Head light switch on an '88 steering column

[dirtwarrior17]

Time to play what did i srew up/burn up again... My ignition tumbler was busted and i wasn't getting power so i replaced the tumbler but in the middle of taking the old tumbler out a switch fell out in the process. It has 2 peices of metal on it(HI beams and low beams?) and has a white plastic "holder" about 1x0.5 inch. I tried to put it back in but it doesn't snap into place or stay where its supposed to. So i put my steering column back together and put my steering wheel back on. I still had no power to my truck so i tried replacing a battery cable, checked all the fuses, ground wires and found that i had a ground wire hooked up to my starter .

I got the ground wire bolted to the frame and had all power except for my headlights, which makes me think that was my headlight switch... Is there a switch that would kill my headlights in the steering column if i took it out?

How is it held down?

I've checked all my headlight wires except the ones going to the actual switch on the dash but I always had headlights until i pulled out that switch.

 

[Jagged]

The only headlight-related switch is actually connected to a long rod that goes to the base of the steering column in the dash where a switch is (my turn signal lever was broken and i had to actuate my highbeams with this metal rod). Other than that, there is really nothing headlamp-related. There is the whole turn-signal switch assembly inside the column. Maybe you could photograph this part that fell out?

 

[dirtwarrior17]

thats a good idea.... but i don't have a digital camera...

I'll get on it.

should have em in a couple days.

 

[Jagged]

There's so many small pieces inside the steering column it's kind of hard to get a mental picture just from a description... but before you did this, your headlights did work correctly?

 

[dirtwarrior17]

yup.... only problem is i had no power for a long time and had a pretty good spark show when i tried to hook up my battery cables so i may have fried somethin.

before that they worked just fine.

 

[Jagged]

Check for voltage off your battery terminaly (+) end to ground, next open up the ashtray... fish around for a wire terminal behind there (there will be one that has one in, and two out), disconnect it and check that to ground... it should be a constantly hot wire, if not... you have an open somewhere in your wiring harness (or a blown 3A fuse :P )