Steering column

Hi

Does anyone know if the steering column in a 1966 Riviera is the same as the other Buick or GM models of the same year?

I think I have something shorting out in there and its playing havoc with my lights. I only have headlights and one set of signal lights but the signal light indicator on the dash board indicates that the opposite side is working:confused:.

When I try to look for the stuff through NAPA they say they cant get nothing but a friend said he got what he needed for his 65 impala.

I plan to take it apart but would like to have replacement parts before I do.

Thanks in advance.

Tony
 
So...I got my OPG Catalog today and it looks like I can the switchs and relays I need...just not for a 1966.

So I have a updated question. Would the switches,relays,wiring etc be the same in a 1967?

Thanks

Tony
 
Yeah I have had to sort out some of the grounds but there might be others that I missed.

The thing is everything was working before the interior went in and now it is not. I think that means something finally broke or shorted. I will check the grounds again though...you are not the only person to suggest that.

Thanks

Tony
 
You say it started after interior work and its affecting the rear lights? Your rear body harness is damaged somewhere between the firewall and the trunk. This is the wiring for the taillights to the firewall. Your going to have to pull the seats and carpet. If you have buckets you'll only have to pull the driver and rear seat, the cable uasually runs on the driver side. Take up the sill plate carefully pull the carpet out and you'll see it. Look for signs of damage top and bottom and you should find your problem. - Bill
 
Thanks guys. I really dont want to rip the interior out so I will check out all the other possibilities first. Then if I have to its because I jad no other choice.
I am gonna go over the car with a meter when I have a day.
 
I know this post is old but I wanted to thank everyone for their advice because it really helped. My car is located away from where I live so I can only get there once in awhile so it took me a bit to sort this out. After a few solo attempts I realised I needed a second set of hands so me and a buddy brought a couple of meters and worked it over.

I followed the advice given and the good news was the wiring harness is fine. The issue was a lot of old sockets, some bad connections and GROUNDs as firsttofeight said. Basically an electrical perfect storm. There seems to be a issue with the aftermarket sockets touching to ground as well. I now have all back lights working except for running lights. I will ask that question in the appropriate section.

I still don't have drivers side signals though. My buddy and me plan to take the wheel off and see what we are dealing with but if any one has any points, ideas feel free to chime in,

My question still stands about the steering column being similar to other GM brands. I might just have something loose in there but I might need to replace something, but because of all the advice I got I took the wiring harness out of the equation and DO NOT have to remove the interior of the car.

Thanks a bunch
 
If your car has the tilt wheel, the turn signal switch is easy to access without removing the steering wheel. The switch is remotely mounted on the outside of the steering column mast (right side) down low near the toe pan. The switch is actuated by a Bowden cable connected to the turn signal lever up near the steering wheel. It's something like a heater control cable arrangement.

There's a drawing of the Wildcat tilt column and switch in the '66 shop manual that would be very similar to yours. The manual is confusing as it shows a non-tilt Riviera column that uses a conventional turn signal switch mounted behind the steering wheel. The parts books and dealer brochures however indicate the tilt wheel was standard on the '66 Riviera.

Maybe the switch just got bumped out of adjustment during the interior installation. The switch mounting holes are oblong to allow movement along the mast jacket to conform to the Bowden cable. There's a switch adjustment procedure in the shop manual. The shop manual is available on this site if needed. Also there was a detailed service bulletin regarding adjustment issued in '63 when this design first came out. I can scan this and post as needed.

It is doubtful any other GM steering column is a drop-in replacement. Just going by the part numbers, most of the Riviera pieces are unique, not even used on other Buicks. Hopefully column replacement is not needed to repair the electrical issues.

The turn signal switch is a GM part no 1993621 (aka Delco D6219). It is the same for all late-'63-66 full-size Buicks having the tilt wheel. It was also used on '63-66 Cadillacs with tilt wheel. So acceptable candidates for a replacement column might be '63-66 full-size GM cars with the tilt wheel. It appears Olds used the remote switch in those years, but the part nos are different. Same may be true for Pontiac and Chevy. These alternates might can be adapted to fit, but the difficulty level is unknown.

Later columns would introduce more complexity. The '67 columns were the energy-absorbing, telescoping design and had a hazard flasher switch built into the turn signal switch. Special turn signal switches were used on cars with cornering lights. A console-shift column won't work in a column-shift car. Going into even later years, the padded steering wheels appear and for '69 the column-mounted ignition lock/switch appears.
 
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Well thanks TODD. That was awesome.(y) A ton of great info there. I do have a tilt wheel so I will be checking that switch out. I hope it is as simple as that. I will drop a line on this post if I need that scan. Thanks for offering. I will also drop a line if the problem was with that switch. I downloaded the wiring diagram that is on this site as well. I also still have that running light issue.

Thanks again. You just saved me a lot of messing around.
 
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