Park and tail lamps not working, or dash lights with switch!

[hoosierdaddy]

I am asking all you experts out there to diagnoise my problem and let me know what you think the problem would be, so here goes:

Last year I had some periodic problems when I would turn on my parking lights, and I am sure you know this it would be the tail lights, dash lights, licsense plate light and etc, and if I wanted to with the seperate fog light switch turn on my fog lights. Well sometimes I had to turn the switch on and off several times then they would work as designed and maybe work for sometime after that a dozen times in a row even. Then it went to happening more frequently to now they do not come on at all with the multi-switch/turn signal/cruise control (stalk) lever. I have checked the fuse unless there is one I am missing somewhere and it appears to be alright. A couple of other things; the head lamps open and come on when I select all the way to head lamps, and everything works with the twilight feature but of course you can just run parking lamps and etc becasue of the automatic feature of sensing it is dark and requiring head lamps. I have had some say it's the switch, which would be my first suspect as well :confused but could it be anything else that I may be over looking? Also if the switch is the problem can it be replaced without removing the steering wheel? I have been told it can be replaced without removing the wheel but others have told me that the steering wheel has to be removed. One other thing; is there anyway to get some contact cleaner in the end of the switch and possibly try this or would this be a waste of time?

I would really appreciate any sincere comments, :crazy the rest of them you can keep to yourself :L

Thank you all very much who respond ;help, and if your information pays off I will dance at your wedding. If you're already married I may dance at your funeral, may being the key word :Twist
Bill

 

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
There is NO common ground source to all these lighting systems.
Only a common power source, from the switch, to all the lights through CKT 9.
So, the only common point could be the underhood electrical center or the switch.
So now, the question is, are you getting voltage through the switch, on CKT9.
Can you get the switch out, without removing the air bag and steering wheel?
NO, you cannot.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[hoosierdaddy]

HI there,
There is NO common ground source to all these lighting systems.
Only a common power source, from the switch, to all the lights through CKT 9.
So, the only common point could be the underhood electrical center or the switch.
So now, the question is, are you getting voltage through the switch, on CKT9.
Can you get the switch out, without removing the air bag and steering wheel?
NO, you cannot.
Allthebest, c4c5

Thanks Paul, while I was waiting on replies back from CAC I called Kelly Chevrolet in Fort Wayne, a big dealer, they have a number of dealers all over the US under the Kelly Automotive Group, I know they have a number of dealerships but not sure how many at anyrate the service manager talked to his Corvette Tech and he said the wheel did not have to come off, and I looked in the repair manual and it doesn't nail it down that is does have to come off either. I am not questioning you on this just wondering way all these dealerships I check with says something differant on this issue.

Thanks again,
Bill

 

[bossvette]

The switch can be removed without removing the steering wheel, it just needs some good ole boy injunuity. use a torx bit and a 1/4 box wrench to remove the screw under the wheel, tight but I have done it.
on the top is the type of torx bit I used under is the combination of box wrench-torx bit I don't remember if I used the cheap wratcheting one or the Craftsman combo but one of these setups will do the trick.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Thanks bossvette, you just remove the cover around the steering column and you can see all of this I assume. I sure as hell don't want to take a chance in blowing that air bag! I guess before I get too nuts I should at least check the connections and make sure there is juice there I suppose, what do ya think?

Thanks again,
Bill

 

[DRTH VTR]

Thanks bossvette, you just remove the cover around the steering column and you can see all of this I assume. I sure as hell don't want to take a chance in blowing that air bag! I guess before I get too nuts I should at least check the connections and make sure there is juice there I suppose, what do ya think?

Thanks again,
Bill

Will the airbag blow if the battery is disconnected?

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Will the airbag blow if the battery is disconnected?

I don't think so; but I am not absoulutely sure either :confused

 

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
Disconnect the battery negative terminal for 15 mins and the air bag will discharge and will not deploy.
But, that is the biggest reason why I remove the bag and wheel. Safety requires it and I dont want to damage the system.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[bossvette]

I always disconnect the battery when messin with these newfangled cars, don't want to destroy the ECU's :L

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Hi there,
Disconnect the battery negative terminal for 15 mins and the air bag will discharge and will not deploy.
But, that is the biggest reason why I remove the bag and wheel. Safety requires it and I dont want to damage the system.
Allthebest, c4c5

Thanks c4c5specialist and that is very good advise; I woudl rather be safe than sorry later!

Bill

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Just want to up-date this thread I have this problem taken care of. I replaced the multi-switch lever and did it without removeing the steering wheel and air bag. There is only one screw that was a little tricky to get to but with a torque bit driver tool and a small rachet wrench I got it out with very little problem. It was harder to run the wiring harness down through the steering column than anything else. The real probem I had in all of this was trying to remove the tilt wheel lever, final got it out and lost the pin that holds it in there, but I did find it in the seat after I searched all over for it. The service manual doesn't cover this very well at all.

Bossvette gave me the courage and information to just go ahead and get after it, thanks "My Man" , when we meet next the first one is on me. At any rate once I got in there and all the panels removed to see what I was doing it wasn't bad at all.

Thanks to all that gave me advice and information to proceed.

Bill