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New fuel tank and sender are on the way. I thought I could use the old tank, and even had the leak repaired, but after I got it back I took a good look inside. Apparently someone in the past had done one of those DIY sealer kits and it had failed. The sealer is peeling up all over the place, there is rust inside, and it is generally a mess. I don't think I can get everything out of it, and didn't want to deal with the unknown of a perpetually dirty tank. I should have just bought a new tank from the beginning.

While I had Auto City Classics on the phone I asked about a new windshield and they said they had none. Called a couple of glass places around here to see if they could make curved glass, and they can't. So I might be out of luck for a new windshield.

-Kevin

I believe NSG/Pilkington/LOF (they are one company now) started an operation for custom glass. They definitely know how. Sorry I don't have a contact.

Work slowly continues. No progress on the rust repairs....hopefully this week.

In the meantime I've started digging into the electrical. I'm a little stumped right now and could use some guidance.

What works:
-Ignition
-Horn
-Oil pressure idiot light
-Battery light
-Temperature gauge

What doesn't work
-everything else


The headlights used to work, now they don't. Same goes for the high beams and high beam indicator light. None of the dash lights work, though I've changed all the bulbs. The parking/turn signals were disconnected (and two wires cut) so I will need to get those back on. Nothing on the rear lights. License plate light wires were cut, and the reverse lights have some very odd wiring that needs to be redone.

I'm at a loss for why the headlights stopped working. I don't remember if it was before or after the sandblasting that I checked them before. No wires are disconnected, no broken or frayed wires that I can see. What should I be checking? Headlamp switch? Is there a fuse somewhere? I'm not an electrical genius, and I'm trying to make sense of the '54 wiring diagram to see if I can solve my own problems. No luck so far.

-Kevin

Do you have a Multi-meter, if not this is a good time to get one and they're not that expensive, just make sure it has Alligator Clips to go with the probes and download a wiring diagram for your car.
Wes

Cheap and very handy is a test probe--looks like an ice pick with a light bulb in the handle and a ground wire attached. Ground the wire to anything handy and anything that you touch with the probe that is live will light the bulb.

Your headlight switch has a circuit breaker built onto its back end--a little metal cube with two terminals. Take your probe and make sure both of them are live and report back.

All the dead things you mentioned are fed from the headlight switch.

Wes - yes, I do have a multi-meter but I'm really not well-versed in them. I can check for voltage, but that's about the extent of my knowledge. I'm going to watch a couple of videos to help teach me a bit more. And I'm using the color-coded wiring diagram that BigKev made (https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/article/view.article.php?6). Thanks BigKev, that is a fantastic resource!

Ross - I do have a test probe also. Just wasn't sure where I should be checking. I'll check those two terminals tonight and report back.

-Kevin

Kevinpackard, just a word of caution if you use one of the 'ice pick' test lights . . . they are typically have a rather long un-insulated section. Be aware that when you are touching a 'hot' circuit the entire un-insulated length is also ''hot'. If you're upside down under the dash you might lose sight that the probe is touching or close to touching a ground. Sparks will surely awaken you to that fact. Some shrink tubing, soda straw, or electrical tape placed on, or over, the majority of the probe's length should be considered.

Also I'm pretty sure most of the test lights available today are 12 volt. Perhaps a quick test of pure battery voltage will confirm that the light is visible . . . I guess I've assumed your car is six volts. Checking the bulb before you crawl under the dash would be equally prudent either way.

dp

David - That's great advice. I'll heat shrink it before I use it. And yes, my car is 6 volt positive ground right now so I will need to be sure that the light actually works. If not, I'll use the multimeter. It's just easier to use the probe.

Question on the multimeter....when working with a positive ground car, does it matter which lead goes where? Or if I get it wrong will the value just be negative instead of positive?

-Kevin

Every multi-meter I have ever owned had a red (positive), and black (negative) lead.

Since your Packard is positive ground the red lead is connected to the chassis/body/battery positive, and the black lead will be touched to either side of the circuit breaker. You should have 6 volts at both poles of the breaker. The plot thickens if you don't have voltage at both poles. No voltage at all (both poles are dead) indicates a problem with the feed into that sub-circuit. Voltage at one pole indicates an open circuit breaker. That is a broken circuit breaker, which is a common situation, but normally they work for a while and then the lights go out, only to come back on when the circuit breaker cools down.

Use your multi-meter directly on your battery to confirm A. The battery voltage you will likely find at the light switch later-on, B.) The meter works, and C.) You've got the positive connected to the positive and the negative connected to the negative.

Quote:

The black terminal, or common, would be your test terminal, and red would go to ground. That being said - you're correct, if reversed, it would just indicate the opposite polarity - the value is still accurate.