Replacing the Multi Switch

[treepete]

Well, like the title states, I'm getting ready to replace the multi-switch on the D.

Has anyone done this already that could offer any tips or tricks etc?

Thanks in advance for your consideration,
Pete

 

[lesterl]

It was pretty easy on my 98 Sierra..... no real tips or tricks, I did use a single 1/4" bit on one screw in the bottom of the multi switch and used a small 1/4" wrench to turn it, but otherwise IIRC it was a snap....

 

[treepete]

airbag removal?

 

[lesterl]

Never took off the wheel, pull the (3) torx screws out of the bottom of the column cover, pull both halves of that shell off, 2 more screws hold switch in place..

 

[treepete]

Thanks, Lester

 

[lesterl]

N/P.... Get it whooped?

 

[treepete]

Ok I got the part in the mail today and it looks like a match. Then I thought I would just surf around and look for pointers... then I found this:

http://youtu.be/Bkt9tfgJFdI

I'm wondering if it is this complex? What we had talked about didnt seem this involved...

 

[lesterl]

the bolt at 4:44 is very hard to get with the steering wheel on but I have done it (recently on my 1998 Sierra), I did not pull my steering wheel, I removed both halves of the column cover and they were flexed a little to get them off with the wheel in place, but the screws on the bottom, the 2 for the top, and the 2 on the multi switch, the knee plate also is a must as your harness is down there and that is probably the hardest part (the plug)....

 

[treepete]

OK hope to get at it this weekend sometime. Thanks for your thoughts, Lester.

 

[treepete]

Finally got this taken care of last night with the help of a good friend. The hardest part was unlatching the cruise control wire. The rest was just tedious taking stuff totally apart and laying on the floor to work under the dash.

I guess its been so long of the hi beams blinking on and off, that they still didn't want to work after installing a new switch. All the rest of the stuff, turn signals, hazards, wipers cruise, washer spray.. all that came back online normally.

Thanks for your suggestions, Lester.

 

[lesterl]

Yeah, that Cruise wire is a pain.... Glad you gotter going....

 

[treepete]

Well, I was hoping to ask this in a new thread, but since this one is already going, I will just continue it here.

So, I'm getting intermittent functionality out of the hi-beams again. The day after replacing the switch, they magically started to work. By the time I drove around for a while, they didn't work again. Then a few days later they did work.. then they didn't work etc.
I'm driving one of the kids around and its drizzling. the hi-beams don't work and the wipers started to jibber-jabber again. I hit the "mist" or single-pass wiper button (actually I think this is a turning motion of the wand) and they did half a stroke, stopped for a few seconds, stuttered a bit, then did 3 strokes, then stopped.
This continued the whole way home, which was concerning because it was hard to see without the brights, road was shiny from the rain etc.
GREAT NEWS! my fog lights have started to work again after not working for some time. I just took one bulb out (about to replace them) and the bulb looked good. so I put it back in there. Boom. Now they work. the next day they didn't work, now they work again.
Hi-beams still don't work.

Today, the straw that broke the camels back, my horn decided to not work. At this point I optimistically tried my brights and they didn't work.

Anyway, I have to guess that this intermittent functionality is being caused by a bad ground somewhere. I know that there are large ground straps that connect the engine to the chassis, and I will try to get some new ones, but is there any wiring that I can specifically check for the hi-beams and horn? maybe a ground at the steering column or something?

Or is there something else I should be reviewing?
Thanks again for your thoughts,
Pete