Re: Starter Button and General Wiring Questions - 1941 Packard 110

Posted by HH56 On 2014/8/13 16:48:38

The way the headlights are wired, there is the 3 pin socket at each bulb. If any of the labels on the two cables between the sockets and the single terminal strip was wrong, the bulbs might not be seeing the same thing. Just as an example one bulb might be getting power at pin 1 for one filament and the other bulb might be getting power at terminal 2 or 3 instead.

Since the parking light switch position apparently causes no problem, we will assume parking, dash and tail light wiring is OK and nothing is shorted. If those are OK I would concentrate on the headlights.

The easiest and first thing I would do is verify wiring at the headlight and dimmer switch visually and that none of the wires or terminals was bent or shorted. Turn on the lights and if no lights and cycling starts mash the dimmer switch to change filaments & see if the problem stops. If it does then check the dash indicator light and socket carefully. If no change then kill the lights and go to the dimmer switch again. Disconnect the wires on dimmer sw going to terminal strip on fender and try again. Cycle the dimmer switch with only the feed wire connected. If still a problem, dimmer sw or wire between headlight sw and dimmer sw is suspect. If no problem connect dimmer sw again and move on to the fender terminal strip. Verify the paper insulation between studs is all good and no shorts.

If you want to use the ohmmeter to verify sockets you will have to remove the headlight bulbs. Disconnect wires to both bulbs so all you have on the terminal strip are the wires from dimmer sw. Sockets are labeled with numbers or names. Pick one of the wires going to the left headlight socket and verify which socket terminal it goes to -- 1 (drive), 2 (pass), or 3 (ground) -- by connecting the ohmmeter to one wire and probe the socket with the other lead for continuity..If you can tell by color that is easier but that won't check that there isn't a short between two of the terminals or wires. Do the same to the right socket and make sure the same socket pin and wire is identified and will be together when placed back on terminal strip. If the existing markings are correct so that both wires will go back to the same place on terminal strip move on to the next wire and socket terminal and identify. When everything is identified or verified correct then connect and try again.

If it still doesn't work, something very strange is going on.