73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Topic started by: GoatBeard on October 20, 2008, 09:29:45 am
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I'm trying to replace the old courtesy light switch in the door -- the "button" the door hits to turn the interior lights on/off.
I took the old one out and there was no wire hooked to it. Don't know if there's supposed to be a wire hooked to it, or not? It was extremely rusted and the "button" was frozen in the depressed position.
Bought a new one, no where to hook up a wire on this one, either... I put the new one in there and it still doesn't work. Just seems like something should be hooked to the back of it.
Can anyone tell me how this part is supposed to work?
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Yes there is a wire that connects to it.
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The wire drops into the open area via a hole/gromment behind the dash.
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So since there is no wire connected to it and I can't see anything through the little hole, the only way to get to it is to remove the dash?
I may be able to fish the wire out of the hole, will have to check.
I still don't see where the wire hooks on the new one. :-\
Thanks for the replies!
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Right on the terminal.
(http://www.midcanadaclassic.mb.ca/images/A-CHEVELLE/A503500-B501150-F514000-M500800-X502500.jpg)
just reach in there with a flexible magnet and see if you can find it. If not try one of these pick up tools.
(http://www.abletools.co.uk/images/277860_(out).jpg)
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thats what i did just stuck a magent in there and if you dont find it that way look under the dash right at the bottom and there should be a wire running though there to the hole under the dash and there should be a rubber grommet there with a white wire
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I understand 100% now! Thanks!
The switch I bought doesn't have the terminal on it like the one you posted.
It's got a sleeve-lookin' thing and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be removed, or not?
Here's what it looks like:
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leave the sleeve on it and the wire that is in the hole should have one of these on it and it hooks to the switch
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/74chevy/PREGQ218.jpg)
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Awesome! Thanks for the prompt responses! I was convinced that I got the wrong part!
Maybe the wife will let me work on it tonight ;)
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i know what you mean about the wife thing lol
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Here's the plug under the dash where the wire goes out to the switch... Should be a white single wire.
(http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t195/wes2880/78%20C20%20Rebuild%20Stuff/Ready%20for%20the%20body%20shop/GEDC0010.jpg)
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yep thats it another good thing to do is to crab that rubber grommet and move it around untill you can get it with the magnet and it just pops out with a screw driver :)
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Well, I dug around in there for a while lastnight and couldn't find the wire/grommet. I'm going to be replacing the dash as part of my interior rebuild so when I take it off I'll have to try to find/reconnect the little white wire.
I really appreciate the picture! Now at least I'll know exactly where to look! Might be fun to try to fish that wire (or another wire) through the hole. :o
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I FOUND IT! I couldn't get it with any of the extending pencil magnets so I finally made a little hook out of some electric fence-type wire and was able to fish it out.
This is what was in there. Do y'all think the rusted "female" part is the same part I need to replace for it to fit on the new switch? Just slide it over the end of the new switch? Or do I need one that's a "male" part to go inside of the new switch?
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that new switch just needs to slide over the connector with the white wire
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Okay, cool. I thought this might be the same type of connector you posted earlier with the blue insulation, but I didn't know what was under the blue insulation in the pic you posted. So really I just needed to know if I needed the same type of connector that was originally on there or something different.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to replace it -- or what's left of it! I don't know that I have ever seen a connector rust like that. It surprised me that it was that rusted considering the rest of the truck is so clean.
Thanks for all the help! If my wife lets me go to the store to spend $.50 more on this truck, I'll be lucky! ;D
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OOps, I guess you see how much I know about wiring stuff! I didn't realize that was a "bullet" connector -- never used those before. I think what confused me is the fact that my old switch had rusted off onto the old bullet connector and made it look like a female connector for the new switch. It's confusing to type, and was confusing to look at!
Anyway, I got it working. Only bad thing was that the new switch wouldn't tighten up good. I tried to put some Teflon tape around it, but it still didn't work too well. Not sure what to do about that, but at least it's working! :)
Thanks everyone!
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yea it can get confusing but this is what it should look like and you should have a good tight connection
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/74chevy/SANY0093.jpg)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/74chevy/SANY0094.jpg)
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Yep, I've got it hooked up and working now. Only thing left is to figure out how to get it to hold in the fender hole good. It's basically stripped out. I may end up tackin' it in if I can't get anything else to work. I'm kinda leery of gettin' out the welder though because I don't want to risk spatter on my new carpet! If it spatters to the right it'll get on the carpet and if it spatters to the left it'll hit the door carpet... I might be able to find a couple of old blankets or something else expendable to cover both. I'm new to welding so other than not knowing what I'm doin', I don't know how spatter works exactly. I guess it's not something that is controllable to a large extent.
I tried some JB Weld first. I doubt it'll work just because that switch takes a beatin'. Not sure if anything other than a tack will work on it though. Any ideas?
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helicoil
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ok thats good man but the hole for the switch you could try a tap & die set and find one that will fit that hole and make new threds
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I put JB Weld on it to start. I don't know how long it'll last but for now it's purty sturdy! I can slam the door and it doesn't move, at all. I don't have a lot of faith that it'll last, but I guess you never know.
I like that Helicoil -- good to know about that for future issues!
Thanks for all the help, guys! :)
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I was just thinking about connectivity when I said "helicoil". Got to make sure it's grounded and that may be a problem w/jbweld.