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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 171 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 171 | Is it possible to rebuild the headlight switch on my 54? I'm talking about the knob that turns on and off the parking/head lights. I'm seeing some strange behavior where if I turn the knob to dim the dash lights, my brake light stops working. But if I turn it back to the "sweet spot" then the brake light works again.
The repo part is about %50, so I was hoping to take this one off the truck and repair it. Something isn't switching the way it should, and I have to believe it is a fairly simple device. Does anyone have a circuit diagram for this switch?
Thanks. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 | Buy the replacement unless your time is not worth any thing to you. I have done extensive work on the headlight switches and it is very labor intensive and requires special materials to repair. The entire unit is crimped and riveted together and is a sealed unit. If you don’t use extreme care in disassembling the unit you will probably destroy it. I have made special tooling to work on the AD switches for the purist but it has proven to be much cheaper just to replace them with the after market units. It sounds like you probably have a burned dimmer rheostat or corrosion at the copper rivets and possibly damaged contacts inside the sealed switch unit itself. Here are a bunch of pictures of what you are getting your self in for if you decide to attempt the repair. Dimmer: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2190351730098611668cFmtBO Switch Assembly: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2771340540098611668Fshdxs Denny Graham Sandwich, IL
Denny G
Sandwich, IL
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 171 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 171 | Thanks for your thoughts and pictures Denny. I was hoping this switch was easily serviceable.
I haven't decided to re-wire the whole truck yet (emphasis on "yet"), so I'm going to roll with a few of these glitches until I am forced to make up my mind!
Here is another strange thing: my brake light seems to get brighter as I push the brake pedal down. I assumed the brake light switch was either on or off -- there should be no variation in light intensity. This kind of behavior makes me think there is corrosion and going on here, and in probably other places in my electrical system.
I like mechanical things, but I also like using my multimeter, so this will be a good opportunity to mess around with it. | | |
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