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I did some testing today;
56 Executive with all lights working with NEW battery at 12.8 volts.

Headlite switch on for headlites (standard sealed beamn no Halogens nor LED) on hi beam = 11.5 amps.
Parking lite position = 4 amps.

As a stand-alone test using same battery:
ONE Sylvania halogen 2B1 Rectangular H6054 = 4 amps hi beam.

Packard1 reported that Halogens were tripping the headlite circuit breaker. I'm wondering what brand of Halogen headlites he used assuming they were mounted in a 55 or 56 Packard.

The numbers fall in line although I would think it should be drawing one more amp on the halogen per typical bulb specs (this one is Wagner) and the accepted conversion formula unless Sylvania has come up with something the others mfgs haven't or their watt output is not the same.

Would suspect a combination of aging connections and breaker might be part of the problem with the blowing breaker..I have had experience with the breakers losing strength over time.

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The H6054 Sylvania Halogen i tested at 4 amps hi beam was a well used sealed beam. So maybe a new one would test 5 amps.

However, here is how i figure OEM using data from post #1 above:

11.5 amps headlite postition.
4 amps parking lite position.
~ 2 amps FRONT parking lite (approx. guess).

Note that front park lites are OFF when headlites are on.


11.5 - 4 + 2 = 9.5 amps that 2wo standard headlites draw or a little less than 5 amps each on the standard round headlite.

I've got some standard round headlites laying around here somewhere that i will use as a standalone test if i can find one.

I'll try to check the circuit breaker rating of my 3 modern grocery getters with Halogen too. One of them is an 1988 Ranger that has been beat pretty hard for 22 years for 185K miles daily and nightly.

Curious where you measured the current. Does the 4 for the parking lights include the rear lights. There would also be two more side running lights on a senior car your Exec doesn't have.

I measured voltage and amperage by disconnecting the + post of battery and connected a analoug Simpson gauges between the battery post and the disconnected + batery cable terminal.

ALL lites work, 2 tail, 2 tag, dash lites 2 front park (front park lites off on headlite operation) and tach lite and 'clock' lite. BEfore taking readings i made sure there was no draw on the amp gauge before operating headlite sw. thru open window. The only i did not check was the position of the dash lite dimmer sw. I doubt that it would much effect. The dash lites dimmer sw. is usualy positioned off or very dim.

I drive this 56 Exec routinely at nite with no electrical problems.

edit: Test done with ignition OFF. Engine NOT running.

I doubt that Sr. sidemarker lamps draw more than 2 amps at the very max. PRobably more like 1 amp or maybe even a little less. But i don;t really know. Never tested those.

The 11 1/2 would be about right for the two 50 watt headlights plus the normal others. The circuit breaker is 20 so they probably used an in stock size from the 6v days & allowed for worse case scenario. I still think poor connections have a lot to do with tripping breakers.

Poor connexions:
YES!!! That is the root of most electrical problems. But i would think that Packards1 is savvy enuf to have cleaned all of his connexions. That's why i'm wondering what brand of Halogens he was using that caused the breaker to trip. Note he indicated that he tried a new switch too.

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7366&forum=4&post_id=78957#forumpost78957

New switches are not necessarily a cure all. Lots think they will be fine but contacts can oxidize just as easily after 50 years on a shelf as they can in a car. The only good thing about a new switch is they are shiny, mechanically tight so probably detent & have better contact and there won't be burning and pitting on the contacts to go along with the oxidation.

I'm going to check the manual here in a few hours and maybe a spare sw i have. I'm wondering if the hte CB is HEADLITE only meaning that none of the other lites are protected by the CB.