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

Thanks Howard - I will check tomorrow and see if the breaker has reset and head lights /tail lights work - sure hope so -

Well, after leaving everything off for two days I tried my lights today. Nothing- no headlights, no tail lights, no parking lights, no license plate light. I do have courtesy lite and signal lights. Everything WAS working except the right tail light, stop lights . I thought I may have tripped the circuit breaker as I was trying to get the right tail light to work. But if that's it - the circuit breaker has not reset. I tried the dimmer switch several times - no help. Thank you for any suggestions .

Since you have courtesy lights at least there is power to that aux circuit breaker and it should continue on to the headlight switch as well. It sounds as if either the circuit breaker on headlight switch died or someone changed it to a fuse or non reset type.

Automatic breakers will reset in a second or two and if the problem is still there trip again, then reset, then trip etc etc. This will continue until power or problem is removed or the breaker or bad item just finally dies. You will need to identify exactly what protection you have.

That would be the next thing to check but will confess I don't remember how accessible it is. You may be able to see it or have to remove the ventilation controls or even the entire switch plate to access it.

I don't have a picture of your exact switch but the stock switch and breaker will be arranged something like this one. Once you can get to it, the next step is use a meter and check the two posts at the very end for voltage. Measured to ground, you should have 6 volts on the single post which is battery side and if breaker is good, also the side with the metal bar feeding the switch. If voltage not on both sides, breaker problem. If you have voltage, switch or connector problem.

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One other thought. Not sure where you were looking for the original problem but in the trunk the wiring to the right taillight runs across the trunk at the very back. Just below the lock, I believe the taillight wire has a splice which drops down to the license light.

That wire is supposed to be protected in a grommeted hole but if the rubber grommet has deteriorated & the old wire was disturbed, some insulation could have broken off & there could possibly be a short. There may also be another similar arrangement under the car as it enters the light.

The brown 4 wire connectors behind the L tail light could also be an issue. Some have given problems with corrosion or sometimes loose connectors & a wire coming out. Same with the connectors on left side under dash which connects the main loom to the body loom. If a connector was loose, it could have slipped out and shorted against the body.

Once you get the car back to the condition it was in, the rear lights are in parallel with the connection being at the connectors behind the L tail light. For the R side only to not work the problem would have to be in the connectors, the short loom across to the R light or a bad ground in the R light assy to body.

HH56 -Thanks again for your support. I agree with what you are saying. Yes. I have been looking at all the wires in the trunk. This all started with just the right tail light not working. After I installed a new bulb, it still did not burn. So - I decided to check the bulb in the left side to confirm that I had the right bulb. Both were 1154. The owner manual says the tail and stop should be 1158 and the parking and direction signal light 1154. ( your comments on this ) So, now I have no head lights, no tail lights . It seem that MAYBE I shorted some wire as I was checking , and tripped the circuit breaker. I will look again for a short around the license light and left side. Do they plug in ? I do not want to pull the dash switch panel out to check the circuit breaker unless I have to. Here are some good pictures of a 1950 control switch panel under Electrical & Fuel -page 1 , posted on Aug 4. I assume the 50 is same as my 48 ? I do not know why the circuit breaker did not reset , unless it is still shorted or ruined. Thanks

The trunk connectors should be behind the Left tail light area. Should look similar to these only with wires in MUCH better condition. In a 48 22nd series the large 4 wire square ones should be the tail and the stop lights. Small 2 wire are for turnsignals. 23rd series will be slightly different. There are similar looking connectors under the dash at the extreme left side.

The wires do plug in. There is a pin on one side of the internal connection which fits in a hole in the wire tab that's used as a locking arrangement. In normal circumstances the wire should be very difficult to pull out but if the pin has worn or the connector damaged, the locking may not function well.

Switches are the same for 22-23 series but maybe arranged differently. I don't remember the layout. Headlight switch has the same terminals and breaker as the one shown but difference is it's more square instead of rectangular.

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HH56 - I have the wiring diagram for the rear lights. I MAY have found what caused this problem. The original drop down wire to the license plate has been cut, and a new wire run from the license plate light to one of the incoming square connectors. I dont know why this was done unless the original wire had a break. Looking at this wire from under the car, it looks like it could be shorted where it comes thru the grommet. So, I think I will unplug this wire from the square connector and remove the license plate light assembly. IF this is the problem , I can correct it. But still dont know if the circuit breaker will reset - probably not.

John, if that breaker did not reset in about 2 seconds it is not going to.

Another question on my 1948 Deluxe wiring problem - I found that my cigar lighter is working fine . Since the cigar lighter comes of the head light switch/circuit breaker, does that mean that the circuit breaker is OK ? I am talking about the circuit breaker on the head light switch . Thanks

The lighter is unprotected. It's hard to see but if you look carefully the terminal it connects to is the one from the acc breaker bat post via wire labeled 21-2RW. 21A-2RW is the feed to the acc (and ultimately headlight) breaker coming from the splice off ammeter. Since lighter works, that means you are getting power to the breaker. If you have no head or tail lights at all, the breaker is certainly suspect.