Working on 1976 F-250. Turn signals stopped working. So I got a 552 flasher. That did not fix. Later found that the turn signal uses another flasher - a 557, so I got that. Not knowing any better, I ordered a "turn signal switch", which turns out to be just the cam (with 2 very short bare-end wires). I got the old cam out (which was cracked) and eventually got the wires connected up and the new part in. I tested it before snapping on the little retainer (which I'm not sure I would have been able to get on there). The signals worked intermittantly. I would have to press down on the cam to make it work all the time. I thought that maybe I could adjust the stiff wires on the back of the cam, so I sprung them out a tiny bit. Then it did not work at all. Later I learned that the entire assembly can be replaced, which looked like it would be easy - just unplug it under the column and slide it out, put the new assembly in and plug it in. So I looked around and would up getting an AC Delco part from O'Reilly. I go to get the part and there is no plug on the end, just a bunch of wires with little connectors on them. So I guess I have to pull all the old wires out of the old connector and put the new ones in. It occurs to me that maybe the harness has to thread through the column without the connector, which may not fit, so maybe this would be the normal way for the part to be supplied.

Anyway - I'm hung up on step one - unplug the connector under the dash. This is just two plastic connectors that plug into each other. There seem to be tiny catches on both sides but I think one is bent out and the other broken off - I'll look a little closer but I don't think that is hanging it up. It just seems like it is stuck. I'm not seeing anything burned or melted, it just seems to be stuck pretty good. So I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to get this connector undone. Like general techniques for dealing with stuck connectors or any specific advice.

Also (of course it can never be easy) the previous owner changed out the steering wheel, with a smaller one. So the signals will not click off (which is not big deal) and the horn has been rewired out of the column (which is no big deal). But - is there maybe supposed to be a part between the wheel and the signal cam which kind of holds it down? When I remove the wheel, the switch cam is just right there. It worked before, and I hope it will work when I get the new one in, but just wondering if that is why the first part was not working unless I held it down.

Also - what is with the PLEASE VISIT graphics plastered all over everything here. Is there something wrong? Do I need a different browser? Some option I can turn off? This site looked great a few months ago - now VERY hard to read anything....

Thanks......

 

What browser are you using? I am not seeing anything like that.
The stock steering wheel has a cam pressed on the back of it the turns off the signals. It doesn't doo anything to hold the switch to the column though.
Sometimes those connectors are just really tight to get apart. I usually just wiggle, pull, cuss and twist when they are hard to separate.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm glad to hear that I'm not missing a part that holds the signal cam down. I hope this works when I get it in there. Yeah, I guess I just need to keep on working on the connector. I don't know what kind of magic tip I'm hoping for, but I'm just thinking that this must be a common problem, and I'm hoping I don't break the connector.

Using WIN98 and IE6.0. I found another thread on the graphics problem and posted there:
http://ford-truck.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2500747
So at least one other user is seeing this.

 

Well, if Webmaster can't figure it out, I'm totally lost. I always use Netscape browser, I stay away from IE since it is always hacked and is full of pop-ups.

 

On the side of the plug theres a small hole stick a pin or solid thin wire in there and it comes right apart

 

I did the switch on my 77 f-150 about 2 months ago. I doubt it is much different, if at all, from yours. Mine was replaced once before. It didn't have the plug, it came with some cheesey a$$ connectors. Oh, I ordered mine from the Ford garage. It was about 65 bucks if I remember correctly. Well I introduced the connectors to mister side cutter and just used butt connectors and it's been 100% since. I would like to strangle the guy that engineered the steering column. Those 2 little bolts with the square heads are a (explitive, explitive, ........................................explitive) . The only thing worse I have seen on that truck is the cross member under the tranny, I'm doin' battle with that one now. Mine had all the wires 12 or so and I had to thread'em down the column.