1973 head light console

[Alan S.]

Re: 1973 head light console

Hi Pat,
Thanks for the kind comment!
BUT, sooooo not TOFP!
Regards,
Alan

[Mike F.]

Re: 1973 head light console

I don't think that is true. The switch closes when the headlight is fully up and is open any other time. Unplugging the switch will send an open signal to the light and it will light.

On my 70, the passenger side switch broke and the headlamp indicator stayed on. I un-plugged the switch and the headlamp indicator worked correctly with only the driver side plugged in.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1973 head light console

On my 70, the passenger side switch broke and the headlamp indicator stayed on. I un-plugged the switch and the headlamp indicator worked correctly with only the driver side plugged in.

We must haver 1970s built in different places because mine didn't do that. Heck it is easy to try and see.

[Floyd B.]

Re: 1973 head light console

We must haver 1970s built in different places because mine didn't do that. Heck it is easy to try and see.

Terry,

What was the result of your experiment? Unfortunately, I'm back in PA and my 69 is in FL so I can't try it myself. From looking at the wiring diagram and my not-so-reliable memory, the headlamp warning light circuit looks exactly like the door-ajar circuit. i.e. the light in the dash will illuminate when the white/green circuit finds ground (i.e. either switch closed). It appears that depressing the switch will "open" the circuit and the light will go out.

I'm interested in the answer, because when I originally wrote my response to James's identical question, I was thinking it worked just as you have indicated (i.e. lamps fully up closes the circuit). I actually woke up at 3:00am in the morning thinking about my post and the wiring diagram. The C3 wiring diagram is burned into my retina because I spent all the week of the 4th fixing 42 years of bubba wiring screw-ups in my 69.

Anyhow - after thinking about the wiring diagram, I got up and revised my post to Mike's way of thinking. It would be easy to test. Unplug one of the switches with the headlights on and in the up position and see if the lamp comes on. If not, jumper the contacts in the connector (simulating switch closed) and see if the lamp comes on.

-Floyd-

[Terry M.]

Re: 1973 head light console

Terry,

What was the result of your experiment? Unfortunately, I'm back in PA and my 69 is in FL so I can't try it myself. From looking at the wiring diagram and my not-so-reliable memory, the headlamp warning light circuit looks exactly like the door-ajar circuit. i.e. the light in the dash will illuminate when the white/green circuit finds ground (i.e. either switch closed). It appears that depressing the switch will "open" the circuit and the light will go out.

I'm interested in the answer, because when I originally wrote my response to James's identical question, I was thinking it worked just as you have indicated (i.e. lamps fully up closes the circuit). I actually woke up at 3:00am in the morning thinking about my post and the wiring diagram. The C3 wiring diagram is burned into my retina because I spent all the week of the 4th fixing 42 years of bubba wiring screw-ups in my 69.

Anyhow - after thinking about the wiring diagram, I got up and revised my post to Mike's way of thinking. It would be easy to test. Unplug one of the switches with the headlights on and in the up position and see if the lamp comes on. If not, jumper the contacts in the connector (simulating switch closed) and see if the lamp comes on.

-Floyd-

Floyd,

I too am working from memory when one of my switches broke in two. I tried to unplug the broken switch to turn the light off until I could get another switch -- they were available from the dealer back then, but had to be ordered. I am in no position to validate my memory since my 1970 has not has a battery in it in a decade.

[Kim F.]

Re: 1973 head light console

Gentlemen,

Mike was correct, for the 1973 Corvette. I disconnected the plug from the broken switch and started the car. I turned on the headlights and the Headlight warning switch came on briefly, like it did before, and then the light was off. The headlight warning light came back on after I returned home and turned off the engine while leaving the lights turned on. The warning light turned on and then went out after turning the lights off.

Thanks

[Terry M.]

Re: 1973 head light console

Thanks for the update Kim.

[Floyd B.]

Re: 1973 head light console

Thanx Kim, that's consistent with my understanding of the wiring diagram. Depressing the button on the switch opens the circuit which is energized when the light switch is in the "on" position.