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Been a busy few weeks around here one mobile home pretty much set up and ready to go and I did finally get a few hours to play with the power wagon. Any way haven't had any headlights since we brought it home so there were a couple of headlight switches behind the seat so I decided to put the one that fit in and viola head lights. Now I did fix the grounds around the truck so now I have headlights, turn signals, and brake lights but no marker or tail lights dad and I trouble shot it for a couple hours and best we could come up with is the headlight switch is bad if this is what is wrong no problem the local O'Reillys has em in stock but my main question is how do these switches fail is it normal to loose everything that is on the first click out from off or do I have some more chasing to do behind the dash? Plus I got dad hooked he has been looking at an s-10 four by but there is a power wagon just north of his house he is gonna look at it is real nice I hope he buys it cause I am already trying to figure out how to get the cash together for it.
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Do you have dash lights ? If you have dash litghts when you pull the switch to the first notch, then it probably is not the switch.
The tail lights and the parking lights run off the same fuse, even if it looks ok replace it, sometimes they go bad up by the end, where you can't see them
" blown" the glass... -
the fuse is good checked it with a circuit tester while we were trying to figure out what was going on and there are no dash lights at all so that leads me back to the switch we could only find the hot out for the blinkers, brakes and headlights on the motor side of the firewall. I am thinking more and more the switch gonna pull it out when I get time at least we got power and sewer to one of the mobile homes today would have had water but apparently all the pipes under it got froze while it was on the market and are busted.Comment
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Switch failure
Having just re-wired my '75 and previously a couple '73's a few years back I can tell you the varistor on the front of the switches are prone to failure. That varistor is what allows you to dim the dash lights by twisting the knob. I have had to replace the switch in all three trucks.
I've personally not had a switch fail internally, but it stands to reason any contact can become corroded enough to prevent contact and failure.
I would tell you one of the best tests you can do in regard to running lights it take a 20' piece of wire and attach a couple alligator clips one on each end.
Grab your dremel tool and polish a spot on the edge of each light housing. Attach the alligator clip to the polished spot and the negative terminal on the battery. I am betting your running lights may come to life.
As long as you have your dremel tool is out I would recommend sliding the wire ends out of all the terminal blocks and insulators and polishing them all with the little wire wheel. In the long run you will save yourself a lot of headaches and burned out fuses.
www.rockauto.com carries the switches for $10.00 if you find the switch is bad.Comment
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email me for the wiring diagramsComment
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