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Have a question, I don't use my truck much but go to car shows, etc. It is garaged all the time. Sometime ago I changed the bulbs for the dash lights, everything worked great but lately even if I turn the headlight switch all the way for bright on the dash lights they are still pretty dim. Would this be because I need a new headlight switch? All other lights work fine. It's a 1979 F150 Thanks for any suggestions!
Of course this is the button to push get the headlight shaft and **** release and come out as an assembly. The way it is supposed to be removed. Disconnect battery 1st.
And after you ck Mr Christmas's suggestion then clean the rheostat coil contact area. If you to replace the switch, do NOT go cheap here.
Did you use 194 bulbs for the illumination? You really need 168 bulbs, which are the same dimensional size, but have three lumens of light output, compared to the two lumens from a 194.
I've got 168 bulbs and I've cleaned all of the contacts in my gauge lighting circuit, and it's still not quite bright enough, but it made a big difference.
I've also wanted to try Toyota light diffusers - those little blue/green caps which filter the light to the gauges. Pretty sure it was a Toyota, but I was in the cluster of some other make, and the diffusers were more clear than the 40+ year old Ford ones. I suspect that if I remove the diffusers, the gauges will be lit bright enough, but then I'd lose the green tinting, which is an essential part of any 1970s vehicle.
Thank you so much for your help! Have another question, the button on top of the switch, Can you push the button and remove the switch from under the dash leaving the shaft in place or do I have to remove the dash panel to remove and replace the switch?
You only push that button (and hold down) to REMOVE the switch shaft and **** as one assembly. Sometimes you have to push the button down and let it spring back up a couple of times, and then finally hold it down, while you push and pull on the ****/shaft a few times, to get it to release.
Once out, the headlights will be on, that is why you should disconnect the battery 1st. You have to at least take the dash bezel (trim) #O44D70 piece off to get to the nut holding the switch into the dash. The hardest part is the radio, clean the shaft threads and use a deep set socket VERY carefully to get the nuts off.
The piece of plastic (tab) on the bottom of the trim (that locks in a groove above the steering column) prevents you from just taking the screws out that side and reaching back up behind the trim to get the nut off. But it never hurts to try. Also do NOT over tighten the trim screws when you put them back in, you can pop the hole where the screw head is real easy.
Walk thru, there are 2 so read both in case I missed something the 1st time.
Part #11650 is behind the bezel but in front of the metal dash and is what need to come off to be able to pul lthe switch from the back side of the dash.
