Head light switch removal on 47 Plymouth

[central52]

I'm carrying over from my other thread about parking lights. And Niel said how to remove the headlite switch, by pushing in a button that's on the back of the switch and pulling out the shaft from the front. Well, I can't seem to get behind there with my big fingers, and I tried using a screwdriver. Now, this button, what exactly is it? Is it the round ring that butts up against the switch? If it is, I can't see how one can possibly push it in all around evenly to accomplish the job.

I'm probably missing something here. Oh, as an afterthought, on another thread of mine I mentioned about a better service manual book than the one that's currently popular. That book would go into detail about how to remove a headlite switch, wouldn't it? With pictures as a bonus. Ed P.

[Niel Hoback]

Central52 and everyone else, I am sorry about the public senior moment I had on the headlight switch question. Sometimes my brain is on a track and can't be switched, (no pun in tended). Lately I seem to confuse easily.

I went to the garage and stuck my hand behind the dash for a quick lesson in how things REALLY are.

Theres a set screw in the bottom of the knob that allows you to pull the knob off the shaft.

The chrome ring behind the knob unscrews so you can pull the switch out from behind.

Again, I apologize for the delco instructions and I am sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused.

[Normspeed]

Niel, go to your corner for 15 minutes.

[central52]

You guys are too nice. Well, as it turned out, I got the switch out. I figured it had to come out from the front taking off the knob. But intstead of a set screw, there is a spring type clip. That was a pain to do. The manual says to just "lift up the special clip in the knob". Ha, easier said than done. The clip completely surrounds the shaft, so lifting it up didn't move anything.

So, I used force to pry the darn thing off, and in the process, chipping some pieces off the knob, and out it came with a half inch long metal clip. The knob doesn't look too bad with the missing chips. Anyhow, thanks again for your input.

[Niel Hoback]

Sounds like another example of Mopar using parts from different suppliers. Too bad my brain can't do that, I could get some parts that work for a change.

[47heaven]

Niel, go to your corner for 15 minutes.

Norm...tell the folks our experience with removing and reinstalling my headlight switch yesterday...lol

[Plymouthy Adams]

if you had read my post more closely you have seen that you just push the clip toward the base of the knob...they slid off without any effort that way...sorry you chipped your knob...

[Normspeed]

Norm...tell the folks our experience with removing and reinstalling my headlight switch yesterday...lol

Yeah, talk about a gremlin. We had Darin's P15 headlight switch out of the dash so Darin could fit and install a stock chrome bezel or escutcheon. That came out well. During the day we also fixed his dual filament taillight sockets, and nearly for free. So, Darin goes to slip the headlight switch back in the dash, and poof, there goes a 30 amp fuse on the switch. We scratch our heads, put in another fuse, poof, as soon as the switch shaft or switch body touches the dash, blows the fuse. We tried scratching our chins instead of our heads. poof. Now we had not done a thing to that switch to deserve this. We kept scratching and popping 30 amp fuses. I even isolated all the new taillight stuff from the system. poof.

Turns out, the person that installed the new switch in the car used the blue crimp-on wire terminals. He very neatly pushed all the terminals inboard , tightened them, and even wrapped the entire switch fully with electrical tape. BUT, one of the blue insulators had cracked or split and when pushed back against the other unused terminals, and wrapped tight with tape, it was energizing the switch body. It worked fine if it was hanging down and not touching but as soon as you installed it...

I think just the fact that we had handled the switch in the terminal area when we removed it was enough to squeeze one of those terminals and make contact. The cure was just to loosen the connectors and move them outwards just a tiny bit. No more short. I added a tiny bit of electrical tape between those close areas just in case. Good thing we found it when we did, we had run outta 30 amp fuses and were burning right through the 25's too. I for one was running out of areas to scratch as well.

Darin, next time you're over I'd like to take a couple photos of the taillight bulb fix. Easier to illustrate than to describe, and will likely work well on a lot of old mopar sockets.

[Don Coatney]

Normspeed;

It takes a brave soul to remove and install anything under the dash on a P-15 without disconnecting the battery first.

[Normspeed]

Point well taken!

[Niel Hoback]

I have a perfect one inch square permanent copy of the inside of my watch band on my left wrist because I was too stupid to lift that battery cable. I'm pretty good about it now.

[47heaven]

Normspeed;

It takes a brave soul to remove and install anything under the dash on a P-15 without disconnecting the battery first.

Actually, Don, the first time it happened the battery was connected. That's how we found out it was sparking. After that we disconnected it, changed the fuse, reinstalled the switch, connected battery, and then proceeded to turn on the headlights and got the same results...even a little wiff or smoke. If the battery wasn't connected, we wouldn't have been able to troubleshoot just where it was shorting out when it touched. All it was was the sound of small sparking and the lights went out...no firework show of sparks.