RE: Re: IML: rheostat on the dashboard dimmer wheel for my 68

["Michael O. Mann" <mann340s@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom,

 

My comments are limited to experience with exactly one light switch, so what worked for me may not apply.

 

At the "end of the travel" of the rheostat, you actually close a separate switch, so the two things are located together but work separately.  My bet is that this design is purposeful, to cause people to run the dash "dimmer" through its travel occasionally, as they turn on the interior light for some reason.  Like switches that run electrical motors through "hi" before lower speeds are available.

 

Could be that you have all the dash lights burned out.  If you haven't seen them work, don't rule that out.  It is an old car.  They can be hard to reach, and it's easier for some previous owners to tolerate the dark than to replace the lamps.

 

I can imagine every Imperial, through the 60's at least, being driven initially by a male, suit and hat, and either a pipe or a big cigar.  Mine was.  Every electrical connection (every surface) in the passenger compartment my first 68 had a layer of brown sticky coal tar/smoke residue.  Almost nothing worked when I bought it.  Almost everything worked as I went through and cleaned switches.  And it smelled better.

 

I used Q-tips and alcohol, fine sandpaper, and WD-40, depending on what seemed appropriate.  Be sure that the switch or connection will be clean and dry when you are finished.  I think for the lightswitch I used WD-40 (but a contact cleaner would be better).  With the switch out and partly disassembled, I sprayed and rotated and cleaned.  This was in 91-93 as I slowly got this car roadworthy, so allow for some error from memory loss.

 

I did remove the entire cluster for this work, and it was worth it.  Later, when the headlight switch failed, I think I removed just the switch.  If you remove the switch, you might want to consider disassembling the lightswitch portion and cleaning it thoroughly at the same time.  That is tedious, but the switch is just parts, and well constructed, so with care you can make it good for another few decades of use.

 

Good luck.

 

Michael