Installed the new wiper/cruise lever last night

[bobss396]

I bought the new cruise control/wiper switch lever online a couple of weeks back, finally got up the nerve to take it apart. Luckily my bro stopped by (sucker) and he was volunteered to help.

The steering wheel has to come off first, used 2 pullers, one for the wheel and another to depress this plate and remove a lock ring on the shaft. Disconnect the battery too.

Where the column meets the dash, remove the AC vent panel, just 4 screws and the AC hose. Unplug the main directional harness and the wire coming from the cruise lever. Remove the hazard flasher, all the screws holding the directional switch plate and the ignition lock cylinder, also this fragile looking contact switch below it.

You'll need some slack in the directional harness and cruise lever wires, just pull them up about 2-3". Now the bezel where the lever goes through has to come off, think it was 3-4 screws. Watch how this plastic piece on the left side of the bezel sits, it actuates the rod for the dimmer. Just take a mental note of it.

By now you should have the bezel loose in your hand. I was confident and clipped the cruise lever wires off at the lever. Note how the wires snake through the bezel and down the column. Now the fun part is to get the lever out of the bezel. The stationary shaft has to rotate so the tang on it will line up with the slot on the white nylon piece it slides through. Look at your new one and you'll understand. The shaft can be pushed out by hand with a punch or screwdriver.

The new cable from the lever has a PC board type of connector on it. Thread it through the bezel, get out your mental notes. Using the wires from the old lever, pull the new one through the column. Leave some slack in it for now so you can jockey the bezel back in place. The stationary shaft from the lever just pops in, line up the tang on the shaft with the hole.

On the left side of the bezel, that loose black plastic piece notes earlier presses against the curved metal lever to actuate the dimmer. It slides against another plastic part that is fixed in the bezel. It may take a few shots, but work the bezel back in place, pull the main directional wires and cruise lever wire as you go. Give the thing the once over for wire pinch points, fasten the bezel back in place.

Take a breather for a few minutes, reassemble the rest of the column parts, but leave the steering wheel for last to give you more room under the dash. Reconnect any wiring that had to come off. Reconnect the battery temporarily to test out the switch. If all is well, reassemble the rest of the removed parts and you should be good to go.

Bob

[PeteA216]

Yeah, something so simple, is actually a pretty big job. I had to do the same on my father's '89 GMC Sierra.