Happy Easter and welcome to Packard Motor Car Information! If you're new here, please register for a free account.  
Login
Username:

Password:

Remember me



Lost Password?

Register now!
FAQ's
Main Menu
Recent Forum Topics
Who is Online
138 user(s) are online (76 user(s) are browsing Forums)

Members: 0
Guests: 138

more...
Helping out...
PackardInfo is a free resource for Packard Owners that is completely supported by user donations. If you can help out, that would be great!

Donate via PayPal
Video Content
Visit PackardInfo.com YouTube Playlist

Donate via PayPal



(1) 2 »

Trunk Light Wiring
#1
Home away from home
Home away from home

Charles
See User information
For the '51-'54 models, how were the trunk lights wired in? The one I bought has a spade connector on it so I assume Packard added a douglas connector somewhere. I think I read that it would only work if the headlights were on. Am I correct? I'm curious how the factory would have added the light to the existing wire harness. I have not see any spare douglas connectors on the harnesses I have removed. Thanks!

Posted on: 2015/3/28 0:21
[url=h
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#2
Home away from home
Home away from home

BDeB
See User information
See page 12 of the Accessories section in the 1951-54 Service Manual for instructions. The trunk light ties in to the license light connection.

Posted on: 2015/3/28 0:59
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#3
Forum Ambassador
Forum Ambassador

HH56
See User information
That description of the field install is interesting because the schematics would have you believe there should be an unused pigtail spliced off the main body feed wire waiting somewhere for that light connection. Wonder if there was a difference if the car came factory equipped with the light vs field install. If the light is powered all the time on those senior cars that came equipped then the schematics would be correct. If the pigtail is not present on all it would be another example of how much cost they tried to cut out of the juniors.

Posted on: 2015/3/28 8:43
Howard
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#4
Forum Ambassador
Forum Ambassador

Owen_Dyneto
See User information
Looking at the A.E.A. wiring diagram for 1954, there was a splice into the harness for the license plate light ending in a Douglass-type connector. The trunk light was standard on the Packard line and optional on the Clipper line. So I'd expect the same installation whether factory installed (Packard line) or dealer installed.

Posted on: 2015/3/28 8:48
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#5
Home away from home
Home away from home

Charles
See User information
Thanks guys...I always forget the service manual has a section for accessories!

I didn't think the wire on the light was long enough to go all the way around the trunk to the license light. I'll have to do a dry run. I don't know what car my light came out of.

It's kind of lame having to have the lights on to use the trunk light. Not very convenient, but if you are on the side of the road at night with a flat, I guess something is better than nothing.

Posted on: 2015/3/31 8:04
[url=h
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#6
Home away from home
Home away from home

Tobs
See User information
The wiring and thus the function are different if it is a factory or a dealer installed trunk light.
The accessories section of the shop manual says to connect to the license plate light. This lets the light only work when the headlights/parking lights are on.
The wiring diagram (factory install) shows the trunk light connected to the dome light that is over the rear window package shelf. This lets the light turn on every time you open the trunk.
I guess you could decide which connection you want to do. If the switch switches cleanly, then I would connect it to the dome light circuit which is hot all the time. But then again things that are hot all the time could potentially be a battery drain or short.
-I'm plan to wire mine off the dome light when I get there.

Posted on: 2015/3/31 9:04
1953 Clipper Delux Club Sedan, 1969 912, 1990 Miata, 2009 Ford S-Max.
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#7
Forum Ambassador
Forum Ambassador

HH56
See User information
Needing the parking/tail lights on for the trunk light was how they did it at least on 46-50s so I guess continuing that practice for non factory equipped junior cars didn't matter.

I don't know where they brought the pigtail out on the factory equipped cars. Expect it was on the left front trunk corner where the other wires to trunk drops down from the roof section. That wouldn't need a very long wire to continue on to the light.

Schematically the trunk light on those factory equipped cars is spliced to the feed wire for the center of rear seat courtesy light. The nice part there is it a hot wire & light would work at any time. If a pigtail is not tucked or taped away somewhere, not sure how you could connect to that feed wire after the fact unless the headliner is out.

Posted on: 2015/3/31 9:04
Howard
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#8
Home away from home
Home away from home

Charles
See User information
Attached the light to the existing mount holes in the trunk. Fit perfect. The wires is way too short to make its way around the trunk to the license plate light. It is also too short to make it to the dome light. Bad picture below. The spade connector is hanging from the trunk hinge. Maybe factory installed did have a connector just inside the trunk area like HH56 suggested. I don't know.

I like the idea of running a wire from the dome light so it has power with or without the headlights on. I do not have a headliner in the car so now would be the time. I already ran all new wires in that area, but easy enough to splice into it.

Attach file:



jpg  (110.46 KB)
508_551c7c8d28efe.jpg 1280X720 px

Posted on: 2015/4/1 18:17
[url=h
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#9
Home away from home
Home away from home

John
See User information
The light doesn't have a mercury switch built into it does it??
John

Posted on: 2015/4/2 9:37
 Top  Print 
 


Re: Trunk Light Wiring
#10
Forum Ambassador
Forum Ambassador

HH56
See User information
Almost all have some kind of tilt sensing switch built into the end of the bulb socket -- Mercury or a rolling steel ball. Not sure exactly when the transition from mercury to steel ball was started but believe it was sometime in 23rd series. Most of the lights after that seem to have the steel ball but some mercury switch type could have been in dealer stock.

Posted on: 2015/4/2 11:15
Howard
 Top  Print 
 




(1) 2 »




Search
Recent Photos
Photo of the Day
Recent Registry
Website Comments or Questions?? Click Here Copyright 2006-2024, PackardInfo.com All Rights Reserved