1949 chrysler royal dash removal

[Jeff I indu]

Ok, I have redone the brakes and installed a new radiator and am now ready to figure out why the headlights and panel/map lights don't work. I bought this car at a auction and they had the battery in wrong. I reversed it and now the ammeter says it is charging so I don't think the generator was damaged. I now have the repair book but it does not address how to get under the dash. When I turn the light switch one click the parking lamps come on. Two clicks I get nothing. I did jump at the junction block and the headlights did work this way so I want to go backwards under the dash to check the 30 amp circuit breaker and/or the light switch itself. Maybe the breaker did not reset. I believe the map/panel light switch gets its power from the headlight switch. Anyhow took the 3 screws out that hold the instrument cluster and got nowhere. How do you gain access to the light switch and/or the circuit breaker to test or replace them? Thanks in advance

 

Jeff

 

[Merle Coggins]

Could be dirty contacts in your dimmer switch. 

[Jeff I indu]

 

 

Forgot to mention, the turn signals don't work either. Gonna try and loosen the oil pressure line and speedometer tomorrow to see if I can see the circuit breaker and cross it.

[Dodgeb4ya]

To pull a 49-50 chrysler cluster most of the way out you need to also remove the ...speedo,oil line hose and temp gauge firewall grommet and retaining clamps to let those lines pull up into into the dash.

[James_Douglas]

If the car is similar to my 1949 Desoto then it is one of the worst dashboards I have ever had to deal with. If you look at my car list, you can see I have had a dash or two to deal with.

 

One thing to remember, IF, it is the same as Desoto is that the 1949 dash lights are BLACK LIGHTS. The glass cups are purple and the dash gauge paint is radioactive. They "glow" and during the day I cannot see ANY light in the dash when on.

 

Try turning checking them out at night with the shop lights off and see if you see anything.

 

One problem I had was that the paint on the gauges had gotten dark. The paint being ionized attracted dust that stuck and so it would not glow. I had to find NOS gauges and/or buy new efflorescent paint and paint the needles.

 

What I would that really works if driving at night is to use a black light flashlight and shine it on the dash for a minute or two and the thing stays bright for an hour or more wven if I do not turn on the lights!

 

James.

[Jeff I indu]

Merloe

 

You were right. Dirty contacts in the high beam switch. I pulled the instrument panel enough to get access to the back of the light switch. Jumped it from the junction block to the switch and the switch worked like it should. Started messing with the high beam switch and all of a sudden the lights came on. I don't think it was the wiring itself though I did clean the contacts. I think it was just pushing the button 50 times going between high and low that cleaned the contacts. This car was sitting covered for 30 years. 

[John Reddie]

That is good that you located the trouble with your lights. I have found over the years that. especially with older vehicles,  electrical connections can become dirty and even corroded causing problems. I know that those floor mounted dimmer switches can wear out after a while. You should be able to find a new one I believe. Clean connections and grounds are a must to keep electrical things functioning well. I have experienced this before and hate to admit that on a few past occasions,  I purchased a new component only to learn that the connection was the culprit?. I once owned a 1949 Chrysler Windsor club coupe and really enjoyed it. Your car looks really nice and I'm sure that you will enjoy it as well.

John R