LAS VEGAS DAVE
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Posts posted by LAS VEGAS DAVE
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Jvelde, I have a YNZ wire loom made in California. According to their schematic their wire number 4 is not connected to my light switch. The post on the light switch that it is supposed to connect to becomes hot when position #4 is selected and the low beam switch is selected, otherwise it is not. I can not find the wire under my dash but I believe that is why my low beam goes out completely when I select low beams on the dimmer in the #4 position. Number 4 wire is at the fender board and is the low beam wire in the #3 position. I am going to live with it the way it is as I can use #3 position just like a later model car and #4 if I just want hi beams and no running lights. I tried a jumper at the fender board but although I can get the light to work in position 4 on low beams it makes it so that on position 2 the headlights are on with the parking lights when only the parking lights should be on. If I ever can find a #4 wire under my dash that is not hooked up I believe I could solve my problem but I can't find any wire not connected to something. The car had the loom installed when Lewis Jenkins owned the car by his mechanics at his Buick museum.
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I suspect there is something wrong with our lights also. I think you are right about the contacts in the switch being the possible cause. We know the bulb and the contacts in the bulb socket are good as the light works properly in position 3 so whats left but the switch. Did you say you had a Rhode Island wiring harness?
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Does it say anything about the drivers side light going OUT in position 4 on high beams?
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Does anyone know how a 39 works in each position?
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How does the 39 work?
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My 38 drivers headlight goes completely off in position 4 with high beams selected. Another guy with a 39 says his also does that. Do all 39 models do that?
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What about the 39, were they different? Is it true that the headlight switch in 37 and 38 had different part numbers? If so what is the difference?
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I had a 33 Ford and it just had regular headlights. Henry wasn't spending any extra money on wire or special headlight circuits. It took him forever to go with hydraulic brakes.
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2 hours ago, jvelde said:
Exactly as my '39 works - when in fourth position with high beam on the left bulb goes out. With high beam off, fourth position lights are on. High beam on at both lights in the third position. I assume manual wording "asymmetrical" is what this is called....?
My car LIGHT CIRCUIT is EXACTLY like yours and it was made late in 1938 and the paint on the motor is also like 39! I am amazed at this circuit, when did they do away with this and return to the way cars headlights are normally wired? My car also has a different fuel pump FROM THE FACTORY with a vacuum assist on it with factory fuel lines. I found documentation showing that as an option.
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On my stock 38 if you dim position 3 both lights dim. If you select hi beams both go to high beam. Position 3 works like every other car I ever had.
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7 hours ago, jeff said:
With the switch all the way out (fourth position), the driver's side should be on high beam, even with the dimmer switch in the low beam position. The only light that switches in that mode is the passenger side. In the third position, both lights will switch. Also, the parking lights will go out when high beam is selected, and will be on when low beam is selected.
Jeff, you are right but I never noticed until you posted that the parking lights go OUT if the light switch is in the fourth position and the high beams are on. They come back ON if the dimmer switch puts the LOW beams on. However in the high beam position my drivers side light goes OFF COMPLETELY if the light switch is in the fourth position. If the light switch is in the third position both high beams work as expected and also the low beams work as expected and both parking lights are always on. To me it seems plausible that my drivers side light goes off if I hit the high beams in the fourth position so as not to bother the on coming traffic. It seems the fourth position should be used where you mostly use dim lights such as driving around town. Position number 3 is just like modern car lights with a normal high and low beams. Still I have a hard time thinking they would ever want one of the headlights to just shut off completely although when that happens the running light magically comes back on. Did they have drugs in 1938 as its possible the guy that designed the headlight circuit was on them.
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4 hours ago, DonMicheletti said:
Read the manual - I believe that is the it is supposed to be, I think they explain the logic too.
Don do you think the manual says the DRIVERS light is supposed to go completely out with the switch in the fourth position and the DIMMER on LOW BEAM? Keep in mind that my car is a 38 not a 37.
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What could cause the drivers side low beam headlight to go out only when the light switch is pulled all the way out with the dimmer switch in the low beam position. The low beam works fine with the light switch in the next position inwards so the bulb must be good. The high beams work in all light switch positions.
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The reflectors DO NOT have a left and a right but the lenses DO HAVE a left and a right.
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The UVIRA reflectors are a key to the brightness. No matter what bulbs you use if the reflectors are not almost new the lights will be marginal.
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On 11/10/2017 at 2:33 AM, 27donb said:
Turning everything on at the same time as a "test" probably isn't the best idea, because the real problem is heat from possible overloaded circuits. You'll never know if the ignition switch is being overheated until the contacts burn out, as others have shown.
Have you felt the main feed wire at the ammeter with everything on?
What does the ammeter read with everything on, with the engine not running? That will give a more accurate indication of total amps through the circuit, based on the accuracy of the gage.
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Top speeds mean little as it can only be for a short time whatever it is. Cruising speed which is the speed a car can be driven for hours at a time with no damage to the motor is what interests me and is what normally matters in the real usefulness of a car.
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Matt, be aware that the gear vendor overdrive does not raise the ratio nearly as much as the borg warner. I have one in a 78 Ford pick up truck. The finicky electrics you refer to are not finicky at all if you have the new overdrive relay that is now being made and is available in 6 volt or 12 volt and your wiring is correct and proper size with good connections.
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We have a Borg Warner overdrive in our 38 Buick Special. It requires modification of the torque tube but is a worthwhile upgrade. Lloyd Young in Ohio did the torque tube modification and I did the install back in Las Vegas, best thing I ever did for the Buick. I had to ship the torque tube to Lloyd and he shipped it back with a Borg Warner overdrive bolted to it. Our car cruises along at 65 or 70 at the same speed the engine would be turning at 45 to 50 without the overdrive. As far as keeping the car original with modifications that were available when the car was manufactured the Borg Warner overdrive was available in 38 and could have been installed by an independent shop or even a Buick dealer if the customer wanted it. In those days it was rare to have that done as the roads were not like today and most cars rarely went faster than 45 or 50 mph. The good thing about an overdrive is the car can be used just like a late model car and driven daily if wanted and on hi ways and freeways for long distances without hurting the engine life or being a hazard to others on the road. The car still has enough power to climb long grades or steep hills and the motor loafs along in overdrive on the flats and the more normal grades. We only have a Special, it would be even better for a Century. We use our car weekly at the minimum and almost daily in the winters here in Vegas. We have driven about 6000 miles since I installed the overdrive with no mechanical problems, we did have to replace an electrical 6 volt overdrive relay with a brand new one about two weeks after the initial installation, since then it has been flawless. The Buick motors of 38 and 39 had babbit rod bearings and the motors have a long stroke with high piston speed, they are torque motors and should not be driven at high rpm's for any extended period of time. In my opinion the motors should stay under 2700 rpms at cruising speeds. Perfect for their day but not so good for today.
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QUOTE FROM PREVIOUS POST
Turning everything on at the same time as a "test" probably isn't the best idea, because the real problem is heat from possible overloaded circuits. You'll never know if the ignition switch is being overheated until the contacts burn out, as others have shown.
Have you felt the main feed wire at the ammeter with everything on?
What does the ammeter read with everything on, with the engine not running? That will give a more accurate indication of total amps through the circuit, based on the accuracy of the gage.
I have never felt the ammeter gauge wires with everything on but I would imagine it could be hot. I try it because I also would imagine that when Buick made these cars they would expect that some of their customers would be driving on a cold night with the heater and defroster on and of course the lights and many had a radio so it should be able to be used with no bad consequences. I have driven for more than a half hour like that and not had any problem. If the motor is not running the ammeter reads half discharge with the parking lights on and full discharge with the headlights and taillights and running lights on. We have driven this car over 6000 miles all together, probably 2000 or more at night without any electrical problems other than a non working gas gauge when I first got the car. Our car now has 24000 plus original miles. It surely has more than that as when its in overdrive it shows less miles than are actually being put on it.
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Our 38 still is wired as it was originally. It still has the stock generator and regulator. Our radio is working and all the light bulbs except the parking lights are now halogen. the ignition switch is stock and there are no relays. We drive at night almost every week. We also have the overdrive and overdrive relay but it doesn't go thru the ignition switch. I have turned on the heater and the defroster and all the lights and the radio and it still shows a charge when its moving, at an idle it goes to discharge but it does not seem to hurt anything. Normally everything is not on at once but I do that every once in a while for a test. We have new a new wiring loom made by an outfit in California so the actual wires are in good shape. Nothing wrong with relays etc but I am just saying the stock system is fine if the wiring is good and the switches are good and the connections are good.
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I am interested in seeing how you finally install the fender welting. I really enjoy this thread.
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17 hours ago, Bloo said:
What do you have in the back seat area?
There is carpet in the back. I don't think any was ever in the front.
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I bought the COKER white wall radials that look like bias (KIND OF) and they have worked out well so far. We have about 4000 miles on them and one quarter of that is high speed on the freeway (65mph to 70mph) because we have an overdrive. The tires are holding up great and I run 41 lbs of air pressure in each tire. In Las Vegas the roads are blistering hot in the summer and hi thirties into hi forties on winter mornings. The Cokers have handled these temps fine so far. I never give the story about rims needing to be RADIAL RIMS a second thought. As a kid we mounted radials when they came out on all our old cars with never a problem.
1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)
in Buick - Pre War
Posted
The people at YNZ were really nice and sent me the schematic even though I did not buy the loom from them. Its a beautiful loom with the old looking wires and is clearly numbered at the connectors. I have had zero electrical problems so I am happy with it.