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How to replace a turn signal switch 1969-1982 With Tilt and Tele column.

Following these directs should make the replacement of your turn signal
switch a much easier job.

1) Remove the horn button from the steering column and you will see this!

Figure A-1

2) Remove the three screws that hold the upper horn button as shown in B-1.
Remove parts shown in Figure B-2 from left to right, Horn Button Contact, Screws and Shims.
 Figure B-1 Figure B-2

3) With a magic marker, mark the location of the two small screws in relation to the star bolt,
(If you look hard you can see the mark in Figure C-1 bolt. This makes installing the ring in the
correct position easier. Remove the two screws that lock the star bolt in place.

Figure C-1

4) Remove the star bolt with a large Phillips screw driver. When you are finished with this, you
can then remove the telescopic locking ring, the contact spacer and the star bolt. Always
remember the contact spacer goes under the tele locking ring.

Figure D-1 Figure D-2 Figure D-3

Locking Ring Star Bolt Contact Spacer

5) Remove the steering wheel nut shown in E-1 and with your puller remove the steering wheel
hub. You can leave the steering wheel attached to the hub when this is done, we preferred to
remove it. When the hub is pulled off it should resemble Figure E-2, it will have a larger
contact screwed to the back side and also have a long spring. On some cars you will also find
two plastic insulators and yes, a cut off section of heater hose. These are dampening bumpers
so when the column is collapsed it will not make a thunk noise. Some cars do not have the
plastic insulators and only hose and in cars that have already been apart I find the hose missing
all together.

Figure E-1 Figure E-2 Figure E-3

The heater hose measures ¾” ID. And is 5/8” in length.

You should now see what is shown in Figure F-1. At this time remove the plastic insulator
shown in Figure F-2 from the steering column. In most cases this part will be ready to fall
apart when you remove it. Original insulators were the color of the one shown in Figure F-2,
and the current reproduction is white.

There is a lock plate U clip below the insulator that will need to be removed and to do so you’ll
need a special tool called a Steering Wheel Lock Plate Puller as shown in Figure F-3. This tool
will collapse the spring behind the plate and allow you to remove the retainer clip shown in
Figure F4. You can pick one of these up as cheap as $7.00 and as high as $45.00 and since it is
rarely used I would lean toward the cheap side if possible.
 Figure F-1 Figure F-2 Figure F-3

Figure F-4

The issue with the lock plate puller is they are next to impossible to use on the telescopic
steering columns. The large black portion f the puller threads on the upper steering column
shaft as shown in Figure G-1, and as you may know, the shaft without having the star washer
turned downward will move in and out. To solve this problem we removed the head from a
5/16” bolt and then cut a square in the top of it Figure G-2.

We then thread this bolt in the steering column in the same fashion as the star bolt show above
in Figure D-2. When tight it will lock the upper shaft to the lower shaft as shown in Figure G-3
If you do not so this you will not be able to collapse the lock plate enough to remove the U
clip.
 Figure G-1 Figure G-2 Figure G-3

Once the tool is in place, tighten wing nut as shown in Figure H-1 Below. The plate will
collapse and the retainer shown in Figure H-2 may now be removed. Once removed you should
see the lock plate and lower retainer shown in Figure H-3.

Figure H-1 Figure H-2

Figure H-3
Remove the lock plate and the lower contact as shown in Figure J-1. Now you are where you
need to be and should see the turn signal switch shown in Figure J-2. Remove the large lock
plate spring at this time.

Figure J-1 Figure J-2

The next step is to remove the Hazard Flasher Knob as well as the turn signal level. Different
years will vary on this so be careful how you remove these items. Next remove the three
screws that hold the switch to the column as shown in Figure K-1.

Once the screws, levers and hazard knob are removed from the switch you should then unplug
the harness where it connects to the lower portion of the steering column. Your next step
should be to pull out (some cars don’t have this) the sheath shown in Figure K-2 from the
bottom of the column. This sheath snaps in place and acts as an insulator for the wires.
Once you have completed all of the above, pull the turn signal switch out as far as possible.
Remember the connector and wires are still attached. Once you have the switch extending
out of the column, cut the wires as close as possible to the old switch shown in Figure K-3.
You are going to use the old wires to pull your new switch wires through the column!

Figure K-1 Figure K-2

 Figure K-3

Once you have cut the old wires from the switch it’s now time to get the new switch out! To
pull the wires through the column you’ll need to un-pin them from the new connector. At this
time you should mark the position of the wires in connector or you can take a picture of these
wires for re-installation in the connector. We have used the picture in Figure L-1, time and
time again in the shop and actually have it posted on the wall.

As you can see below in Figure L-2, the wire colors are not the same on the new switch as with
the old switch so it is very important to remember which slot the wires belong in.

Figure L-1 New Switch Wires Figure L-2 Original Switch Wires

To un-pin the wires from the connector: Look at the end of the terminal connection and you
should see a tiny finger shown as A in Figure M-1. This finger holds the terminal in the
connector and to remove you must compress this. A tiny screw driver should do the trick.
(This is an old picture from the original GM Packard wire book)