Re: 51Packards....52 Packard 200 Deluxe!

Posted by HH56 On 2016/3/27 15:27:58

Ground is most likely problem with dim bulbs. Even though you ran ground thru a good wire any corrosion in the socket or with the connection to any metal will show very quickly/. Parking lights should use the small filament, turn signals (and brakes) the larger. It is possible the wiring has been crossed or in some cases a wrong bulb can be inserted in the sockets and will be backwards or only one filament lights so it partially works.

Turn signals are dependent on the proper ohms being seen by the heater in the flasher. To little and it won't flash or if does is usually somewhat fast and too many won't flash either. The two times it flashed and nothing sounds like a bad bulb, wrong filament or very bad ground at either end. Also, if there is a bad ground at a socket it will try and find one where it can. With the dual filament bulbs that could mean going back thru the other filament, and out the wire and thru another bulb on the same wire and out that filament to its ground. Result is no flasher or if parking lights, very dim bulb(s).

It is possible for the turn signal switch to be at fault but before going there I would shine up every ground point including inside the sockets. Use some contact cleaner and some abrasive, Nylon scrubs are good and then use some air to get any debris out. Some have even had to run extra wires to the front sockets because the ground thru the grill can be very poor. If all that fails then look to the switch.

You can try some contact cleaner on the sender but don't drown the phenolic or when it gets wet at least blow it dry after moving the wiper a couple of times. Moisten the resistance wire and then move the wiper back and forth a few times while it is damp. If that doesn't help there is also a possibility the phenolic support has warped and the wiper is losing contact at the bad point because the resistance wire is not in position to make a good contact.

The trunk light switch could be mercury or it could be a steel ball and set of contacts which have oxidized. Around 51 seems to be when they transitioned from mercury to the balls and there have been both types seen. The mercury is enclosed in glass so not serviceable inside. Just clean the contacts on the glass capsule is about all that can be done. Not sure what happens to mercury after it is in contact with some metals but sometimes even though it is sealed there is a layer of oxidation that builds on the contacts so they won't pass current. That was a problem with some modern medial equipt I used to work on. If it is a ball it may be possible to work the end crimp holding the switch cap off and remove the ball to clean everything.