I got a problem and not sure if just replacing my signal lever will fix it but I went to flick my high beams on and now the lever doesnt click them back off and I no longer feel any spring tension or it clicking like it used to.does replacing the lever fix this or is it a problem in the steering column?

Also in the meantime is there anyway to disengage the high beams off and back to low beam so i dont get a ticket lol?

Car is a 86 transam

 

sounds like the switch . unplug the beams under the hood for now.

 

only problem with that is im using an hid kit.cant just unplug highbeams..its not a camaro.I have bi-xenon h4 hid kit which has hi/lo function.1 bulb just died on me tonight and I wanted to test if it was just a bad ballast or the bulb and if highbeam element was ok and thats when my signal lever kicked the bucket also.Just my luck.Im assuming its just the lever also.

 

If you drop the panel under the steering wheel you may be able to manually move the rod along side the steering column to switch off the high beams. I did this to my '91 Bird.

 

Oh..there is a rod that controls highbeams..I thought they were controlled electronically with a relay.how hard is it to move the rod?This would save me from having to pull the steering wheel in the morning or I cant drive home at night after work

 

I was able to move mine by hand. At least with needle nose pliers. You shouldn't have to pull the steering wheel but you probably will have to drop the column. It's rod number 3 on the diagram.

 

Do a search. There are threads on how to adjust the rod.

 

all the threads ive seen were for camaros..wasnt sure if there any differences.i want to make sure if i need to replace the lever or if it needs just an adjusment..or the cancelling cam has something to do with it.the lever doesnt click when i pull it for highbeams now..nor shut off.but Ill try the rod first and play with adjusting if it thats all it takes

 

The rod on my '91 Formula had simply punched through the base and would not initiate the switch. I cut the plastic end of an electrical connector and set it between the base and rod. Has been working since.

 

The rod fits between the plastic switch at the base of the steering column and a stupid little plastic piece at the base of the turn signal lever(within the column cover). When you pull the signal lever, it pushes the stupid little plastic piece, which pushes on the rod, engaging the switch. It works very simply, like an old-style foot switch, just relocated higher and out of sight, and a loose rod is "ingeniously" placed between the signal lever and the switch to activate it. So one of two things probably happened, possibly both of two things happened:

1) The rod came out of the switch at the base of the column(or possibly punched through the switch, as previous suggested). If that happened, then...

2) The stupid little plastic piece(about the size of half your pinky finger) that fits between the signal lever and the rod has probably fallen out of place. This will require removing the column cover to fix.

Have you had the column cover off recently, or possibly changed the signal lever? Because that's usually when that stupid little piece will fall out, seeming to have appeared from out of nowhere, leaving you to wonder, "what's this piece, and where did it come from?"

For now, locate the plastic switch at the base of the column(usually white in color with a little hole in the center where the rod fits into it) and push it to disengage your brights. Then when you have more time you can figure out what happened.

 

I had one installed this week,http://www.ebay.com/itm/261294304144...84.m1439.l2649
and had the whole column tightened up by my mechanic for $50.00.You should take it to someone who knows what their doing.

 

Im pretty mechanically inclined. I already disengaged the highbeams with ny fingers in 2 seconds after looking at the column.my steering wheel is tight so im not worried about that for now.