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Hello All....

Well...I've been getting creative.

I am wanting to do the following.

Include a relay system to help add turn signal/hazzard, brake, and parking (running) lights. I currently have dual filament bulbs installed, one in each of the four corners of the vehicle.

The vehicle is positive ground, 6 volt.

An easy solution would be to add a second light to the rear housings, but that would be difficult at this point.

I have been unsuccessful at locating 6 volt relays for this, but 12 volt relays are numerous.

Will a heavy duty 12 volt (30 or 40 amp) relay work in a 6 volt environment?

I have thought about using resistors, but once again, I haven't found much.

I knew I should have been an electrical engineer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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I'm having trouble trying to understand why you would need relays to do what you want. Run a switched wire(either by your headlight switch or other)to your running light filaments. Then a wire from you brake switch through a directional signal unit to your brake filament. I have dual filament bulbs in my 38 and the above system works just fine.

Although generally the answer is no, they won't work --it all depends on the minimum pull in voltage and current requirements of the particular relay and some might under the right circumstances.

If you want to go the relay route, here is info on 6 v relays.https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=28404#forumpost28404

Generally 12v relays require a 12v trigger source to switch.

I would think that Taillights would not require a relay as they are not pulling the same type of load that lets say headlights or a horn is. Turn signals are already relayed by virtue of the turn signal flasher.

The headlight relays have merit as it keeps the high load off of the headlight switch contacts, this helps to extend the life of the switch, and it most cases gives you brighter headlights because of lowered resistance.

Are you trying to add turn signals and 4 way flashers to a car that did not have them originally? If so there is an easier way to do it.

I'm sure that there is an easier way to do this, but I am not the greatest at electrical. Basically, I have the following set up.

The original wiring in the car is screwed up beyond rat's nest.

2 Front Fender Lights (Single Filament)
2 Rear Marker Lights (Dual Filament)
1 Rear Factory Taillight (Brake, Backup, Running)

A light switch that is a push pull 3 position (off, running, headlight and running). Not factory.

With the relay set up, I will not have to change the front fender lights to dual filament.

The rear marker lights I would like to have one as a running, and share brake/signal.

I have tapped into the dash lights to get my running lights working, but when I signal, it backfeeds to the dash lights.

In addition, right now the wiring is going through the light switch, which may be fine, but I would feel safer using a relay.

Given the current state of the existing wiring, I felt it easier and safer to use a relay set up.

I am open to other ideas.

Anymore when I run into a jackpot like that I sigh, bite the bullet and fix it properly.

If I don't, I know I will be trying to solve problems for as long as I own the car. Problem after problem like what you are up against now.

To put it bluntly, the best thing to do is to put the car back to stock. If you can sort out the wiring great. If it is too far gone you will have to buy a wiring harness and rewire the car.

I refuse to strain my brain trying to make something work after it was hodge podged by some ignorant boob.

For the same reason that it's easier to walk along the sidewalk than to walk a tightrope blindfolded while juggling grenades.

Get a wiring diagram and sort it out one wire at a time. For example trace the wires to the right headlight and make them the same as the diagram. Then the left headlight. Then the headlight switch. Go through the whole thing one wire and one system at a time.

This may take a couple of days. Once you are done, you will be able to diagnose the problem that caused the original fool to bugger up the wiring. That problem, any sensible person should be able to solve in 10 minutes.

Relays should work for your situation but am wondering about the cost. From what I can see with a quick check, average for 6v relay is around $20-25 each. Rusty's suggestion in any case, would be a good start.

Am wondering about the possibility of this itemhttp://automotive-hardware.com/universal-turn-signal-switch-black-p-307.html working. The schematic looks to be very similar to what the relays will accomplish but of course, the devil is in the details inside the switch.

There is another company that advertises a more or less custom fixhttp://www.turnsignalsforclassics.com/ which also sounds as if it might fit your situation. Another seems to be similar to the firsthttp://www.dealparts.com/product/16-2101-0.html but may not have the stoplight function.

Anyway, just a few more options to confuse you further.

By the way it might help to tell us what kind of car it is. But as President Nixon used to say "that would be doing it the easy way".

Thanks for the responses all.

I agree that a new harness would be the way to go, unfortunately, the harnesses for this vehicle are so bloody expensive.

In addition, with the add-ons that I am doing, an original harness wouldn't help a whole lot.

I have spent several days on the car and have figured out 95 percent of the wiring.

Right now I am going through each system at a time, i.e. lighting, ignition, gauges..etc.

Currently I have replaced all lighting wires.

I ended up purchasing the relays relatively cheaply through

http://www.newark.com/jsp/level5/module.jsp?moduleId=en_US/3273.xml

1432873-1

These should work.

The car is not a packard, but I felt that I could get much better help on the packardinfo forums, as well as this thread could be helpful to others in a similar situation.

Once again, thanks to all!