08-14-2012, 11:15 PM

That switch is nearly 50 years old, not too shabby. Put a new one in and replace it 48 years from now.

FAT TONY · 08-14-2012, 11:27 PM

haha yea i didn't really realize how old it was till now that you mention it

, would the local auto parts stores have them or would i have to order it from a catalog?...... for now i might just end up connecting the power directly to the low beams while i either get a switch or find a decent way to set it up

FAT TONY · 08-14-2012, 11:37 PM

hmmm 8 bucks isn't bad for a floor mounted dimmer switch, how glad i am i didnt start cutting into the wiring harness, i might just go pic one up tomorrow, http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...5SB_0151356197

08-14-2012, 11:12 PM	#1
FAT TONY Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 266	Cant drive at night alright so yesterday my high/low beam switch gave out on me i can no longer drive without having my foot on the light switch at all times, and that is pretty hard when clutching.... but i was wondering do these switches normally go bad?, is there a way to rewire it to an after market switch like on the newer vehicles where its on the column? this is the switch that im talking about encase some of yall dont remember them/ i know a lot of people dont have them any more the wires im thinking one is power/ one is for the low beams and one for the high beams, but the column switch i have now only has two wires i was playing around with it and found out that the aftermarket switch only works as power on or of it clicks once and there's no power running through it, you click it again and it runs power through, so im looking for a way to rewire it so that low beams would turn off when i cut the high beams on im not to sure of what doesn't work on the original switch, one day i went to turn the lights on and they wouldn't work, then i turned the high beams on and it would only work if i kept my foot on the switch, i tried removing it but one of the bolts was to rusted to the floor to come out but some how i took out everything that was inside the switch and it doesn't seem like a very complex mechanism, would it be something that i could just fix instead? id really like to get this fixed as soon as possible because driving at night is something i enjoy doing, just not when i cant see , plus i run the risk of getting pulled over, so any help is appreciated __________________ "So she said, "Either I go or the truck goes!"....Hmm, I wonder what she's doing these days?"

08-14-2012, 11:15 PM	#2
71swb4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brookings, SD Posts: 10,497	Re: Cant drive at night That switch is nearly 50 years old, not too shabby. Put a new one in and replace it 48 years from now. __________________ Some people are like slinkies, they aren't good for anything, but you can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

08-14-2012, 11:27 PM	#3
FAT TONY Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 266	Re: Cant drive at night haha yea i didn't really realize how old it was till now that you mention it , would the local auto parts stores have them or would i have to order it from a catalog?...... for now i might just end up connecting the power directly to the low beams while i either get a switch or find a decent way to set it up __________________ "So she said, "Either I go or the truck goes!"....Hmm, I wonder what she's doing these days?"

08-14-2012, 11:37 PM	#4
FAT TONY Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 266	Re: Cant drive at night hmmm 8 bucks isn't bad for a floor mounted dimmer switch, how glad i am i didnt start cutting into the wiring harness, i might just go pic one up tomorrow, http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...5SB_0151356197 __________________ "So she said, "Either I go or the truck goes!"....Hmm, I wonder what she's doing these days?"



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