Headlights are on all the time - help!

Neil Mylar LakewoodCA

Neil Mylar LakewoodCA

Well-known member
My 1929 station wagon has a 7 tooth steering column. It has a new wiring loom, an original light rod and an original light switch. I replaced the light switch spider as the original one was bent.
As soon as I install the fuse on the starter, the lights come on even though the switch inside the car is in the off position. The horn works fine.

It feels like the light switch isn't fitting all the way up in the groove at the bottom of the steering column.

Has anyone experienced this problem before? I would appreciate any suggestions.
 
In my experience the light switch is one of the poorer designs in the Model A. Pull the light switch off the bottom of the steering box and see if the lights are still on. If so, try turning the switch clockwise with a set of needle nose pliers.

In my car, for some reason, the off position is at about 7 o'clock instead of 6 o'clock.

If the switch is not going up all the way then the dog at the bottom of the horn rod may not be engaging the switch correctly. Try turning the switch at the top to slightly different positions to get the dog to engage.
 
You may be experiencing the results of the "change" of Light Switch between the AR "Type H" headlights and the "Twolight" system.

My quote from 2019 https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272724
You can tell a Type H headlight switch from a TwoLight switch. The Type H switch has FOUR contacts. The TwoLight switch has THREE contacts.
Click to expand...
Type H 4 contacts/3 positions. (off-low-high) Twolight 3 contacts 4 positions (Off-park-low-high)

Twolight so named because there are the "hi-low" bulb and the "park" bulb.

Intermixing parts CAN cause problems. The link above outlines the differences between early/middle/late headlight switch arrangements.

My March '29 Truck (avatar) is the "middle" arrangement.

Agreed the Model A headlights/plugs/appurtenances are "design weak." My usual plan is to "gut" the insulating spacer where the wiring loom plugs into the socket on the bottom of the headlight shell, use the wires and solder the wires directly together. This leaves room for a separate "ground wire" to run back through the loom to the car frame.

Joe K
 
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Check the new spider for fit to the switch rotor and make sure it fits down in there before installing it on the switch rod end. The handle on the light switch should point down for off and the two spider prongs need to be vertical from bottom to top if I remember correctly. Position the switch rotor for off and then see if it will go all the way on. If the original spider can't be repaired then your stuck with the repro. Compare the two and see if there are differences other than the bent condition.

The switch terminal block and lower shroud cap have to be correctly positioned with the rotor housing but generally it will only go in there one way for a complete fit. If it has the original switch rod then it should work but there were different lengths depending on year of manufacture and steering gear type. The 7-tooth steering gear units used in 28 & 29 should all be the same length.

Also, compare the switch terminal plate that came with the new harness against the thickness of the old one. Swap them out if you can. The are sometimes soldered at each wire terminal to spade terminal and that can complicate things, The old original stuff is best if it is still in good condition. Some of the new ones are too thick and don't fit right in the housing.
 
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Update:

I'm used to the light rod to be off when the pointed piece is facing down. One click to the left has been the parking light. One click to the right is low and two clicks to the right is high.

What I have is the following:

One click to left is high.
Click to bottom is also high.
One click to the right is parking, and two clicks to the right is off.

How can I fix this?
 
I figured it out and it works now.

The piece inside the switch that the spider fits in was not lined up right. I turned it about 90 degrees and everything works as it should.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
 
It depends on bulb type. The position of the filament in the bulb make a difference on 32/32 CP bulbs. The late type head light lens positions the beam depending on the filaments position. The 32/50 CP bulbs should have higher wattage and current draw on the 50 CP filament if it is in fact a 32/50. Now days it's hard to say what you might get from the supply sources.
 
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