Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Thanks, Owen. I will check, but I bet you a double cheeseburger the fuse is fine. It is connected to the wiper fuse, and the wipers work.

Sorry, didn't realize your car wasn't stock but had an electric wiper conversion. But just as an aside, a circuit breaker may be a better idea for an electric wiper motor than a fuse. If the fuse blows while it's raining, you know what happens. But with a circuit breaker while the circuit is open the breaker will cool down and reconnect, giving you at least some intermittent wiper operation (assuming the motor is capable of it). I don't really know what's common practice on more modern cars with electric wipers, but i'd suspect a circuit breaker. Maybe some of our guys inclined towards more modern stuff can comment.

Funny you bring that up, Owen. From all the prior posts regarding my weak vacuum wipers (which they are vacuum), I wonder why there is a slot in the fuse box marked "wipers." I assumed that for even vacuum wipers, there must be "something" electrical - whataver that might be. But my wipers are definitely vacuum.

Antenna fixed again. The connector is not too good where the electric plugs into the knob. The wire vibtaes loose. I can fix that better, but it works.

I came across this thread when searching for help to troubleshoot my automatic antenna on my '56 Clipper, but I didn't completely find an answer to my problem; so, here it is.

Over the past 12 years that I've had this car, the automatic antenna worked with no problems. Yesterday, when I pulled into my driveway, I turned off the motor and ignition switch, and then pushed in the antenna knob to lower it (I usually leave the motor on when lowering the antenna). As the antenna lowered, the motor slowed down to a stop, and then smoke started coming from the switch. Fortunately, no fire but it did smell like burning rubber.

After I let things cool. I crawled under the dash and noticed that one of the electric butts to the switched melted. Whiled trouble shooting and checked all the fuses in the fuse bus under the dash; all were fine (with the excepting of no fuse for the clock - I don't have a clock). My shop manual says the electric antenna uses an SFE 20 Amp. fuse, but I can't locate the fuse.

Any help the members of this group can give me is very much appreciated.

-Ken

PS: I had just returned home from buying a fire extinguisher. Fortunately, I didn't have to use it.

Electric antennas were an option that could be installed at the factory or by a dealer and not all antennas have fuses. IF there is a fuse it will be the inline type between the switch and power source but unknown which item it will be closer to. Best suggestion is to look at the switch and locate the power wire then follow the wire. If the antenna is installed per factory suggestion it will head toward the ignition switch but sometimes dealers would pick other convenient power sources.

Attach file:

---

  (24.16 KB)

Howard, thank you for the wiring diagram. It was the blue wire leading from the switch's "down" connection that fried. I'm attaching two photos of the fried wire and switch from underneath the dash. I'll trace back the black wire to see where it leads; I suspect it leads to the ignition switch.

Attach file:

---

  (142.33 KB)


  (203.05 KB)