41 headlight switch
- Thread starter mrtexas
- Start date
Drbrown
Well-known member
there are two incoming hot wires. one for low beam/one for high and parking light circuit interconnect with both, which explains the multi connection tabs. i'v taken apart these switches. they are basically a simple slider switch. here's my diagram for wiring connections for '46-'48. have photos of interior parts if needed.
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JSeery
Member Emeritus
Maybe I'm just reading your post wrong, but high and low headlights is determined by the foot dimmer switch. One circuit breaker (H) provides power (primarily) to the headlights and connects to that terminal on the light switch. The other circuit breaker provides power to everything else that is powered by the light switch.
will.rynerson
Senior Member
Hi I’m trying to verify my light switch is hooked up correctly and I ran across your diagram. I know the B terminal but A and H I’m not sure about. Has a fuse that goes in, so I’m not sure which wire to hook up to it.
Any help would be wonderful.
Any help would be wonderful.
drolston
Well-known member
There are two types of headlight switches that will work on '41 through 48 Fords.
The OEM part number is 11A-11652, available on Ebay. They are kind of a pain because to remove them, you have to stick a small blade screwdriver into an invisible slot on the top of the switch body to release the shaft that the knob is on. No fuse. The circuit breaker on the inside of the firewall is your protection.
The other type is an after-market replacement that has a fuse snapped into the top of the switch. The knob screws off of the shaft to facilitate switch removal. It is protects headlights high and low beam, and the parking lights, but it is hard to get to; I remove the switch to replace that fuse. The VanPelt wiring diagram show how the various wires are hooked up.
Per VanPelt, on the side of the switch with two terminals, the one furthest from the knob should be a yellow with red coming from one circuit breaker to the switch to power the headlights.
The other one of the two closest to the knob should be a red with yellow coming from the other circuit breaker, powering parking, tail, and instrument lights.
On the side of the switch with three connections, the one furthest from the knob should hook to a yellow with black wire that goes to the dimmer switch for both high and low beans.
The middle terminal should connect to two wires, one black for tail lights and one black with blue for instrument lights. This terminal is hot when either headlights or tail lights are on.
The third terminal should connect to two black with yellow wires, one for the front parking lights, the other for the ignition key illumination bulb.
The after market switch that you also has five terminals, but arranged differently. With an ohm meter or continuity checker, you should be able to figure out how those five terminals relate to the five OEM terminals.
VanPelt diagram:
http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/...al-pics/Flathead_Electrical_wiring1941car.jpg
The OEM part number is 11A-11652, available on Ebay. They are kind of a pain because to remove them, you have to stick a small blade screwdriver into an invisible slot on the top of the switch body to release the shaft that the knob is on. No fuse. The circuit breaker on the inside of the firewall is your protection.
The other type is an after-market replacement that has a fuse snapped into the top of the switch. The knob screws off of the shaft to facilitate switch removal. It is protects headlights high and low beam, and the parking lights, but it is hard to get to; I remove the switch to replace that fuse. The VanPelt wiring diagram show how the various wires are hooked up.
Per VanPelt, on the side of the switch with two terminals, the one furthest from the knob should be a yellow with red coming from one circuit breaker to the switch to power the headlights.
The other one of the two closest to the knob should be a red with yellow coming from the other circuit breaker, powering parking, tail, and instrument lights.
On the side of the switch with three connections, the one furthest from the knob should hook to a yellow with black wire that goes to the dimmer switch for both high and low beans.
The middle terminal should connect to two wires, one black for tail lights and one black with blue for instrument lights. This terminal is hot when either headlights or tail lights are on.
The third terminal should connect to two black with yellow wires, one for the front parking lights, the other for the ignition key illumination bulb.
The after market switch that you also has five terminals, but arranged differently. With an ohm meter or continuity checker, you should be able to figure out how those five terminals relate to the five OEM terminals.
VanPelt diagram:
http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/...al-pics/Flathead_Electrical_wiring1941car.jpg