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

My recently purchased 22nd Series Super Eight has a number of 'wiring issues'. Many have been resolved. The current mystery involves the headlight switch. The wiring diagram lists terminals as B, L, P and T. There is no mounting post/terminal at P. I assume there should be, and that it is apparently broken off.

Also, there is a 12 gauge wire attached to one of the circuit breaker terminals (B position), but nothing attached to the other circuit breaker terminal. Is that correct? There is another 12 gauge wire attached to one of the mounting screws
that hold the air/heater/defroster panel to the instrument panel--as if a ground. But no ground wire shows on the wiring diagram. Might that second 12 gauge wire belong to the second circuit breaker terminal?

Thanks. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Do you have the wiring diagram from this site? The one here is kind of a pictorial and shows components more or less as they are situated in the car.

The CB typically has a feed wire on one post (B) and the other post connects to a metal buss bar which is physically part of the headlight switch. Cigar lighters are normally not protected and on the 22nd series it appears they fed the cigar lighter off that same B post. Is that wire connected?

The P terminal would be for the parking lights only and they are normally only lit in that one switch position. A possibility if the terminal broke off is the parking lights were connected to the T or H terminal. Do they light with the headlights or maybe not at all?

The wire connected to ground is anyones guess but would not connect to the CB. Perhaps there was some kind of aftermarket item installed at one time and the screw was a convenient spot for a ground running to that.

The wiring diagram is from The Service Counselor.

I'm not sure how the parking lights were working as most things were intermittent. That was partly caused by a loose connection on the main feed wire. The cig liter was also not connected, but goes on that same terminal.

If nothing goes on the second post of the CB, I'm okay there.
Only mystery left to resolve is where the 12 gauge ground wire is supposed to go.

Thanks for your help.

Good luck in tracing it and if you figure it out please let us know. With that particular attachment point I'd still look for evidence of something aftermarket having been mounted under the dash.

Other than ground wires for lamp switching and a couple for special purposes any grounds were typically done thru mounting hardware of the various components. The few actual wire grounds they did run are documented. I don't believe Packard ever ran any extra wires like the one described exclusively as a power ground.

Is it original old style braided cover wire or new style PVC insulation?
Where does the other end attach to?
Answer those 2 ?s and you'll have your answer.
If unattached @ other end and new wire it's for something as HH said.
If it's original and connected, it's probably power lead to the CB or other device it's connected to.

It's old style cotton braid but is very bright colorwise and appears to be new. After removing enough stuff so I could see reasonably well, I was able to trace the wire. It's the ground wire for the heater blower. Mystery solved.
Why it comes back all that way instead of grounding in the engine bay I'm not sure.

Thanks for the help.

Interesting & glad you figured it out. Usually the motors were grounded via a short pigtail a few inches away from the motor -- unless it was one of the pre 48 non integrated bolt on types. Those usually had long leads and grounded under the dash but not the later ones. Wonder if your car had a factory installed heater or was an add on accessory kit installed later by a dealer.