Drove home from car show last night with low beams and things were fine. Ran hi beams for some parts, and got some flickering. I stomped back to low beam and then back to hi and it did not happen again.

Specific failure mode:
-ALL hi beams flickered off.
-No adverse behavior running lights or dash lights.
-Hi beam blue indicator flickered in time with hi beams flickering.

I suspect mechanical contact issue in switch on that side due to lack of use. Immediate countermeasure is use switch more and see if problem reoccurs. Can you take these apart and clean contacts? I could deoxit it.

 

The contacts are probably corroded, it will probably clear up with more use. No they aren't meant to be repaired.

 

I find that some items that are not intended to be serviced and occasionally be serviced.

 

Thanks both, will advise if problem reoccurs and will make cycling switch a couple times be part of driving regimen.

 

The original in my '66 Toro was actually preventing the low beams from coming on. I removed it and tried every which way to make it work.......contact cleaner squirted up under the cap, Deoxit, WD-40, tried exercising it over and over with all that stuff and nothing worked. I had to straight up replace it. Everything works fine once again.

 

These dimmer switches are most readily available.
For less than ten bucks. why screw around trying to fix one.
1967 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME 5.4L 330cid V8 Dimmer Switch | RockAuto

 

I'm an engineer. Fixing **** is what we do.

 

X2. I have this conversation with my co-workers all the time. We'll spend an hour to repair a $10 item, just because we can.

 

Be aware that the flickering in those mid-60’s cars can be from the heat sink on the actual headlight switch getting too hot and cutting power.

It’s very likely the floor switch, especially if it’s original, but the light switch needs to be clean, not corroded and in good working order too.

Over the years, especially with high amperage circuits like headlights, I’ve gotten in the habit of using a dremel to clean the the electrical pins on the switch back to not-quite-polished and even pop the contacts out of the plastic shells to clean them. Just for good surface-to-surface contact with a minimum of heat.I think it’s helped and I recall flickering lights in my early years with my ‘66 98.

At the time I didn’t know there was a circuit breaker in the switch, nor did I know that dirt contributed to heat which led to flickering.

Not to distract you from the floor switch, but just be aware the flickering can come from elsewhere.

Chris

 

Replaced my dimmer switch last year but I thought I'd have a go at repairing the old, original, 1966 one. Be careful with those pot metal tabs, very fragile. Other than that, should be easy enough to fix.