Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Greetings Packardites!

I just purchased a 1950 (49) 2301 Eight Touring Sedan and more than a couple of frustrating electrical issues are in need of investigation. In researching, I find some conflicting information. For example I have brake light issues (don't work) and I find that the Owners Operational Manual states the bulb is a #1158 while the 1948-1954 Packard Parts List states it is #1154. I have found the #1154 but can't find the #1158.

Where can I learn to replace the rear lights? I have looked for a 'Chilton' type repair manual but to my knowledge this issue is not published...or at least I have not found it. Does the bulb get removed directly from the housing via the trunk or does the housing need to get unbolted from the trunk to gain access to the bulb? I see the 'tab' coming off the bulb but i have not been willing to really 'wank' hard on this tab as it could break and be a permanent part of the system. I must be missing something.

Please share with me your thoughts. Thank you very much.

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There is an older thread which has info on 23rd series bulb or tail light housing removal. It might give you some information because for things like that Chiltons and Motors manuals are not much help.

As to the brake lights not working, almost all the issues others have had seem to have been due to a failed brake light switch so you might start there. The switch is located at the end of the master cylinder and is powered at all times from a circuit breaker on the back of the instrument cluster.

The 23rd series 49-50 cars were the first Packards to share the same rear bulb filament for brakes and turnsignals. If you have turn signals that work then the brake switch is most likely at fault but since the wire from the brake switch goes thru the turn signal switch it could also be a bad or dirty contact in that switch or in the round plug between the loom and short bunch of wires coming out of the steering column right under the dash edge. Bad grounds caused by rust on the body sheetmetal or corrosion in the pot metal housing where the mounting studs make electrical contact with the body and housing are well known issues on almost all postwar Packards.

On the 1154 and 1158 bulbs, if you look at the details they both have the same 3-21 candlepower rating but numbers are reversed so I suspect the difference must be how the side pins are positioned to orient the bulbs in the socket.

The owners manual is incorrect.
The rear bulb should be an 1154 with offset locating pins as per the parts list, not an 1158 which has the locating pins directly opposite

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All my 1940 Packard 110s and 1941 Henney-Packard 120 used the same element for turn signals and brake light. Granted that turn signals did not come with the 1940 but it was fully wired for it both front and rear so the front fender lights were also dual element.

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Front park and turn signal did share the same bulb but used separate filaments. Power from either the turn signal sw or parking light could go to the same bulb. The 40 and 41 wiring diagrams show the wires to the large filament taped off but present for further use.

Prewar factory turn signal installs used the same 3 wire turn signal switch as did models thru the 22nd series. That switch is simply a single pole double throw switch so has no provision for separating voltage coming from the turn signal sw or the brake light sw. With brakes applied and both rear bulb filaments in parallel, if the turn signal was trying to flash one side, the solid on brake light power would take precedence and light both bulbs so flashing would not be seen. A separate bulb is needed in the rear for turn signals in cars thru the 22nd series and there are one and two bulb housings -- at least for the Clippers and 22nd series. Wiring shows senior 41 models might have the rear turn signal wire provision and there are different housings listed but my wire diagram is too poor a quality to follow path and see where the wires end.

In the 23rd series they went to a 6 wire switch which was the same one used thru 54. When you move the lever on that switch, turn signal flasher is connected to both front and rear bulbs which start flashing while the brake light is disconnected from the side that needs to flash and is sent only to the other side thus lighting a single bulb. By disconnecting the brake light signal a single filament can be shared.

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  41-48 turn signal sw3a.jpg (1,433.78 KB)


  49-54 turn signal switch.jpg (160.50 KB)

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That was exactly my point although mine weren’t taped off. Instead they terminated at a connector block, one on either side of the front inside edge of the fenders, with nothing else connected to them. With the rears already wired from the brake light switch, the added turn signals used the same filaments as the brake lights.

Where?
most of the common ones are still available at the local parts places or go online, like lightbulbs.com or 1000bulbs, etc. and search.
I'd stick to name brand new, even if they're asian than something from ebay, etc. that's old or used. But can't always get what you want. Amazon is too highly price conscious than quality in my experience. I've had to "buy over" too many times there - waste of resource but OK otherwise.
I can't find who I've used, because it's on the other computer.

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Don, From what I can see in the wiring diagrams not quite the case until the 23rd series. I cannot see any evidence of rear factory turn signal wires in 41 diagrams but they do show the ready to use wired fronts. For 42 in the 20th series all models diagram they do show a factory T. S. install on a senior car and it is the same as Clippers thru 47. The 48 22nd series with the exception of the panel indicator is the same. 42-7 had R & L indicators while 48s only had a single indicator bulb.

All prewar thru 48 cars with tail and brake light housings on both sides had the dual contact bulbs wired the same --small and large filaments in parallel each fed from a single switch and power wire. With the basic 3 wire switch for turn signals, because the large filaments in the tail light bulbs were already in parallel and used for the brake lights, the two functions could not be easily separated or shared because as soon as brake were applied and lights were on, the bulbs would not turn off when flashing was needed. An extra bulb was added in the rear to accommodate the turn signal.

Adding an LED bulb would not be an issue for the brake and tail light but like the other models I suspect a 6v electronic flasher would be the easiest option when adding them for turn signals. Downside to changing the flasher is the original mounting method and terminals would need to be changed for the new flasher. It appears LEDLight.com has the bulbs and flasher needed including the 1129 single contact rear bulb.

Here is the basic turn signal, brake and tail light circuits used thru 48. The main difference is in the indicator lights. 42-7 used two indicators and as the Clipper extraction shows those are handled differently than the single bulb in 48. I suspect if turn signals were added to 40 or 41 models they would have had a different tail light housing for the second bulb and probably ran a couple of extra wires or loom under the car much like the reverse light option. No idea how they handled the dash indictor but there might have been a spot in the 41 dash overlay to add one.

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  48 22nd series turn signal, brake and tail light.jpg (176.90 KB)


  42-7 Clipper turn signal extraction.jpg (153.64 KB)