My lights went out!

CC33 said:
As previously mentioned, get a volt/ohm meter. Check for voltage on either side of the fuse. If none there, follow back towards the battery and check for breaks or splices in the feed. Wiring on these are extremely basic and easy to follow with a meter and schematic.
As far as harnesses go, only buy the best with the proper connectors.
PS-The horn circuit does not run through the fuse. Fuse is only for lights.
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Thanks... I plan to order the Rhode Island harnesses...I have only one car and want it done right.
 

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Frank, seeing that you are a little electrically challenged and eyesight is marginal close up. Get some good lighting under your dash panel. USE A TEST LIGHT and not a voltmeter or multimeter for testing. Test the test light across the battery terminals to make sure it works. Clip one end of the test light to a good clean ground and the probe on to each side of the fuse holder in turn. Test the very ends of the fuse itself and the terminals on each end as well. The light should light up in each case. If it lights up on one side and not the other then there is a bad connection here. Some fuses look good but have a bad connection inside the end cap which you cant see. Make sure the spring ears which hold each end of the fuse have good tight tension and are CLEAN METAL inside. Also check and see if your dome light is working because it picks up power on the same fuse terminal as all the other lights. If you do get the test light working on all of these fuse connections then the problem is likely down in the steering column light switch. If there is no power anywhere on the fuse holder check for power at the ammeter terminals which I think your 1933 has. The 1934 fords have a loop ammeter with no connections. If there is no power at the ammeter terminals then check the main battery connection on the starter motor switch. Some 4 cylinder fords had an accessory fuse holder fitted on the starter switch so test that if fitted. To remove the headlight switch from the steering box (unclip the wire bail sideways) and it comes apart in two halves. Push the wire loom up from the bottom housing to clear the Bakelite contact plate out of the housing. Check the contacts are not oily or greasy or burnt or no wires are broken off terminals where they are soldered on. Use your test light again on the large connector where the yellow with red tracer wire is connected. This wire comes from the fuse holder and should have power on it. You said you have played around with the generator and cut out so its possible if something shorted to ground here then the ammeter could have been open circuited inside if it is the two terminal type. Let me know what you find. Test each item back in the order it receives power from and find where the power stops, and refer to the hand book wiring diagram as you go. Easy !! Regards, Kevin.
 
Thanks Kevin,
I reinstalled the original generator with original cutout that I was using when I had lights.
No change still, no lights. As I mentioned I have 6 volts on either side of the fuse board.
Funny you mentioned about the fuse...I have 2 20 amp fuses and both look good but I have to check each because as you said maybe the break is close the cap and Is not visible. I switched one out for the other but have to check each one.
Checked the fuses OK...I even bought a new new package and tested good and put in fuse board...NO lights..
I can't stop thinking that I caused the problem when switching out the generator last time. I switched it out because I though the bearings were making a moaning noise...I since discovered that my speedometer was making the racket. Any way I will continue to follow your instructions.. I can't get the globe off the dome light to check the bulb. I am trying to remove it very carefully so as not to break it.
 
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Looking again at the schematic it definitely seems to be YR wire as . That is the wire that bring power to the switch, right? But In need to unsnap the wire clamp holding the light switch to gain access to the wires on the switch to see what is going on there.
As always, I have no experience with the light switch.Any tips will be greatly appreciated.
 

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FrankWest said:
Looking again at the schematic it definitely seems to be YG wire as . That is the wire that bring power to the switch, right? But In need to unsnap the wire clamp holding the light switch to gain access to the wires on the switch to see what is going on there.
As always, I have no experience with the light switch.Any tips will be greatly appreciated.
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That would be YR Frank. Right spot, just the wrong color code. An easy way to check it is to use a something like a straight pin to insert into the wire and then test it. Have to be sure the pin contacts the wire strands inside. I would not do this on new wiring, but you are going to replace this wire sooner or later and it is the easiest way to test it. It will also allow you to test the wire in several places and see where the breakage is.
 
Look at your diagram again, there is no way the instrument panel light could work if the other lights are not working, they all feed off of the same wire (the YR one). Did you check along the YR wire to see if it has power?

Power to the instrument panel light switch (and then the bulb itself) is the Black/Blue wire from the light control switch and it has power when the tail lights have power.

The only light on a separate circuit is the dome light.

Checking all this other stuff is not going to help until you eliminate the YR wire as the problem (that wire is most likely the problem). If you just want to get things working while you are waiting on your wiring harness you can remove the YR wire and run a new wire from the fuse to the light control switch and see if that gets everything working.
 
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Glad I found this drawing of the wiring on the 1933 model B in My Green Book
The picture helps me find the physical locations of what the schematic is saying.

as Queequeg said in Moby Dick "You know words, I know picture"

I feel as primitive as Queequeq when working on this car.
 

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Seems some do not know you have a 4 Cyl 33. The wiring diagram is slightly different. I agree the problem seems to be in your light switch. The metal cap for the switch has to be slightly rotated and then pull off after removing the bail wire. See if you rotate the light switch on the steering wheel several times do the lights come back on??
Does your dome light work? It is not on the light switch. I'll give you 15 Min. to change the bulb.
 
Terry said:
Done yet?
Do your stop lights work??
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Terry, none of his lighting is working, that's why it looks like a power into the light control switch issue. He has power to the fuse (both sides) but no lights, including tail lights and brake light. Because the brake light should be HOT all the time, it looks like there is no power into the light control switch.
 
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