Headlight Switch

[Dante64]

Greeting Gents,
I’m trying to diagnose a wacky night time driving issue. Without headlights on everything works fine. With lights turned on the high beam indicator flashes with directional activated. Also one of the directional indicator arrows lights brighter than the other. Taking a guess all the wires come together in that switch. Any past experiences would be welcomed greatly.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[CBODY67]

Sounds like a ground issue of electrons seeking a place to go and finding it in the wrong places. Back-feeding in the process.

Might need to get a factory wiring schematic (from the factory service manual) and start tracing the circuits from the light switch and look for common feed circuits to different ground destinations.

Might be simple when you find the issues, but the journey in getting there might be difficult.

Please keep us posted on your progress,
CBODY67

 

[Big_John]

Greeting Gents,
I’m trying to diagnose a wacky night time driving issue. Without headlights on everything works fine. With lights turned on the high beam indicator flashes with directional activated. Also one of the directional indicator arrows lights brighter than the other. Taking a guess all the wires come together in that switch. Any past experiences would be welcomed greatly.

Cheers,
Chris

View attachment 680613

Sounds like a ground problem. Probably tail lights, but it could be something in the parking lights. Best way I've found to test that is a long piece of wire connected to a known good ground and start touching the other end to the light housings.

 

[CBODY67]

Could even be a broken wire. Anything to prevent a good ground circuit from happening as designed.

 

[3175375]

Ground, ground the world around!

 

[Dante64]

Sounds like a ground problem. Probably tail lights, but it could be something in the parking lights. Best way I've found to test that is a long piece of wire connected to a known good ground and start touching the other end to the light housings.

Thank You John. You and others have suggested this bad grounding direction. I’ll be doing that this weekend.

 

[Dante64]

Sounds like a ground issue of electrons seeking a place to go and finding it in the wrong places. Back-feeding in the process.

Might need to get a factory wiring schematic (from the factory service manual) and start tracing the circuits from the light switch and look for common feed circuits to different ground destinations.

Might be simple when you find the issues, but the journey in getting there might be difficult.

Please keep us posted on your progress,
CBODY67

Thank You Sir. I was fortunate to pick up an original service manual. Grounding is coming up in every reply.

 

[volksworld]

sometimes stuff like this is the result of someone cramming a single filament bulb into a dual filament socket and it forms a jumper between tail light and directional and feeds back all over the place

 

[My three 67 Polaras]

I had a Scout one time that had a replacement dual filament socket. Upon installation of the bulb, one of the spring loaded contact surfaces touched the other one, and I had all kinds of perplexing stuff going on.

 

[Dante64]

sometimes stuff like this is the result of someone cramming a single filament bulb into a dual filament socket and it forms a jumper between tail light and directional and feeds back all over the place

Wow. That could be it. One parking light is brighter than the other and when I tried to change it I couldn’t get it out. Didn’t want to risk it breaking. I think I’ll endeavor some Brain Socket Surgery(for ELP fans). Thank You.

 

[Dante64]

I had a Scout one time that had a replacement dual filament socket. Upon installation of the bulb, one of the spring loaded contact surfaces touched the other one, and I had all kinds of perplexing stuff going on.

Same as Volksworld’s reply. Definitely need to take that entire parking lamp assy out. Thanks.

 

[Big_John]

Brain Socket Surgery

You must mean "Brain Salad Surgery".

Not an ELP fan, but more familiar with the term from Dr. John's "Right Place, Wrong Time"

"I been in the right trip, but I must have used the wrong car"

 

[Dante64]

You must mean "Brain Salad Surgery".

Not an ELP fan, but more familiar with the term from Dr. John's "Right Place, Wrong Time"

"I been in the right trip, but I must have used the wrong car"

Yes! Play on words there… I do believe Dr. John was giving a nod to his friends. Good Stuff✌

 

[Crobah]

I had an issues just like yours. Everything worked like it should but when the headlights were on nothing worked right including the dash lights.

I got a rebuilt headlight switch and everything is working perfectly. Just sharing my experience. Good luck!

 

[Dante64]

I had an issues just like yours. Everything worked like it should but when the headlights were on nothing worked right including the dash lights.

I got a rebuilt headlight switch and everything is working perfectly. Just sharing my experience. Good luck!

Thank You kindly Crobah. I hope I’m as fortunate. Cheers.