Floor mounted high beam dimmer switch

There is a lot less floor space in newer model trucks and cars than what I grew up driving. I would be concerned about the switch interfering with where I place my left foot and the hi beams getting kicked on accidentally. That happened pretty frequently even back when there was a square yard of floor space on each side of the tranny hump.

Yeah, well I had a Caddy with a button down there that would put the radio into seek mode!

And what about the old pickups with the START button down there ??!!???!

I used to think the floor mounted switch was better. Then I drove an older vehicle that had one and found that when driving at higher speeds on twisty roads it was disconcerting to have to move my foot back and forth just to dim the headlights. Just moving my fingers from the steering wheel to the multi-function stalk turned out to be less trouble for me then the old floor mount. That said, I don't think it would be particularly hard to rewire the system to run off the floor switch. Just find the right wires and cut them and reconnect them to the floor switch. Or if you really want to make it easy you could probably just use the floor switch to control the highbeams leaving the low beams on all the time. Then you would not have to cut any wires.

-- Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . . Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House of Representatives, August 17, 1789

Wow - that's a blast from the past! I remember my dad's '74 Pinto that had that switch down there. Was a great idea and I've always wondered why they put them on the steering column.

I used to work for Checker Autoworks years back and we sold those exact switches - different ones for different models. You "should" be able to pick up a new one at your local auto parts store. It may be for a different Ford vehicle, but doesn't sound like you'd need an electrical degree to wire it up. Get out the yellow pages and make some phone calls.

- Tom C.

You are absolutely right! Your left foot does absolutely nothing while you are driving an automatic, and almost nothing while cruising with a stick, your hands on the other hand...

You should be able to buy the switch new at any auto parts store. how hard could a couple wires be?

You are going to think that it the best thing since sliced bread.... right up until the moisture on the floor corrodes the switch bad enough that switching to high beams gives total darkness and the switching back works about the same.

It takes two fingers a fraction of a second to switch beams....... my foot needs to unwind from it's ever so comfortable position and plod it's meandering path to the dip switch...... meanwhile, I'm busy blinding the guy coming straight for me.....

Don't forget.... I don't only fix cars.... I scrape folks up off the highway, too........... way too many folks, sometimes.

Jim Warman snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net

When I (rarely) drive at night in the country, I really miss those switches!!!!!!

My vote goes to the current practice of mounting the high-beam switch on the steering column. Just as with turn signals and wiper control all of these controls are now very convenient with just finger tip control without taking hands off of the wheel. I also drive a 69 Camaro and I don't like the dimmer switch on the floor. I'm always moving my feet around and I end up hitting the switch by mistake. Mark