Re: Fuel gauge, clock and lights not working

Posted by HH56 On 2024/3/10 9:48:27

Quote:
Not necessarily. The headlight switch only feeds the parking and tail lights which use the small filaments in the park and tail light bulbs. (As a point of consistency with Packard terminology for postwar models, what was called running lights is the mid body light feature only available on 55-6 senior models. Those were single filament bulbs wired in parallel with the tail lights so also controlled by the headlight switch.)

23rd series and later turn signals use the large filaments in the park and tail light bulbs but have different feeds from the small parking and tail light filaments. Because of flasher needs an issue with any of the grounds or any of the sockets and connections can affect turn signal operation as can any issues in the turn signal switches.

The stock flasher used in those years is a thermal type and design characteristics require a specific range of resistance and current flow to allow the thermal section to operate. That range varies by flasher type but the type used by Packard generally requires a resistance of at least one filament of a certain size to a maximum of two filaments. There is a cushion to the range but in most cases too low or high a resistance or current need and the flasher will not start or will operate very erratically. Because of the way both the park and turn signal bulb filaments use shared connections in the bulbs and wiring or the way the bulbs can be connected together by the turn signal switch a bad connection or poor ground anywhere in the circuit can force odd path combinations and the current will be out of range as it tries to find a way to ground.