1960 Headlight Switch

[Joe M.]

I posted several weeks ago that my headlight switch would not turn on the courtesy light. It was suggested here that I should clean it. I took the entire switch apart today. Another one of those surprises when the top came loose. Springs and pieces of the switch went all over the work bench. I cleaned everything inside the switch, lubes the sliding parts with dielectric grease and actually figured out how to re-assemble it. All I accomplished was to make the sliding part of the switch work smooth, but the switch will not turn on the courtesy light. All of the other functions, dash light dimming, parking light on, headlights on, works great.

Any additional suggestions besides purchasing a new switch. I am sure if I could find the right electronics buff, they could probably get it to work again. It was not a complicated switch based on what I saw.

[Joe M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

The first photo is when the switch is in the position to turn on the courtesy light; 2nd photo from a different angle; 3rd photo when the switch is off of the courtesy light on position.

[Rob M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

Did you measured if the resistor spring not broken (the round bend spring where the slider runs against? Is the slider indeed touching this spring (so not bend toward the front?)

[Bill M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

That sliding resistor controls the instrument lights, not the underdash light. This copper leg grounds the underdash light.

[Joe M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

Bill, thanks for explaining what the copper leg function is. Mine only touches the plastic barrel piece as it moves clockwise/counterclockwise and does not touch metal. Is the cam on the plastic barrel supposed to push it down to touch the switch case to create the ground? if so, that may be the problem; no ground.

[Bill M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

Bill, thanks for explaining what the copper leg function is. Mine only touches the plastic barrel piece as it moves clockwise/counterclockwise and does not touch metal. Is the cam on the plastic barrel supposed to push it down to touch the switch case to create the ground? if so, that may be the problem; no ground.

Yeah, Joe, the copper leg should touch the switch case, which is grounded. That should fix it.

[Joe M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

Bill, I don't see any way that the copper leg can bend down to the case to create a ground. The short cam does not push it down to the case. I pushed the copper leg down to the case and the courtesy light did not illuminate. I know the small cam does something in the process, but can't figure out what. The attached photos show what the copper leg position is when the courtesy light should be engaged.

[Erich C.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

You can stop pulling your hair out. I took a look at the headlight switch out of my '62. I believe as far as I know that it is the original switch. Well I learned something today and it explains why the copper leg isn't grounding. If you look at the photos you will see the barrel on my switch is metal with a plastic sleeve on it. When you turn it to turn on the courtesy light the metal of the barrel protrudes through the plastic sleeve and makes contact with the copper leg completing the ground . The third photo shows my '62 switch and a switch out of a '70 Chevelle. You can see the '70 barrel is all plastic and the leg is longer. When you turn that switch the raised rib of the barrel pushes the leg against the metal switch case creating the ground.
Erich

[Richard M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

Erich, Joe's switch needs the contact switched to the case for it to work. Yours is different for some reason........

Joe, your copper contact is bent upwards. That's the problem. I can see where it used to touch the case because there's contact corrosion at the metal in the bottom where it used to make contact.Take a look at the picture borrowed from the internet below. You can see how the contact should be shaped.

Also, the switch must be installed in the cluster for it to work the courtesy light, which always has +12v wired and needs a ground to light up. It gets its ground from the switch, via the cluster ground. The cluster gets its ground from a wire attached to the DS valve cover bolt.

When you tested your switch was it installed?

Rich
edit.....actually, Bill's photo in post #4 is better. It needs to be rebent like that.

[Joe M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

I believe what I need to do is bend the end down so that when the cam lobe is in contact with the copper leg, the leg is touching the case. I can see a place where the leg used to touch the case. There is a small shiny spot at the contact point. The reason it did not work when I manually pushed it down was because I had it out of the car so there was not ground to the switch.

I can not figure out how the copper arm became so bent out of shape. I will post what I hope is good news in my next post that the original switch is working again.

Once again, the Technical Discussion is invaluable. Thanks to all who helped me understand the problem.

[Joe M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

Thank you Richard for identifying the problem and the fix. I bent the copper arm down so that when it comes in contact with the cam lobe, it touches the switch case and creates ground. It is working again, better than it has in years. The mystery is how the copper arm ever got bent up so much. I have not done any work on or around the switch.

[Richard M.]

Re: 1960 Headlight Switch

Joe, Glad you figured it out. Bill's photo of the copper contact and idea was the key to the fix though. After that is when I thought of why your test didn't work, remembering that it has to be grounded to the cluster to test it out.

Maybe the copper got overheated at some time and deformed. Time will tell.

Rich