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Wed Feb 19, 2025 6:48 pm

Anybody know the function of the toggle on the left side of speedo housing?

Wed Feb 19, 2025 6:59 pm

Your toggle is a replacement. The original was plastic. It turns on the dome light normally if you leave the dome light switch that is on the dome light "on".

Too confusing? It's a dome light switch.

Wed Feb 19, 2025 7:09 pm

Ok great, thanks!

Wed Feb 19, 2025 7:33 pm

I think more specifically, if a bus, it controls the rear dome light. The front dome light above the front seatbacks/ forward cargo area use the switch on the light itself.

All bets are off if a truck and not a bus as far as I'm experienced.

Wed Feb 19, 2025 9:24 pm

If you polished it, it would actually be more quality than stock

Shame what they did to your steering column/bracket there with the paint

Wed Feb 19, 2025 11:31 pm

BonTonRoulet wrote: I think more specifically, if a bus, it controls the rear dome light. The front dome light above the front seatbacks/ forward cargo area use the switch on the light itself.

All bets are off if a truck and not a bus as far as I'm experienced.

I can only speak for the 21F (firetruck). The switch controls both front and rear dome lights.

Wed Feb 19, 2025 11:48 pm

That's a nice switch - many stock ones have the ridiculous plastic handle snapped off. I'd keep that one.

In my truck, there was a switch, but no idea if it was original since many say a truck had a plastic hole plug there. Did have the handle snapped off! It was wired to the cab dome light, and I gotta say it is easier to reach over and flip the speedo switch than reach up and behind to flip dome light switch - especially if looking for what you dropped on floor at night. Just gotta remember to leave dome light switch 'on.'

I have mine also wired to a second dome light in the treasure chest; that way I don't leave the t/c light on and drain the battery.

Thu Feb 20, 2025 12:11 pm

My original '65 vintage plastic switch is still intact! But having hacked off the roof to install the Dormy top, I use the switch to power up the radio. 8)

Thu Feb 20, 2025 2:42 pm

Looks like your bus came with a factory steering lock which appears to be disconnected. What sort of ignition are you rocking?

Fri Feb 28, 2025 4:07 pm

BonTonRoulet wrote:
All bets are off if a truck and not a bus as far as I'm experienced.

Trucks(SC for sure but I think DC's too) did not have the switch, as you can just reach up and turn it on. There will be a plastic plug(like a door screw plug) in the hole. BTW if you're not going to use that ignition lock, I'll take it off your hands :-)

Sun Mar 02, 2025 5:20 pm

The switch controls just the cargo light.
The ignition switch was questioned here, can be seen in pic, looks original. The bus was delivered to Germany with the steering lock option, not sure if it could of retained the original ignition also in this situation?

Sun Mar 02, 2025 5:48 pm

How do you turn on your headlights with no dash switch? And what are the small round items next to the guages, warning lights or buttons?

Sun Mar 02, 2025 7:41 pm

Next to gauges are an indicator light and switch for the fan on a remote oil cooler.
The headlight switch is missing in this picture as I was in middle of replacing it.

Mon Mar 03, 2025 6:27 pm

Mbetti59 wrote:

The switch controls just the cargo light.
The ignition switch was questioned here; can be seen in pic, looks original. The bus was delivered to Germany with the steering lock option; not sure if it could of retained the original ignition also in this situation.

If the steering column lock SWITCH is there and functions and you have the key and the lock/cyl WORK, then yes, you can use it...that is how it was designed to work. On the opposite side of the lock cylinder is a switch with, I think 3 terminals(it fits within the lock housing).

You could actually use the column lock without the switch in the housing, but it would just be a COLUMN lock. You would need two keys(unless you keyed them alike...but you would still have two key actions, one to unlock the column and one to start the bus). Looks like the OG column SWITCH broke, and someone could not find a replacement and just put a regular one in the normal pod position. Typically, if it were an M-plate option, no POD switch would be equipped and a blank plug would be there in its place. Hope I'm not being too simple here; maybe you know all this already. Good luck finding a switch

Switch:

Housing without switch installed:

Mon Mar 03, 2025 6:33 pm

I just looked at your first pic and I can see that the switch is there. No proof it is working, but it is in the housing. It could be a replacement as it has zinc plated terminals, and usually, they are brass...I'm no expert though. Hook a continuity tester to it and turn the key...you have the key, yes?

Tue Mar 04, 2025 6:20 pm

I got a bunch of keys with this bus but none will go in the steering lock. Is the key similar cut or size of a normal ignition key?

Tue Mar 04, 2025 6:46 pm

70bus wrote: That's a nice switch - many stock ones have the ridiculous plastic handle snapped off. I'd keep that one.

In my truck, there was a switch, but no idea if it was original since many say a truck had a plastic hole plug there. Did have the handle snapped off! It was wired to the cab dome light, and I gotta say it is easier to reach over and flip the speedo switch than reach up and behind to flip dome light switch - especially if looking for what you dropped on floor at night. Just gotta remember to leave dome light switch 'on.'

I have mine also wired to a second dome light in the treasure chest; that way I don't leave the t/c light on and drain the battery.

Cool idea!

Tue Mar 04, 2025 9:15 pm

Mbetti59 wrote: I got a bunch of keys with this bus but none will go in the steering lock. Is the key similar cut or size of a normal ignition key?

It's different.

Here's the original steering lock with the key in it from my old '64 13-Window Bus: