Tight correct headlight connectors, still shorting!

Barry in St.Paul

Barry in St.Paul

Senior Member
hi,
I restored my 30 coupe several years ago, completely new wiring, etc. No issues until a recent drive and blew a fuse when turning the headlight switch on. Was counseled likely culprit was the headlight connection at the shell, so I disconnected them and no short (flicking headlight switch through its travels). I have the proper Bratton's 'flat-head' connectors, but the ferrule connectors were a bit loose/sloppy, so assumed that was the culprit. I increased the crimp/detents on each connector, to where I had to push out on the bulb socket from inside on the shell and twist them on with channel-locks; they are SNUG. Tested, no short. Reassembled the headlights, no short. Yay! Took it for a drive, as an afterthought when I got home, turned the headlights on and "poof", there goes the fuse again. Not sure where it could be shorting out, and why it would just start now (has been 13 years since I restored it). With it being intermittent like this, any ideas? I thought all the problems were because of the poor repro bullet connectors, and mine are the correct flat head, which fit snugly in the black receptacles. Thanks for any ideas or troubleshooting plans. Barry
 
Additional question: I saw in a post that you can use a bulb in place of the fuse for testing, to avoid blowing a bunch of fuses. I’m confused, the bulb would blow just like a fuse, wouldn’t it? Apologize for being dense here, but how could I use a test light or something to replace the fuse while troubleshooting? An open short will pass a bunch of amps and fry any meter, won’t it? That is why there is a fuse in a Fluke multimeter, to prevent overloading it while in voltage mode (ask me how I know :-(
Not sure how to go about this, with the offending pieces (probably headlight wire brass terminals?) hidden inside the headlight, out of reach of a test probe for a continuity test……
 
Good aftrernoon...One approach would be to look carefully at all the head light wiring very carefully for a spot of wear...a place where the insulation has rubbed a hole after 13 years of rubbing...even in the clips that hold the wire under the radiator...Ernie in Arizona
 
Thanks. Won't say "couldn't be", but unfortunately over those 13 years, I've only put 2000 miles on it, it sits at my dad's farm and gets driven about twice per year :-( And have all new wiring and new rubber protective grommets, so nowhere to "rub". And I did look over the wires pretty carefully, though wouldn't hurt to connect a test light and wriggle them around.

All I can think of now is to wrap electrical tape around the brass terminal heads of each wire; as Tom W had kind of recommended in a post. But can't see where anything is close to touching and shorting out
 
Barry in St.Paul said:
Additional question: I saw in a post that you can use a bulb in place of the fuse for testing, to avoid blowing a bunch of fuses. I’m confused, the bulb would blow just like a fuse, wouldn’t it?
Click to expand...

No, with a bulb in place of a fuse, if there's a short the bulb will light up!
 
on your wire loom ends at the lights. do the wires have the bullet connectors or the correct flat ends. the bullets connectors have a tendency to walk off the connector in the light and short out. some of the newer looms come with the correct end. most of the older one did not.
 
Take the headlight bulbs out and look inside the sockets. The spring loaded terminals can move around ............. especially with vibration. Check to see if the terminals are close to touching each other. Check to see if either of the terminals are close to touching the inside edge of the socket. When the bulb is inserted, it might be just enough pressure on the terminals (think weak springs) to cause either of the mentioned scenarios. Of course, once the bulb is in place, you can't see what the terminals are doing.
 
Thanks guys. Good tips, I never looked INSIDE the connector, as that part is original.
YES, I do have the “correct” Brattons flat-head connectors (replaced the older bullet-head harness I used to have). I am going to try wrapping electrical tape around each one, or around the whole plastic socket, just in case THAT is occasionally touching something.
Re: bulb in the circuit, brain fart; obviously the same as as being ‘in the circuit’ in the headlight. Sigh; getting old!! Will solder a piece of wire on each side of a bulb and try using that while wigging connections. So hard to find and KNOW it is corrected when it is intermittent short like this!
 
UPDATE: I connected a bulb across the fuse clamps, and finally found what I think is the culprit. The third (empty) post inside the headlight socket on one side is just a bit too close to the two headlight posts and when I wiggle the socket, the test bulb would flicker on and off. SO, going to get a Dremel and simply remove the brass socket from inside the headlight and push it out. Serves no purpose for a 30 coupe with cowl lights, and problem solved!
 
Lots of owners, including me, run the headlight wires to inside the headlight bucket and use tube type connectors there, eliminating the sockets all together. From the outside the setup looks original.
 
nkaminar said:
Lots of owners, including me, run the headlight wires to inside the headlight bucket and use tube type connectors there, eliminating the sockets all together. From the outside the setup looks original.
Click to expand...

I periodically have a problem with the original flat head connector.

Is this what you mean by Tube Type connector.
 

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