Headlights Not Working

[DCurrent]

 

 

High rear, brake only. To make it brighter some have installed a 2 filament bulb with the contacts soldered together

 

 

Great trick and tip! I hadn't thought of that before.

[DCurrent]

Anyone know if Plymouth was by chance the first manufacturer to have the third brake light?

[Don Coatney]

Anyone know if Plymouth was by chance the first manufacturer to have the third brake light?

As I said the trunk brake light is not a third brake light but the only brake light on a factory P-15

[DCurrent]

Yes I caught that Don. Were they the first auto manufacture to do that?

[_shel_ny]

this may shed some light (Edit: sorry) on that subject:

 

http://forums.aaca.org/f169/first-high-level-3rd-brake-light-319685.html

Edited September 1, 2013 by shel_bizzy_48

[DCurrent]

update,

 

I proceeded yesterday to decipher the wiring as best as I could to only replace the lighting side of the harness. While doing so I found even more problems yesterday and early this morning. Again bare wires and wires cut short for whatever reason. This morning I come to the conclusion to just replace it all! There was just too much garbage to hunt through and by the time I figured out some of the wiring, I could just do it all. So it's all out. I had even thought about saving the wires coming out of the headlight buckets, but even they were bad.

 

I didn't want to go this way, but doing it this way I'll know what is there and I won't have any fear of a problem down the road or an electrical fire. I should have taken a picture of all the electrical tape I removed. I bet it would add up to 3 or 4 rolls.  

 

One question though, I have a NOS relay that will look as if it belongs on the car for headlights. I think there is a need for it. It would probably alleviate some of the load and heat from the headlight switch. The instructions for this relay states that it is for the high beam lights and doesn't really show the need for a relay for the dim side. Is there a need for the dim side? Technically there wasn't a relay installed for either the dim or bright headlights originally, but the car wasn't dealing with 12v either. Should I install this relay on the dim side as that side will be used more often? I likely won't be out at night much with this car anyway.

[Don Coatney]

Why not install the relay prior to the dimmer switch and use it for both high and low beam service?

[martybose]

Why not install the relay prior to the dimmer switch and use it for both high and low beam service?

Because if you switch to high amp bulbs (like the 60W halogen 6 Volts that I had for a while before the 12V changeover) you will find that the dimmer switch gets very hot!  Much better to use dual relays and use the dimmer to switch the relays without carrying the load.

 

Marty

[Don Coatney]

Because if you switch to high amp bulbs (like the 60W halogen 6 Volts that I had for a while before the 12V changeover) you will find that the dimmer switch gets very hot!  Much better to use dual relays and use the dimmer to switch the relays without carrying the load.

 

Marty

Good point Marty. However Darrens car is already 12 volts.

[DCurrent]

I am integrating turn signals into my harness while I'm overhauling it. I have a 900 signal switch. I have some directions that are hard to read for the switch and I'm sure others are using the same switch. It looks like the directions ask for a 180 flasher to be used. I haven't located one and thought the number may be old. I have a 550 flasher which has the three prongs on it and wondered if it would work? Could you tell me what number your flasher has on it?

 

Meanwhile I decided to use the ugly modern relays for the headlights. I could not source another NOS relay like the one I have so I have no choice. I did find plugs for the modern relays much cheaper online than the ones at the parts store. Something to keep in mind if others are thinking the same thing.

[Plymouthy Adams]

the third terminal on the 550 is only to sent the voltage to the indicator in the dash and when the circuit cools to again make contact to the rear lights it loses it connection till again the elements heat the bi metal and it opens yet again closing the path to the dash indicator and repeats this cycle..the indicator is lit when the turns signals are off and off when the turn signals are lit...well..supposed to be anyway...lol

[DJ194950]

Build a sheet metal cover to hide them!  DC's post below.

 

Meanwhile I decided to use the ugly modern relays for the headlights. I could not source another NOS relay like the one I have so I have no choice. I did find plugs for the modern relays much cheaper online than the ones at the parts store. Something to keep in mind if others are thinking the same thing.

 

Edited September 6, 2013 by DJ194950

[DCurrent]

I'm getting a lot of the wiring done. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Anyone got a suggestion as to what size fuse I should hook the flasher up to?

[Don Coatney]

What is the amp draw?

[DCurrent]

No idea?

[greg g]

Ohm's law would suggest it would be the sum of the wattage of the, the two lamps lighting as indicators, divided by the voltage, plus a smidge for wire, connector resistance, and flasher load.  

 

So if your bulbs produce say 20 watts each, that's 40, divided by voltage = amps, then add a couple for the other stuff.   So for 6 volt a 10 amp fuse would be more than adequate, and doubly so for 12V.  But that assumes that the wattage for the bulbs in the example is close to actual.

[DCurrent]

OK, thanks! I can figure that out.

[Alshere59]

Darren

 

A suggestion that my or may not help sizing your fuses for unknown equipment. Run a meter in place of the actual the fuse for each circuit as you turn them on. You will know your amp readings as you go and can size your fuses based on that. Just set your meter for the maximum amp range you can have in case of direct shorts.

Al

[BobT-47P15]

The original headlight switch on a P15 contains the only fuse in the entire car........don't know

about a D24.

 

You would probably need to replace that with a fuse for 12 volt.  There are several connectors on a

headlight switch going to different places....you probably need an original wiring diagram to see where

they go.  

 

What I have done in the past when working with one portion of the wiring is draw separate schematics for

the things I was dealihg with.......to  separate them from the overall confusing diagram.  For example.....a

diagram of the headlights/parking lights and tail lights only.      A picture for horn only,  etc.    May sound a bit

silly but it helped me.  

Edited September 9, 2013 by BobT-47P15

[BobT-47P15]

One old flasher diagram I happen to have...................

 

[BobT-47P15]

A P15 wiring diagram..............

 

[DCurrent]

Thanks guys for the diagrams. I have been using both of these exact diagrams for direction. Some of it I have modified for my wants and preference. I'm in the home stretch. All I basically have if buttoning up the parking lights up front along with the headlight wiring to the terminal block. Just a little work left under the dash.  

 

I'm trying to make up my mind if I need parking lights up front though. Currently I will have turn signals now and wonder if I really need parking lights. I'm the type that if I turn my lights on I pull them all on. I would only have to route one more wire up front, but I haven't found any double contacts that I like to install in the park light sockets. They are all so chinsy and they just want to either touch one another or don't want to sink with the bulb right. I'd like to rob them out of an old car, but those are few and far between these days.

 

Any ideas?

[greg g]

Do you have  state vehicle safety inspection requirements?  Here is states that all lights originally supplied on the car need to work as designed.

[DCurrent]

I'm in Ohio. No safety inspections, but turn signals weren't installed on my model. I look at turn signals as an improvement over just simple marker lights. I would think the DOT would agree.

 

I bead  blasted my marker light housings today because they were very rusty inside. One of them will work fine with a little work however the other will need replaced. I'm looking for one if anyone has an extra. The rubber grommets were the wrong size and did really nothing for the lights but hold water. I'm thinking this is probably a common problem. Did these have any reflectors in them or just a bare steel originally?

[greg g]

Probably just bare metal.  Some folks have painted them white ,some silver, I saw a set that had had aluminum foil glued in.  corrosion would suggest it's a good idea to run some grounding wires.