Re: '53 Clipper headlight problem
Posted by HH56 On 2014/7/20 18:13:21
Halogen bulbs shouldn't have done anything since you have had them working after you installed them.. I actually didn't realize they had halogens that small. Am also surprised the cluster tolerated the extra heat so learned something new today.
The 3 positions on the switch are knob extreme left, courtesy lights. Move it slightly to the right and all lights are off and if moved slightly farther to right the lights come on full briteness and then start to dim the farther you turn until they are all out.
Packard switches have a nasty habit of oxidizing and losing contact at critical spots. The dash light rheostat circuit seems particularly vulnerable because of the current path. There are two rivets which can become loose and oxidation sets in and a contact surface which corrodes. Any extra resistance at any of those spot and the dash lights go out.
Referencing this exploded switch photo, The path thru the switch is that power is fed at terminal A thru a rivet onto the circular contact surface. The wiper rides on that surface and passes voltage to the resistance coil and then out another rivet at terminal B to lights. Not sure where you actually pulled the small jumper off but if from the ceramic section terminal, the rivet could have lost contact. It could be corrosion is at another spot or rivet as well.
If the small jumper wire is intact and inserted in the terminals fully then possibly the switch was right at the point of failure and with being disturbed picked a bad time to show. If it is corrosion, you might be successful with some contact cleaner squirted in the area and knob turned back and forth to try and clean things up but if a rivet it may not do much good or work for long either.
Except for the mounting, the V8 switch is the same electrically. I got so fed up with my dash lights working and then not working that I finally resorted to adapting a modern GM switch rather than buy another expensive Packard item.
Attach file:
(120.44 KB)
The 3 positions on the switch are knob extreme left, courtesy lights. Move it slightly to the right and all lights are off and if moved slightly farther to right the lights come on full briteness and then start to dim the farther you turn until they are all out.
Packard switches have a nasty habit of oxidizing and losing contact at critical spots. The dash light rheostat circuit seems particularly vulnerable because of the current path. There are two rivets which can become loose and oxidation sets in and a contact surface which corrodes. Any extra resistance at any of those spot and the dash lights go out.
Referencing this exploded switch photo, The path thru the switch is that power is fed at terminal A thru a rivet onto the circular contact surface. The wiper rides on that surface and passes voltage to the resistance coil and then out another rivet at terminal B to lights. Not sure where you actually pulled the small jumper off but if from the ceramic section terminal, the rivet could have lost contact. It could be corrosion is at another spot or rivet as well.
If the small jumper wire is intact and inserted in the terminals fully then possibly the switch was right at the point of failure and with being disturbed picked a bad time to show. If it is corrosion, you might be successful with some contact cleaner squirted in the area and knob turned back and forth to try and clean things up but if a rivet it may not do much good or work for long either.
Except for the mounting, the V8 switch is the same electrically. I got so fed up with my dash lights working and then not working that I finally resorted to adapting a modern GM switch rather than buy another expensive Packard item.
Attach file:
(120.44 KB)
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