'53 Ford Pickup electrical/lighting problems

M

mgarrett

Junior Member
1953 Ford pickup - the truck is still 6 volt has a brand new original type wiring harness. All the lights, etc. were working fine and now the only things that do work are:

headlights
high beam indicator lamp
high beam switch
horn

these items DO NOT work:
tail lights
dash lights
dome light
brake lights
park lights
turn signals

The circuit breakers seem to check out good - the headlight switch appears to be the original. I tried another used switch I had in my stash, but nothing changed.

When I run a jumper a wire from the hot lead going into the switch to the other terminals for the other light circuits, they work fine. Can I assume the light switch is defective or is it something I'm overlooking?

Thanks to all for any guidance!

MG
 
MG - send me a private message, call me and we'll walk through this.
I doubt it is the switch. Could be how the turn signals are wired.
Remove your light switch and check continuity from the power input
to the outputs. Some times there are 'dead' spots in the switch.
 
Chances are by wiggling the switch knob around, in and out a bit by the detent, the other lights will work. Check continuity on the bare switch in each detent position. If you can't get any where you're supposed to, the switch is bad. Check your spare used one also. If it doesn't work, throw it away. No need to keep parts that don't work thinking time will heal them.
 
Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I installed a brand new switch last night with no improvement. I think wga is correct...the problem may lie in the turn signal wiring. I'm pulling the steering wheel tonight and hope to find the answer there.
 
I found a wire in my new wiring harness, the one that runs from the switch to the coil, had no continuity at all. I ran another wire and everythiing works fine now.
 
Check your headlight switch. The switch has two battery terminals on it(if it's a factory switch you will see BAT or B on the bakelite top). There's one battery terminal on each side. There has to be a constant hot to each terminal. One side of the switch controls the head lights and one controls the tail, dash, park. Your turn switch and brake switch are a separate circuit from the headlamps.It also has to have a constant hot to the brake switch. Go back over your wiring diagram and recheck where the constant hot wires need to go.
 
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Headlight switch won't affect turnsignals / brakes.
Turn signal switch won't affect headlights / dome.

Check your grounds.
 
Removing the steering wheel revealed that one of the turn signal switch wires had broken loose from its solder joint at the switch and obviously shorted against the column housing which in turn proceeded to fry one of the circuit breakers. Replaced the circuit breaker and turn signal switch - problem solved.
Thanks to all who responded with suggestions.
MG
 
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