Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

Okay here we go again with this Jeep. It seems like this is a vehicle that
"always" needs something. Now we have a new problem and I think I know where
the problem lies I just want to verify it and then ask how hard of a job is
it.

It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn. The
reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a right
turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear fails to
come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch up and down as
if to find a central location both brake lights work.

Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?

Please advise.

Thanks

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

It will be similar to this Chevy steering column:
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doity...lt_wheel01.htm
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

nvrpc wrote:
>
> Okay here we go again with this Jeep. It seems like this is a vehicle that
> "always" needs something. Now we have a new problem and I think I know where
> the problem lies I just want to verify it and then ask how hard of a job is
> it.
>
> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn. The
> reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a right
> turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear fails to
> come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch up and down as
> if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?
>
> Please advise.
>
> Thanks

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

It will be similar to this Chevy steering column:
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doity...lt_wheel01.htm
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

nvrpc wrote:
>
> Okay here we go again with this Jeep. It seems like this is a vehicle that
> "always" needs something. Now we have a new problem and I think I know where
> the problem lies I just want to verify it and then ask how hard of a job is
> it.
>
> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn. The
> reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a right
> turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear fails to
> come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch up and down as
> if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?
>
> Please advise.
>
> Thanks

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

It will be similar to this Chevy steering column:
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doity...lt_wheel01.htm
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

nvrpc wrote:
>
> Okay here we go again with this Jeep. It seems like this is a vehicle that
> "always" needs something. Now we have a new problem and I think I know where
> the problem lies I just want to verify it and then ask how hard of a job is
> it.
>
> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn. The
> reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a right
> turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear fails to
> come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch up and down as
> if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?
>
> Please advise.
>
> Thanks

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

It will be similar to this Chevy steering column:
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doity...lt_wheel01.htm
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

nvrpc wrote:
>
> Okay here we go again with this Jeep. It seems like this is a vehicle that
> "always" needs something. Now we have a new problem and I think I know where
> the problem lies I just want to verify it and then ask how hard of a job is
> it.
>
> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn. The
> reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a right
> turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear fails to
> come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch up and down as
> if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?
>
> Please advise.
>
> Thanks

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004, nvrpc wrote:

> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn.
> The reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a
> right turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear
> fails to come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch
> up and down as if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?

Sounds like you have it figured out. When you step on the brake current
is routed through the signal light switch before it can get to the
taillights. If the switch is sloppy the brake lights won't work right.

I don't know what year you've got. My Chilton's manual has a pretty good
page on R/Ring the late 70s/early 80s signal light switch. Briefly,
leaving out a lot of small steps:

Get the horn button off, it either pulls straight off or rotates and pulls
off.

Remove the nut, pull the wheel with a puller.

Using a lock-plate depressing tool, depress the lock plate and pry out the
snap ring around the steering shaft. It will look like you can do it
without the tool, but you'll just waste your afternoon trying. Rent the
damned tool. Be aware that at some point GM went from SAE to Metric
threads.

Remove the 4-way flasher button. Mine (1979) has a threaded shaft and
simply screws out, Chilton says that some others push in, turn to release.

The signal switch is held in with a few screws.

There's going to be some miscellaneous parts between here and there,
washers, shims, springs. Lay everything out on a towel in the order
and orientation that it came out, and don't put it someplace where you'll
trip over it or knock it over.

You might find that you'll have to fiddle with the outer tube on the
column to get the wiring harness out and back in. Don't pry on it. On
mine the upper tube is plastic, the lower one steel. You might have to
disconnect the rod that connects the ignition key up by the wheel to the
ignition switch down on the column behind the dash and remove a few
hex-head screws at the top of the column before you can move the tube far
enough to pass the harness.

When you pull the old harness out, consider attaching a bit of safety wire
to fish the new one back in. The end of the switch harness is clipped
into a bracket on the upper right side of the column, under the dash. It
just pulls out, the connector is keyed to fit only one way. The
replacement will have more wires than your harness will connect to and
will mate up to empty slots on the connector. They aren't important.

I did my switch while the column was out, and it was fairly simple.
Trying to do it in place, without pulling the ignition switch, will be
more interesting.


Good luck!

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004, nvrpc wrote:

> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn.
> The reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a
> right turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear
> fails to come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch
> up and down as if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?

Sounds like you have it figured out. When you step on the brake current
is routed through the signal light switch before it can get to the
taillights. If the switch is sloppy the brake lights won't work right.

I don't know what year you've got. My Chilton's manual has a pretty good
page on R/Ring the late 70s/early 80s signal light switch. Briefly,
leaving out a lot of small steps:

Get the horn button off, it either pulls straight off or rotates and pulls
off.

Remove the nut, pull the wheel with a puller.

Using a lock-plate depressing tool, depress the lock plate and pry out the
snap ring around the steering shaft. It will look like you can do it
without the tool, but you'll just waste your afternoon trying. Rent the
damned tool. Be aware that at some point GM went from SAE to Metric
threads.

Remove the 4-way flasher button. Mine (1979) has a threaded shaft and
simply screws out, Chilton says that some others push in, turn to release.

The signal switch is held in with a few screws.

There's going to be some miscellaneous parts between here and there,
washers, shims, springs. Lay everything out on a towel in the order
and orientation that it came out, and don't put it someplace where you'll
trip over it or knock it over.

You might find that you'll have to fiddle with the outer tube on the
column to get the wiring harness out and back in. Don't pry on it. On
mine the upper tube is plastic, the lower one steel. You might have to
disconnect the rod that connects the ignition key up by the wheel to the
ignition switch down on the column behind the dash and remove a few
hex-head screws at the top of the column before you can move the tube far
enough to pass the harness.

When you pull the old harness out, consider attaching a bit of safety wire
to fish the new one back in. The end of the switch harness is clipped
into a bracket on the upper right side of the column, under the dash. It
just pulls out, the connector is keyed to fit only one way. The
replacement will have more wires than your harness will connect to and
will mate up to empty slots on the connector. They aren't important.

I did my switch while the column was out, and it was fairly simple.
Trying to do it in place, without pulling the ignition switch, will be
more interesting.


Good luck!

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004, nvrpc wrote:

> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn.
> The reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a
> right turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear
> fails to come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch
> up and down as if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?

Sounds like you have it figured out. When you step on the brake current
is routed through the signal light switch before it can get to the
taillights. If the switch is sloppy the brake lights won't work right.

I don't know what year you've got. My Chilton's manual has a pretty good
page on R/Ring the late 70s/early 80s signal light switch. Briefly,
leaving out a lot of small steps:

Get the horn button off, it either pulls straight off or rotates and pulls
off.

Remove the nut, pull the wheel with a puller.

Using a lock-plate depressing tool, depress the lock plate and pry out the
snap ring around the steering shaft. It will look like you can do it
without the tool, but you'll just waste your afternoon trying. Rent the
damned tool. Be aware that at some point GM went from SAE to Metric
threads.

Remove the 4-way flasher button. Mine (1979) has a threaded shaft and
simply screws out, Chilton says that some others push in, turn to release.

The signal switch is held in with a few screws.

There's going to be some miscellaneous parts between here and there,
washers, shims, springs. Lay everything out on a towel in the order
and orientation that it came out, and don't put it someplace where you'll
trip over it or knock it over.

You might find that you'll have to fiddle with the outer tube on the
column to get the wiring harness out and back in. Don't pry on it. On
mine the upper tube is plastic, the lower one steel. You might have to
disconnect the rod that connects the ignition key up by the wheel to the
ignition switch down on the column behind the dash and remove a few
hex-head screws at the top of the column before you can move the tube far
enough to pass the harness.

When you pull the old harness out, consider attaching a bit of safety wire
to fish the new one back in. The end of the switch harness is clipped
into a bracket on the upper right side of the column, under the dash. It
just pulls out, the connector is keyed to fit only one way. The
replacement will have more wires than your harness will connect to and
will mate up to empty slots on the connector. They aren't important.

I did my switch while the column was out, and it was fairly simple.
Trying to do it in place, without pulling the ignition switch, will be
more interesting.


Good luck!

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004, nvrpc wrote:

> It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn.
> The reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a
> right turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear
> fails to come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch
> up and down as if to find a central location both brake lights work.
>
> Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?

Sounds like you have it figured out. When you step on the brake current
is routed through the signal light switch before it can get to the
taillights. If the switch is sloppy the brake lights won't work right.

I don't know what year you've got. My Chilton's manual has a pretty good
page on R/Ring the late 70s/early 80s signal light switch. Briefly,
leaving out a lot of small steps:

Get the horn button off, it either pulls straight off or rotates and pulls
off.

Remove the nut, pull the wheel with a puller.

Using a lock-plate depressing tool, depress the lock plate and pry out the
snap ring around the steering shaft. It will look like you can do it
without the tool, but you'll just waste your afternoon trying. Rent the
damned tool. Be aware that at some point GM went from SAE to Metric
threads.

Remove the 4-way flasher button. Mine (1979) has a threaded shaft and
simply screws out, Chilton says that some others push in, turn to release.

The signal switch is held in with a few screws.

There's going to be some miscellaneous parts between here and there,
washers, shims, springs. Lay everything out on a towel in the order
and orientation that it came out, and don't put it someplace where you'll
trip over it or knock it over.

You might find that you'll have to fiddle with the outer tube on the
column to get the wiring harness out and back in. Don't pry on it. On
mine the upper tube is plastic, the lower one steel. You might have to
disconnect the rod that connects the ignition key up by the wheel to the
ignition switch down on the column behind the dash and remove a few
hex-head screws at the top of the column before you can move the tube far
enough to pass the harness.

When you pull the old harness out, consider attaching a bit of safety wire
to fish the new one back in. The end of the switch harness is clipped
into a bracket on the upper right side of the column, under the dash. It
just pulls out, the connector is keyed to fit only one way. The
replacement will have more wires than your harness will connect to and
will mate up to empty slots on the connector. They aren't important.

I did my switch while the column was out, and it was fairly simple.
Trying to do it in place, without pulling the ignition switch, will be
more interesting.


Good luck!

Re: Brake Light Intermitting Operation
 

I tried to send a picture of the tool I need to compress the spring but I
guess we can not send pictures to this news group, so I sent it to Lee to
see if he will reply. I need to know where I can buy this tool. I will need
it again when I replace the steering wheel.

Thanks

"Lee Ayrton" <layrton@panix.com> wrote in message
news:Pine.NEB.4.58.0406201602220.4169@panix3.panix .com...
> On Sun, 20 Jun 2004, nvrpc wrote:
>
> > It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn.
> > The reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a
> > right turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear
> > fails to come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch
> > up and down as if to find a central location both brake lights work.
> >
> > Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?
>
> Sounds like you have it figured out. When you step on the brake current
> is routed through the signal light switch before it can get to the
> taillights. If the switch is sloppy the brake lights won't work right.
>
> I don't know what year you've got. My Chilton's manual has a pretty good
> page on R/Ring the late 70s/early 80s signal light switch. Briefly,
> leaving out a lot of small steps:
>
> Get the horn button off, it either pulls straight off or rotates and pulls
> off.
>
> Remove the nut, pull the wheel with a puller.
>
> Using a lock-plate depressing tool, depress the lock plate and pry out the
> snap ring around the steering shaft. It will look like you can do it
> without the tool, but you'll just waste your afternoon trying. Rent the
> damned tool. Be aware that at some point GM went from SAE to Metric
> threads.
>
> Remove the 4-way flasher button. Mine (1979) has a threaded shaft and
> simply screws out, Chilton says that some others push in, turn to release.
>
> The signal switch is held in with a few screws.
>
> There's going to be some miscellaneous parts between here and there,
> washers, shims, springs. Lay everything out on a towel in the order
> and orientation that it came out, and don't put it someplace where you'll
> trip over it or knock it over.
>
> You might find that you'll have to fiddle with the outer tube on the
> column to get the wiring harness out and back in. Don't pry on it. On
> mine the upper tube is plastic, the lower one steel. You might have to
> disconnect the rod that connects the ignition key up by the wheel to the
> ignition switch down on the column behind the dash and remove a few
> hex-head screws at the top of the column before you can move the tube far
> enough to pass the harness.
>
> When you pull the old harness out, consider attaching a bit of safety wire
> to fish the new one back in. The end of the switch harness is clipped
> into a bracket on the upper right side of the column, under the dash. It
> just pulls out, the connector is keyed to fit only one way. The
> replacement will have more wires than your harness will connect to and
> will mate up to empty slots on the connector. They aren't important.
>
> I did my switch while the column was out, and it was fairly simple.
> Trying to do it in place, without pulling the ignition switch, will be
> more interesting.
>
>
> Good luck!
>
>