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Making slow headway with my 33 1003, i took my headlights apart today to make sure i had 3003 bulbs-i do have the correct bulbs, but the previous owner thought the ground wire should be green! Black would be correct. I know that the right light has four wires and the left three and there colors. My question is what is the correct color wire for the contacts on the base of the bulb, If one looks at the connecter on the base or support on the light assembly the five holes are as follows: 6 o'clock is blank, ground is at 4 o'clock, on the left side the 10 o'clock hole is blank. If anyone knows which color wire goes to which contact on the bulb it would be a big help. Thanks Dell

From the 1933/1934 Service Letters, suggest you buy a reprint of them if still available, also I think it may be on the Literature & Manuals section on this site. Hope this does it for you.

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Thanks O_D; I have all the reprinted manuals that I could find and the wiring diagram from Y & Z. I have not been able to find how the correct wiring is to the bulb itself and the socket in the base of the headlight support. I don't want to damage the bulb as we all know how hard they are to find. Thanks Dell

I wonder if any labeling was done on the 30s sockets. I know they are completely different items but my 47 original sockets have the terminals named in very tiny letters -- ground, pass and drive. If the sockets are dirty or dusty the labels would not be visible so any chance some information has been covered over on yours. Maybe even stamped directly on the terminal under the screw and washer as was done on some of the relays.

One thing to remember is that only the right (passenger) side bulb uses all 3 filaments; both lamps use the "driving" and "tilt" filaments but only the right lamp uses the "passing" filament. Bulbs can only go into the socket one way as the pins are staggered.

The wiring diagram given in the Standard Auto-Electrician's Manual should be useful and it's really a better diagram that the factory version; hope this helps - it's not complicated. Diagram is from 33 Super Eight but 33/34 Eight, Su8 and Twelve all have the same lighting system. Curiously it shows the ignition for the Twelve.

If the opportunity ever presents itself, don't pass up getting a copy of the Standard Auto-Electrician's Manual, it's a very comprehensive source of data.

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Thanks again O-D; Unfortunately the sockets have been changed and have no ID marks. Will keep looking. Dell

Perhaps trial and error will be the most expeditious way. In a dark garage and fairly close to a wall it's extremely easy to tell "tilt" from "passing" beams. And I wouldn't worry about damaging the bulbs, 6 volts is 6 volts, hard to see how you get more than that to any filament.

You say the sockets were changed, changed to what? As far as I know there was only 1 socket available for the 3003 bulbs. Unfortunately many folks, rather than locate the correct bulbs, converted to sockets for the #1000 series of bulbs.

Stick with it, those are very impressive headlamps when correctly aimed and the reflectors are in good condition (resilvered).

O_D: sockets might be the ones that Bruce makes? They are for the 3003 bulbs. Dell

Thanks Dell, I wasn't aware that the 3003 sockets were being reproduced. Given the number of folks who converted to another bulb type, I guess there is a small market for them and Bruce would be the guy that would have done it. If you're still at a loss for the headlamp wiring you might consider speaking with Bruce, he is "Mr. 33" and his experience will no doubt be more recent, I put my front harness in about 40 years ago.

Yes O_D i think Bruce is the next step. I don't know if the socket he makes is for the 3003, i know he has one on his list, but as i am at work i don't have it in front of me. Dell