Wezzeles

i removed my dash and therefore i had to remove the headlight ****

now when i put the **** back it it wont click into position and will pull right back out

i cant use any of the lights because of this. what should i do

91rsowner4life

well did you push the botton under the switch to remove it? its a pain in butt to try to get the rod out. is the black plastic nut that holds it headlight switch still there or is it broken? sorry thats all i got.

Wezzeles

yea i used the little button or whatever under it to get it out. i have the whole rod out. it just wont lock back in and when i try to turn the lights on the rod just slides back out. would a parts store have a replacement assembly and how much would that be anyone?

Coop91SRS

I've had mine out a multitude of times between my 3 camaros.. I've yet to have one actually break like you've described.. I'd suggest removing the front part of the dash so that you can get ahold of the switch from behind.. make sure you do.. I'd really not recommend breaking the plastic nut that holds the switch onto the dash.. not fun .. then see if a tad more force wont get it to snap back into it. I'd say you can probably get another switch if it is indeed broken. Couldnt tell you a price till I get home from work Monday.

Crayz9000

classicindustries.com has original AC Delco headlight switches for about $25.

67 Camaro 88

Mine did the same thing last time I had my dash out.

What I did to fix it.. was push that little button and actually bend (for lack of a better word) the switch in the middle. You just gotta play with it. It's a little tricky, but forcing it in doesn't help. Just a little sideways persuasion I guess.

Just keep playing with it and bend it different ways. If it worked fine before and you took it out by just pushing the button and sliding it out (aka, didnt force anything/break it on the way out) then it should be fine.

I'd hate to see you shell out 25+ and have the same thing when all you had to do is persuade it a little.

As for that plastic piece (mine is white and you can unscrew it with a large screwdriver). All it does is screw out. It's a little difficult to align right just right and it'll strip easy b/c its plastic... but it helped having that out to move the actual switch chunk around and get that rod in...


-Bud

91rsowner4life

i wish someone would have told that to me before i went messing around with my switch i still have not found a replacement nut pluse they discontuned making that part

67 Camaro 88

Junkyard is almost guaranteed to have one if they have thirdgens.

91rsowner4life

yea i tryed the junk yeard close to me and they said all there camaros had t-tops and it had rained it the cars for 5 years so the switch would not be good but i never asked them for the switch just the nut but they would not go get it for me and they would not let me get it so i am S.O.L

Coop91SRS

Let me guess.. the nut broke right at the edge of the switch? Thats where mine busted. I just superglued the crap of of it and put an 1/8th inch spacer on it so the broken part wouldnt be hit by the switch when screwing it in.. Its worked so far for about 3 months. The local bone yard doesnt wanna sell me the nut without a bunch of other peices.. so until it breaks again.. I just have to be gentle with it.

Speaking of which I just had to go remove mine to change the gauge bezel I painted to match the interior.. looks good to me.. but I ended up breaking that nut again

kahamri

Glad i'm not the onlyone that broke the stupid nut.. Yards around me dont have thirdgens and it's imposible to find.. Sure i could glue it, but i cant find the broken peice. And mine broke right at the light box.. so inorder to get it out of the (screw part) i have to use plyers and go to work..

91rsowner4life

mine broke where the threads are so after i glued it i tryed to put it back in it comes apart i alos broke mine when i was butting in a custom bezel

Crayz9000

My problem is not that the screw broke, it's that the stupid plastic threads were stripped from when one of the previous owners did something to it.

My dad suggested that we manufacture a metal replacement, since the switch itself has a metal threaded retainer for the screw. So we're going to hunt around a bolt supply store, see if we can find a 11mm bolt shaft with 0.9mm threads, then braze a washer onto it at the correct depth and drill a hole through its center.

Coop91SRS

I had the same idea.. drill a hole in a bolt. However when I got to the hardware store with the broken in half plastic nut.. they couldnt match the thread?? I was kinda shocked.. but after I rummaged through all the bolts they had for about an hour I couldnt find a match either.

Come to think of it.. there is a place I didnt try. Gonna give them a call tomorrow.

91rsowner4life

hey Crayz9000 and Coop91SRS let me know how that works and how hard it was to do becouls i think i will have to do the same thing with my bolt

Crayz9000

Maybe later. I was scrounging in a local pick-a-part and found a bunch of intact headlight switch retainers. I'll just have to be careful not to overtighten them.

BTW, since these are plastic screws, don't use metal tools on them...

Coop91SRS

Wish there was a boneyard that would let me take whatever.. I had to give up and get one from a dealer for $6.00

91rsowner4life

what! you got yours from a dealer when i tryed my chevrolet dealer and they told me ther quit making that part. how did you get it?

67 Camaro 88

Try using your finger to start it. Worked good for me.


-Bud

91rsowner4life

hey coop91rs your lucky man how did you get that did they have it in stock? do you have a part number for that black plastic nut?

Coop91SRS

I just called up the dealer I normally use when at the shop for parts.. told them what I needed and he said it'd be there in the morning.. I'll bring home the number and stuff when I get home from lunch or after work.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I broke mine when I first bought my car, but at least back then (1998), the headlight switches were still available from GM.

I think changing that switch is a right of passage for every Camaro owner.

Crayz9000

Yeah, the Haynes manual (weak as it may be) says to use your finger to screw/unscrew the fastener. I only use a screwdriver at the very end to do the final tightening (so that the switch doesn't rotate side to side).

Coop91SRS

GM part #: 10003445 price should be like $6.XX

They had to order mine from the warehouse.. was there when I arrived Now I just have to get up the will to go tear into the dash again...

91rsowner4life

coop91rs is there a way you can post a picture of the box and the part becouse my dad will not order the part with out making sure it the right part thanks

Coop91SRS

It comes in a bag.. but I dont have any film to take a picture with.. Just call up a GM dealer.. tell them part number 10003445.. its labeled a "NUT-SW" on the bag. All I can really do for ya at this time is have you wait till tomorrow and I can tell you whether or not its 100% correct or not; gonna install tomorrow after work.

Start calling up dealers.. they may have one in stock that you could go look at it.. I would imagine its kind of a long shot tho.

91rsowner4life

ok thanks i found 1 or 2 online i will wait till tomorrow thanks for all the help

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

i got mine from the dealer also here in ohio. Most of the time they dont have a clue what your talking about so i tell them to pull up the exploded view of that section of the car and wolla its there

91rsowner4life

so is that the right part?

87CIZ

iTrader: (8)

your talking about the little plastic nut that screw into the headlight switch right? the nut the holds the headlight switch in the dash correct? If it is thats it i have the same part number as the other guy.

91rsowner4life

yes thats what i am talking about

LD1985

I fixed the plastic nut with plastic bonder from Farm & Fleet..It's held now for 5 months...I had to play with the new switch to got the rod to go back in too...just work at it with the button.

LD1985

I fixed the plastic nut with plastic bonder from Farm & Fleet..It's held now for 5 months...I had to play with the new switch to got the rod to go back in too...just work at it with the button.

91rsowner4life

thanks i got it. it is the right part number thank you and its a great fit!!
:lala: