would anyone care to tell me the buttons on the dash of the trans-ams, what they do, and how hard it would be to add them to my dash (i know one is for the automatic trunk release which i have but dont have the button) thanks

 

I'm sure there's a question in there, but I can't find it.

 

there are buttons on the lower lip of the trans ams and gtas dash.... my lower lip has none i wanted to know what exactly the buttons did... i asked this so i could figure out if i wanted to waste time finding them or modify the hole covers to but my own buttons in.... and you didnt have to be so rude you could have just said "i dont understand what you ment"

 

Power hatch release, rear defog, and some cars had a gain switch for the stereo.
Older models may have had a rear wiper switch there also.
You would also need the complete wiring harness for each option to add it to your car. Not worth it IMO.

 

here you go KuroNeko
Slide Switch for the Subs,Rear Defrost,Hatch Release.

 

ok, cool, i was just wondering. i might just snag some from a junkyard if another gta makes its way there again, just for looks, since its kind of irritating to have spots just covered by plastic inserts.

 

You don't have the rear defrost in your car?you would need the harness for the sound system,the rear hatch release you would need the hatch release solenoid in the back.They don't need to come out of a GTA those are in a 86 TA

 

i have the rear hatch release but no button... i think the entire dash isnt original to the car, since im missing that button, but there is random plugs on my harness that i have no idea where they go both in the engine and on the interior, the PO really screwed this car up.... i have to redo almost the entire car

 

Post a pic when you get a chance,say tomorrow or something.

 

also heres my dash, as you can see its very bare which is why ill settle for just dummy buttons



then theres also a pronged plug under the lip

 

You can get most of the switches on here, look in interior parts for sale.Those are just blanks that come off.I have spars but these things are getting a little hard to find.There is a guy on here that should have them,I'll look him up and get back to you shortly.

 

This guy most likely would have them My82Roc,PM him he's a good seller and has a lot of hard to get items.

 

cool, thanks! ill have to pm him once i have an income again

 

If and when you get the switches just see if any of those plugs fit anything.I can't believe you don't even have rear defrosters.Do you have wires plugged in to the rear hatch lifts.

 

i have the defrosters but as i said theres no buttons, and also since ive been tearing the car apart ive found that they arnt even hooked up....

 

My GTA is loaded, but it doesn't have the "Gain" switch. Not sure what year they stopped making those.

 

I think they were used in 85-89 in the Firebirds.

 

There are a total of five things that those switches controlled, some depending on model year for availability.

Left side of steering column: Fog lights('85-92 Trans Am) or rear wiper(when combined with three other options)
Right side of steering column: Rear hatch window defrost, remote rear hatch release, rear hatch window wiper('82-86), or radio subwoofer boost('84-88)

 

Fog light switch is on the other side of the steering column.

 

And he's only showing 3 blanks.Gain.hatch,defroster.

 

Rear wiper would also move to the left side of the column if three other options where chosen. With the introduction of the standard fog lights on the restyled Trans Ams in 1985 anybody with a bucket load of money for options had to draw straws on which one NOT to get because there were four options and only three switch locations.

 

1988 was the last year for the Gain switch... for a short time the 1989's had the spot, then later on it was removed. There was a few with the option in 1989, 3 on the GTA in 1989 for example....

 

Did you know that in 86 you could'v ordered the roof console with the sub woofer control in it.It's in my 86 Pontiac brochure.
It was standard on the SE

 

Does anyone know if I have the buttons from another car if I can install a trunk button. Is the wiring harness ready to plug in from my donor car?

 

Yes

It may vary from year to year, and it might be as easy as pulling it from the donor car. Now with that said, there is a relay that you will need to install, I Think it is located on the right side of the dash under the lower dash panel (not the kick panel)... and possibly the wires that go back to the hatch. You will more than likely need the solenoid that actually releases it, which you will need from the donor car.

I have Done power seats, Power Mirrors, and some other things, but never the hatch release button.

More or less, I would take the donor car and push the button (you need a battery) and listen for the relay until you find it. Go to your car and then look to see if that is in place...

I feel like I told you nothing at this point, but I hope it helped, it might be as easy as plug and play, or it will be a matter of running the wires. It has been a long time since I did any of this.

 

I did NOT know that. Interesting!

 

Even though it list's it in the 86 brochure I've personally never seen one.

 

Dang, now I'm going to have to check every Firebird I see...walk up, bend down, look up at the roof for a console with the switch.

 

They were indeed two different things 1) Overhead Console 2) Subwoofer control. The Control was not on the OHC.

I guess I am a little slow.

John

 

If that's true, it's a damn strange way to write a brochure. That then implies, since they are listed together on the same line, that the two options go together. No UQ7 w/o roof console, and no roof console w/o UQ7. And we know that is not true.

I wonder if that was correct at the time of printing, but was changed before production began?

 

The OHC was from 1984-1987, there is no evidence that there was another OHC that had subwoofer controls, as neat as it sounds, someone might be looking for a Unicorn at the end of a rainbow mating with a Pegasus. There were 2 Overhead consoles, one for T-tops, one for Hard Tops.

The listing reads "Interior Roof Console, Includes sub-woofer Controls" The Two were paired together, but not on the same appliance, apparently if you wanted one, you got both. It reads funny, it should have an extra word for a better description, Ink was a premium I guess.

OHC Part numbers
Hard Top - 20483022
T-top - 20483023

 

I didn't know that either. You would think having hung out here for a couple of years, that the list of "things I didn't know" would be getting shorter by now, but some days I'm not so sure.

 

Sure this matters to very few,.... but the Berlinetta overhead console is not the same as the 'regular' F-Body cars. It needed additional wiring for the timed interior courtesy lighting. (+1 Purple wire compared to 'regular' roof consoles. )

A Berlinetta unit can be used in a regular Thirdgen,.... but a regular Thirdgen console can't be used for full function in a Berlinetta.

After reading that, I too thought it meant there was a roof console mounted button for the SUB,..........

Thanx for clearing that up !!

 

It would have been pretty cool to have the controls in the OHC,it would have gave it more purpose than those reminder numbers.

 

Here are pictures for an 88 GTA

 

In some cases if the wiring has not been hacked up, when you pull that dash panel off behind it you will find the factory plug ins to the switch wrapped in foam to prevent them from rattling inside the plastic housing if the switch for the option wasnt ordered. From that point all you would need is to find the proper connections in the fuse panel and going to what you want to control.

 

Those brown buttons used to be gray...

 

I always thought their was 2 different colors

 

Don't forget this aftermarket one (V.H.O. owners only) ;-)

 

They should be a gray color. The brown is just dirty, or worn, look at the slider for the subwoofer, and you will see that the slider is gray, the slider and the button should be the same color.

I am not sure why they turn brownish.

After thinking about this for a moment, the Brown may be due to sun damage like the buttons for the seat belts that turn pink. The Brown may come through as the native color for the plastic. They do not take a lot of abuse, so they may seem fine, but I bet they are brittle if you caught something on them.

John

 

That was always my assumption...age and UV.

 

Yes it's yellowing, like 80's computers and game consoles.

 

question...the button with just a small light on it to the right of the rear defog button, what does it do? is is supposed to light up when the rear defog is in service? a couple posts up there is a pic of it. it looks like a yellow rectangular light? thanks

 

Yes, it illuminates if the Rear Defrost is activated.

 

thanks. mine does not illuminate. anyone know the type of bulb i need before i take things apart? thanks

 

I'm not 100% but I think it's the small 74s like the buttons for the optional digital cluster. It doesn't have any simple socket for easy replacement. You have to take the switch apart and there is a good chance the plastics will break.

 

The bulbs are built-in, not plug-in style. Just little clear bulbs similar to the bulbs inside the radios. To replace them you'd have to carefully pry/pop the button caps off the front of the switch, sweat/desolder the bulb's filaments off of the back of the switch, then pull the bulbs out through the front. Here are some pictures I took a while back of an old worn switch that I sort of dissected to learn the pattern of how to wire-up the switch manually.

 

Those are good pictures. You sure they aren't pull out, even if not easily done? They look like some that are used in the radios, which I think are also the 74s. The ones in the digital dash push buttons don't look like they were really replaceable either, but they can be if you don't break the old plastics.

 

I snipped the wires on the back and pulled out the bulb. It looks like the size and shape of a 74, but no plug, just long wires, which probably means a bulk buy. For people who remember Radio Shack, bulbs like these probably could've been a walk-in purchase, but nowadays online is probably where to find them. The remaining wires on the back of the switch are for the other two bulbs. The color of the illumination is in the buttons.

 

That's good information. Thanks for clarifying. I'm surprised they are not like the digital cluster buttons, which are way more compact and have a proper socket.