Re: Proud New Owner of a 49 Packard Club Sedan
Posted by HH56 On 2018/12/17 12:02:36
Have you verified the socket is OK? On the 47 at least the power feed is a direct run from the fuse via a fairly healthy wire. If that wire is damaged and you have no power to the assy then there is more problems than just a light not working and really should be looked into.
The entire light assy is held by the screws on the base which go into a metal and wood frame. Removing the screws will let the light assy pull out a slit cut into the headliner. The headliner should not be impacted or damaged with removal of the assy. There should be a couple of Wade connectors you can disconnect to remove the entire assy for service although that is easier said than done because the connectors can be a real pain to disconnect.
If you do look into why the light doesn't work I have found that because the spring in the socket can be fairly strong and since it pushes against the outer edge of the fiber bottom which holds the contact terminals it can cause the fiber to cup away from the bulb base and lose contact. If there has been moisture then along with the cupping it can actually have a rusted spring losing the tension of the contacts against the bulb. If you find the socket in need of service Rhode Island Wiring has the various configuration of fibers, terminals and springs in their supplies section.
The switch on the pillar can also be an issue. If you have the plastic switch with the internals molded into the plastic base, I think those may be a bit under rated and can heat to the point the base deforms and makes the switch lose contact. The small jumper like bar and eyelet between the switch terminal and mounting screw can also have issues and the switch can lose the ground connection from the mounting screw.
Here is a photo of the smaller 47 quarter light assy. The single center lamp is the same construction just larger.
Attach file:
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The entire light assy is held by the screws on the base which go into a metal and wood frame. Removing the screws will let the light assy pull out a slit cut into the headliner. The headliner should not be impacted or damaged with removal of the assy. There should be a couple of Wade connectors you can disconnect to remove the entire assy for service although that is easier said than done because the connectors can be a real pain to disconnect.
If you do look into why the light doesn't work I have found that because the spring in the socket can be fairly strong and since it pushes against the outer edge of the fiber bottom which holds the contact terminals it can cause the fiber to cup away from the bulb base and lose contact. If there has been moisture then along with the cupping it can actually have a rusted spring losing the tension of the contacts against the bulb. If you find the socket in need of service Rhode Island Wiring has the various configuration of fibers, terminals and springs in their supplies section.
The switch on the pillar can also be an issue. If you have the plastic switch with the internals molded into the plastic base, I think those may be a bit under rated and can heat to the point the base deforms and makes the switch lose contact. The small jumper like bar and eyelet between the switch terminal and mounting screw can also have issues and the switch can lose the ground connection from the mounting screw.
Here is a photo of the smaller 47 quarter light assy. The single center lamp is the same construction just larger.
Attach file:
(71.67 KB)
(162.25 KB)
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