The Interrmittent 56 Patrician

Posted by John McCall and Mitch Parker On 2012/8/3 20:25:54

OK Guys...here's the problem. My 56 Patrician today repeated a strange syndrome I have witnessed before: When I turned the starter, ALL power in the car went out. I now know how to "fix" this problem temporarily but not for good. Once I take the positive cable off the battery and reconnect it, everything is fine right down to the "Dual Safety Courtesy Lights". Sometimes it is months before she acts up again. Mind you, she has done this while under power or at rest when being started.

I am no mechanic and certainly am no electrical engineer but I wondered if this may have anything to do with a bad ballast resistor? I do remember many years ago a similar problem in my 55 Clipper Constellation and after replacing the resistor, I never encountered the problem again.

I'm just putting this out there for some of you who know much more than I.