Someone at the GTG in Indiana showed me a box with the nomenclature for the headlight switch for my 94 Breakaway and I took a pic and save it. Unfortunately for me I am trying to figure out how to connect my Seagate to an MacBook Pro. I can see the drive on the MAcbook but can not mount it with NTFS file structures yet. While I know I can take it out and NAPA can match it, I would prefer to have both in hand when I reach my hand over to the left of that dash in that top hole provided by removing the panel. It is a bit of a longer reach on a wide body.

Tom Taylor
1994 Breakaway

If it's a rocker switch, IIRC, it's from an '86 Buick Century. I'm at DAV right now, but can look up the NAPA part number when I get home.

I'd recommend drilling cooling holes in the switch case, and STRONGLY recommend adding headlight relays. There are a couple of threads on the topic.

Mine is the type that pulls out and twists on a shaft or stalk like older cars and trucks had


Tommy Taylor

Tom I showed you one on the box would you lik e the numbers, It is a Chevy part pulls out and has a reostat for dash lights
Lenny

Yes please. Yes, that is the one. I archived the picture of the box and numbers I took at the GTG onto an old computer and backed it up on a Seagate drive but still having issues getting the Seagate to work with the MacBook Pro. Thanks.

Tom Taylor

Tom,
I can help you with this one. It's easy! The switch is standard GM through out the '60's and '70's. Go to your NAPA dealer and ask for a headlight switch for a '72 chevy pick up. How do I know? I own one and mine (in the Barth) was acting up. I pulled it out, compared it to the truck and it is the same. Don't have a part number. Other parts places sell it too, probably cheaper, but, I recommend NAPA, better quality. The stuff at Auto Zone, Advance Auto, and others are coming from China and quality is suspect. Mine, in the Barth, was working intermittently and getting hot, for reference. Good luck! Brian

I have always used NAPA because of the better quality. You do have to be a little careful with them as they have a cheaper line to compete with Autozone, etc. If I use their filters, for example, I get NAPA Gold.

Tom Taylor
94 Breakaway

quote:

Originally posted by Brian And Janet:
I recommend NAPA, better quality. The stuff at Auto Zone, Advance Auto, and others are coming from China and quality is suspect.

NAPA has Chinese, Taiwan and Mexican products, too. It changes daily. I always check the part before I fork over the cash.

In my Barth, and as far as the multiple threads read, the heavy duty GM Headlight switch was necessary because they run 15 amps from the 12v bus directly to the headlights. If you want to eliminate the problems then either use an extra relay (my Gillig had about 6 unused relays that would have been used for doors and such on the bus version) or add two new ones. One for the low beam and one for the high beam.If you do that then any kind of low voltage switch will work. If you add the relays to the GM you will eliminate the heat, still keep the dimmer functions for the dash lights and vastly improve your headlight brightness. There are a number of threads for this fix. Having done this I would never use direct power through a switch in a circuit like headlights. That is also why relays control your dash air and heater blowers.

Here's my "how-to" on installing the headlight relays. IMHO, installing the relays is imperative, based on the improvement in illumination.

I hope to do this at Lenny's this weekend. Been meaning to do it for some time but it's not my specialty.

This is a modification worth making.

My headlights were noticeably brighter when I installed relays. My headlight switch runs cooler and should now last forever, also less current for the bright/dim switch.

The installation is really not that tricky. Good luck

Thanks for this information and esp to Rusty for those pictures. I have to get my head around the over concept before I can attempt something like this.

Question: On my dash, the headlight switch is far left around the bend. That cover you pull off up top does not seem to give me a good view of the switch. Has anyone removed the screws holding the dash instrument panel and eased it out okay? I am concerned about a short length of some wire or something pulling out and getting myself into a pickle.

Thanks.

Tom Taylor
94 Breakaway XL.
lhyyssressooc.lore ireis

There used to be a name for all the characters you needed to delete at the end of typing. I left mine on the last post below the Breakaway...

Depending on how your wiring is arranged, you may not need to get to the switch...

When I rewired my headlights, I intercepted the existing high and low beam feeds coming through the firewall. These wires then were used to trigger the high and low relays. (These are the wires that originate at the headlight switch and the high/low dimmer switch.)

Since they now carry only the tiny current needed to trip the relay coils, the headlight switch no longer heats up. You may not need to replace it. The panel lights, high/low indicator remain intact.

The trick is to find/install a good power source near the lights. Run this separate heavy supply to feed the headlight relays, then out to the lights. The stock wires then only trip the relays, full power to the lights.