Headlight Switch positions Swapped?

jdupay

jdupay

Member
I have a 1929 Std Coupe. It has the 4 position switch. Left one click, Straight down, and right one click, right second click or said another way 7 o clock, 6 o clock, 5 o clock and 4 o clock. I am putting the car back together after painting and it seems to me 5 o clock used to activate low beam and 4 o clock used to activate high beam and now they are reversed??? Is it possible to put the wire holder assembly in wrong? I thought it was keyed. I also seem to have variable light output and I suspect I am not making good ground after the paint job and re-assembly. Is there a method to establish a solid ground connection....the positive ground always messes me up. I think I want to get something from the body to one of the light wires, but I am not certain if it goes there or just to the light body. Thoughts on this? Sorry simple stuff, but it isn't clicking for me.
 
I always run a separate ground wire to the headlights rather than depend on finding a ground path thru paint, rust, etc.
 
CarlG - That is what I was thinking would be a good plan. Just curious where do you connect on the headlight and then do you run it down the Chrome wire conduit to the frame?
 
5 should be low and 4 should be high, but, it really doesn't make much difference.

I too run a separate wire from each headlight socket thru the conduit to a good ground.
 
Joe,

The ground wire needs to go on the light socket. I put a ring on a ground wire, and then ran the adjusting screw for the light socket thru the ring behind the socket. Then ran the wire thru the conduit to a ground.
 
Just one thought, if you happen to be running sealed beam headlights with the 3-prong plug.

I am going from memory, but on the Model A, I believe the red headlight wire is low beam and the green wire is high. On the three prong plug, it's the opposite.

If you are running sealed beams, you may need to swap red to green on that particular connection in the headlight bucket.

If you are not running sealed beams, then forget the above.

I also ran a separate 16 gauge ground wire into the bucket through the conduit to a ground point where the radiator shell bolts to the support.
 
As far as the switch position goes, 4 should be high and 5 should be low 6 off and 7 parking light. It may be as simple as the you have the wires in the plug-in socket swapped. The red with black tracer should go to the low beam and Green with black tracer to the high beam.
 

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Either the wires in the harness are in the wrong locations in the bakelite connector, or the repro sockets have the wires in the wrong locations.
 
frank55a said:
As far as the switch position goes, 4 should be high and 5 should be low 6 off and 7 parking light. It may be as simple as the you have the wires in the plug-in socket swapped. The red with black tracer should go to the low beam and Green with black tracer to the high beam.
Click to expand...

I have this arrangement but the tail light (not brake light ) is on in #7 position. Is this considered a parking light? Earley 28 Tudor.

John
 
Tail light should be on in all positions but 6 o'clock.

A bit off topic but do most people also run a separate ground to the tail light? I've lost mine twice now driving at night... not sure how to keep the ground path clean enough.
 
ryanheacox said:
Tail light should be on in all positions but 6 o'clock.

A bit off topic but do most people also run a separate ground to the tail light? I've lost mine twice now driving at night... not sure how to keep the ground path clean enough.
Click to expand...

On my 1928 Phaeton I simply tucked a wire in the side of each bulb as I installed the bulbs. Due to hidden rust one of the sockets wasn't grounding, but now both bulbs work fine. Once I restore the taillight the rust will be gone.
 
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