Dim Stop Lights on my 1941 Buick

The stop lights are difficult to see on my 1941 Buick on a sunny day. The outer plastic red lens (the outer "lens" is actually a red filter and not a true lens) and the inner plastic clear Fresnel lens are both in excellent condition. Also, the stop light switch is new. There is a long length of wire to the back of the car, so the voltage drop is the problem for the original 6 Volt system. My concern is the brightness of the stop lights and not the brightness of the tail lights or the turn signals. I have tried LED bulbs and higher wattage (6 Volt) halogen bulbs with less than satisfactory results.

My solution to this problem is a simple one: Install a 1½ Volt dry cell battery wired in series in the stop light circuit. This can be done in a few minutes, as the stop light switch is readily accessible under the steering column. I secured the battery with tie wraps to the windshield washer bottle holder (which is nearby). The dry cell battery can be removed quickly for a car show event. I installed the battery on the powered stop light wire so that the circuit is protected by the existing fuse. The increase in the stop light illumination is noticeable, but not dramatic. I expect that the dry cell battery will last several years. The battery was purchased from McMaster-Carr.

The stop light bulbs (#1154) are rated at 6.4 Volts. I estimate that the actually voltage at the stop light bulb, when illuminated, is about 6½ to 7 Volts. I doubt that the increased bulb heat would cause damage to the plastic Fresnel lens.

Grandpa

That's a creative and interesting fix!

If you haven't already checked, also make sure that all power and ground connections are clean and tight and that the wire-to-terminal connections are not oxidized or loose.

Bad grounds can create so many problems.

Thank you for the reply 95Cardinal. Yes, all of the stop light wiring and grounds have been checked and are good. I would say that the brightness of the stop lights (without the addition of the dry cell battery) are as good as when the car was new.

Part of the problem with the 1941 stop light / tail light is the angel of the outer red lens. The sun can reflect off the glossy lens mid-day, which makes the illuminated stop light difficult to see.

Grandpa

One of my local Buick buddies wired a lighted Buick trunk emblem to his brake circuit for a third brake light.

It appears original and works great.

One of my local Buick buddies wired a lighted Buick trunk emblem to his brake circuit for a third brake light.

It appears original and works great.

I did that too, 'cause I have not had time to rebuild the turn signal wiring.

Now, if the current generation only knew "arm signals" we'd be in good shape.

Mike in Colorado

I too am looking for a solution for my'37, I was almost rear ended a couple of weeks back. I bought LED bulbs not a great improvement

I friend that has a model T, and actually drives it found and led combo brake and turn signal that feeds off of his original 6V system, and are very bright. He adapted this unit, and I'm sorry I do not remember the name, or where he got it, but it was one of things for modified's and he modified it to go on the T. Rather non authentic, but it works, and the visibility is great. Perhaps some internet searching will turn it up.

Keith

Mark,

I have a nice LED light that fits in the back window and is attached with suction cups. Nice and bright. It's made by J&L Enterprises Inc. 860-916-3582. Mine is the BrakeLighter #TL6 it's 6volt. You could put in two, one in each back window and wire it up for turn signals too. Check it out. Here's the link to install instructions:

http://jandlenterprise.com/images/InstallGuide6v.pdf

Dave

The Fresnel lenses tend to turn yellow with age. I had this problem on a 1948 Special. I took out the bulbs and plugged the sockets with corks and sprayed the inside with white paint. I made up some clear plastic replacements for the Fresnel lenses but they were only to shield the outer red lense from the heat of the bulb. This worked better than with the original Fresnel lense installed. I would also check the integrity of the sockets to be sure you are getting a good connection to the bulb contacts.

I developed a wireless rear high brake light that uses LED bulbs and will probably write up an article on this for the Bugle.

Joe, BCA 33493