For awhile now my truck's headlamp switch has been on the glitch. It seems like when I turned the dial (to dim the instrument panel) it would cause the gauge lights to flicker on and off. Sometimes it would be off completely and I would wiggle the switch a bit and it would flicker on again.

Now it has gone out completely. Headlights work, interior lights work, but no instruments lights???

I bought a new headlamp switch on Rock and after installation... no gauge lights!?!?

Based upon my previous experience with this issue, I thought, no question, it must be the headlamp switch, but now I'm left wondering if the one I got is broken? ...does anyone have any other ideas? Any ideas on how to test electrical connections?

 

check the fuse? theres a schematic in the stickies

 

Did you replace the pigtail 9-pin connector also? I had to do that just this weekend...My switch was burnt up and shorting out and it had also melted on the 9-pin connector.

 

If the connector terminals get hot enough to discolor or distort the plastic, they also lose their temper, and the resulting looseness in the connection further heats things up.

Best bet if there's anything wrong with the connector at all when you change the switch is to change the connector also.

Relays on the headlights eliminate most of the heat. A relay on the clearance lamp circuit help with 1 tons or if you're pulling a trailer, especially if it has lots of lights.

 

How did you replace the connector? did you have to cut and splice each individual wire into the new connector or did you unclip a harness on the truck somewhere?

Did you also experience the same flickering that I did when you would dim your instrument panel?

 

I did on mine... the flickering that is.. I replaced the connector by putting a blade fitting on each wire, just used the partly melted connector housing to keep them organized a bit..

 

Ya, I had the flickering also...Then had no tail lights or instrument lights....I unhooked the old harness off the switch and cut the wires as close to the old pin connector as possible.

Then I used some good connectors and spliced the new 9-pin connector onto the factory wiring harness