This is for the plunger style headlight switch found on 97's, and I don't know what other years. My 02 has the headlights on the turn signal so some time prior to that is when this style disappeared.
Difficulty: 1 out of 5
Time required: 30 minutes
Tools needed:
1. Probably ought to disconnect the battery. I'm not sure if the lights are run off a relay or not, but you may be jamming a screwdriver into an area where multiple connections are made. That said, I didn't disconnect the battery.
2. Remove the 2 phillips head screws on the knee panel under the steering wheel, and set the panel aside.
3. Remove the 4 phillips head screws on the metal panel mounted behind the knee panel, and set the panel aside.
4. Optional: Remove the 2 screws holding the driver's side speaker cover in place, remove it, and set it aside.
5. Remove the plunger. There is a button on top of the switch assembly which will release the plunger. Press it, and pull the plunger all the way out. You may have to finagle it a little. Your new switch does not come with the plunger (most likely, anyway) so don't destroy it in a fit of rage.
6. Unplug the connector from the bottom side of the switch. There is a tab on either side that need to be pulled away to allow the connector to unseat from the switch. The one on the right is easy to get at, but the one at the left is a little harder. I found that using 2 long flat head screwdrivers to open up those tabs worked well. You may also find that the tab on the left is most easily reached from around the speaker, hence step #4 above.
7. Once the tabs are opened up, work the connector free from the switch in a downward motion. There are many spade connectors providing enough friction to make this a little bit hard. I took a small flat head and worked it in the gap and got it started that way. Whatever you do, don't go full-on gorilla man because you really don't want to replace that connector.
8. The switch itself is held on by a strange sort of screw that threads through a bracket extension on the dash and then on into the front portion of the switch. Unscrew that, and the switch will come right back out.
9. Once it's free of the bracket, you'll find one more black wire on top. Squeeze the connector and slide it off.
Obligatory "Installation is the reverse of the removal," but two things are worth mentioning.
Helpful Factoid the First: the new switch has a tiny little nub that fits into the bottom area of the bracket on the dash. This helps you get it centered & aligned correctly, which will help allow the weird screw to thread in.
Helpful Factoid the Second: to get the old plunger into the new switch, you also must press that button. You'll want to do this after you get the new switch mounted but before you start putting the panels back on. Honestly, if you just do the install in the reverse order you'll have no issues.
I bought the cheapest one they had on Rock Auto for like $7. It works a-ok, but the dimmer action doesn't feel super smooth, and the click to turn on the interior lighting doesn't feel as nice as the OEM switch. I may see if shooting some contact cleaner into the OEM switch doesn't make it work better (the headlights would rarely just turn off on me). Given how easy it was to swap out the switch, it's probably worth the effort if I can return the OEM switch to it's former glory.
Stuff You'll Need
Difficulty: 1 out of 5
Time required: 30 minutes
Tools needed:
- phillips head screwdriver (mid sized is fine)
- Wide blade flat head OR big daddy phillips
- screwdriver
- optional: two long but small flat head screwdrivers
Removal
1. Probably ought to disconnect the battery. I'm not sure if the lights are run off a relay or not, but you may be jamming a screwdriver into an area where multiple connections are made. That said, I didn't disconnect the battery.
2. Remove the 2 phillips head screws on the knee panel under the steering wheel, and set the panel aside.
3. Remove the 4 phillips head screws on the metal panel mounted behind the knee panel, and set the panel aside.
4. Optional: Remove the 2 screws holding the driver's side speaker cover in place, remove it, and set it aside.
5. Remove the plunger. There is a button on top of the switch assembly which will release the plunger. Press it, and pull the plunger all the way out. You may have to finagle it a little. Your new switch does not come with the plunger (most likely, anyway) so don't destroy it in a fit of rage.
6. Unplug the connector from the bottom side of the switch. There is a tab on either side that need to be pulled away to allow the connector to unseat from the switch. The one on the right is easy to get at, but the one at the left is a little harder. I found that using 2 long flat head screwdrivers to open up those tabs worked well. You may also find that the tab on the left is most easily reached from around the speaker, hence step #4 above.
7. Once the tabs are opened up, work the connector free from the switch in a downward motion. There are many spade connectors providing enough friction to make this a little bit hard. I took a small flat head and worked it in the gap and got it started that way. Whatever you do, don't go full-on gorilla man because you really don't want to replace that connector.
8. The switch itself is held on by a strange sort of screw that threads through a bracket extension on the dash and then on into the front portion of the switch. Unscrew that, and the switch will come right back out.
9. Once it's free of the bracket, you'll find one more black wire on top. Squeeze the connector and slide it off.
Installation
Obligatory "Installation is the reverse of the removal," but two things are worth mentioning.
Helpful Factoid the First: the new switch has a tiny little nub that fits into the bottom area of the bracket on the dash. This helps you get it centered & aligned correctly, which will help allow the weird screw to thread in.
Helpful Factoid the Second: to get the old plunger into the new switch, you also must press that button. You'll want to do this after you get the new switch mounted but before you start putting the panels back on. Honestly, if you just do the install in the reverse order you'll have no issues.
Closing Thoughts
I bought the cheapest one they had on Rock Auto for like $7. It works a-ok, but the dimmer action doesn't feel super smooth, and the click to turn on the interior lighting doesn't feel as nice as the OEM switch. I may see if shooting some contact cleaner into the OEM switch doesn't make it work better (the headlights would rarely just turn off on me). Given how easy it was to swap out the switch, it's probably worth the effort if I can return the OEM switch to it's former glory.
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