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

I just bought a replacement NOS headlamp switch. Not sure what happened but my parking lamps turn on first push, and only headlights the 2nd not both at the same time. . Also, my Inst-Lite button toggles my high beams as well?????

The tail and parking should be on the first push or notch and tail and headlights on the second push or notch. Packard postwar models turned the parking lights off when headlights were on.

If the wiring is stock, the instrument light switch is fed from the tail light terminal of headlight switch so gets power any time the lights are on. It should only feed the 8 instrument illumination bulbs. The only way I can see it getting crossed with the actual hi beam filament of headlights is if somehow the hi beam indicator light was tied in with the instrument lights.

The indicator light and ordinary instrument illumination bulbs are right next to one another in the cluster and the wire that feeds the hi beam indicator light comes directly from the dimmer switch and is connected to the headlight hi beam filament feed wire.

Thanks Howard! I just checked my dash lighting... I have some exposed wires... Looks like I won't be driving her till I get her to a shop for a new harness. Thanks

Quote:

On American cars, parking lights normally were only parking lights. When you pull the headlights on, then the parking lights go off. This method was on most cars in the USA until at least the late 1960s/early 1970s. Cars in the 1950s traditionally were...

? First position: parking lights
? Second position: headlights.