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Can some one explain the function of the 4 position light switch and how the dimmer switch relates in the actions.
Someone converted my car to sealed beamed and rewired the lighting circuit with a all green wire color wire.
Does the dimmer just act on the high beam by cutting out just one headlight?

This is covered in the owners manual, which might be found in the Literature and Manuals section and available for downloading. If the manual is not here, you can purchase a reprint of one from vendors.

According to the manual:

"The light control switch is located at the lower left of the center panel. It is of the push-pull type having three positions. Pulling out to the first notch provides parking lights, second notch city driving or country driving lights and third notch country driving or passing lights. There is also a foot control switch located on the toe-board to the left of the clutch pedal. With the light switch in the second notch, depressing the toe-board switch raises both beams to "Country Drive" while a subsequent depression tilts both beams for city driving. In a similar manner, with the light switch in third notch, successive movements of the toe-board switch alternately tilt the left hand beam for country passing or raise it for country driving. A tell-tale light on the face of the speedometer indicates when country driving beam is in use."

I hope this helps.

(o{}o)

Thanks JW, for your quick response.
I was counting "off" as one position when I called it a "4" position switch.
Sounds complicated. Like telling someone how to drive a T-Model; easier to do than describe.
Did other cars of this era use a similar approach and how long did Packard use this system.? Was it dropped with the sealed beam system of 1940?

Packard (and Cadillac, and others) used triple beam headlamps at least as far back as 1933.

Yes, easier said than done. Packard went to conventional low and high beams with the sealed beam headlamps in 1940. Does your '39 120 have the old style or sealed beam headlamps? It was popular to convert to the 'new and improved' sealed beams back in the day. If you have the originals, note that the lenses are marked for right and left, the car's right and left. Often they get installed on the wrong side as the installer is facing the car with a reversal of the orientation.

(o{}o)

Mine has a sealed beam conversion but I think I have the original switch. I think the easiest approach wound be to follow the wiring diagram for the 1940 + . SOUNDS LIKE THE OLD "DIMMER" SWITCH PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE OLD SYSTEM.

I think you should still be able to enjoy the features of the original headlamps with the new style sealed beams using the original wiring scheme. Actually, the old system provides more flexibility in using the headlights and could be a neat feature to demonstrate and discuss. Do your have the fender mounted front parking lights like used on the 1940 models?

(o{}o)

The 1939 110 coupe I once owned had the 4 pos. light switch switch feature.

As I recall when it was all the way out the dimmer witch on the floor only dimmed the feft headlight.

I may be backwards on this, but you could keep the right headlight on high beam in one of the two positions.

I had two beams high and low. I don't recall if the low beam filiment in the bulb was lit along with the high beam filiment.

But that how my car worked.

When I bought it from the original owner in the late 1970's it had 18,000 original miles and had just had the original tires replaced.

Jim