Rosiesdad Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Hi all,My '50 Super has an electrical issue. The instruments and ignition power (6 Volt) keeps dropping out. I see there is a current limiting device on the headlight switch. Is ALL the cars electrical power supposed to run through this switch or has someone messed with the wiring???? I think I would prefer to have a separate supply line to the ignition.TIA,Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Phil, do you have a shop manual? It has a good wiring diagram,figure 10-115, page 10-98. Also, on page 10-71, figure 10-81, shows the light switch.Terminals #1 should have a hot wire from the bat post on the regulator. The hot wire [supply wire]to ign switch comes from a terminal on this bar. THIS IS BEFORE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosiesdad Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 Phil, do you have a shop manual? It has a good wiring diagram,figure 10-115, page 10-98. Also, on page 10-71, figure 10-81, shows the light switch.Terminals #1 should have a hot wire from the bat post on the regulator. The hot wire [supply wire]to ign switch comes from a terminal on this bar. THIS IS BEFORE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. BenI took the headlight switch out today. The wire to the instruments attaches to the input 6V lead there. It does not pass through the light switch. I measured the input voltage at 6.2VWhen I connect the instrument lead the voltage drops to 5.1V with a 20.mA current draw. My first thought is that my battery has very little capacity if such a small current drops it a full volt. I continued to mess around with it and the voltage completely disappeared! Then it came back at 3.2V! I moved the wires around some more and it jumped back up to 6V. Looks like the problem is not in the switch after all. I have had the motor and instruments cut out but restored operation by cycling the light switch a couple times. I have no idea why the voltage comes and goes. Is this a voltage regulator issue maybe?Thanks,Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif Holmberg Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Here are an wiring diagram for 1950s.Leif in Sweden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Phil, if I understand what you are doing, sounds as if it is in the switch. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosiesdad Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 Yes. I do have a manual. The problem appears to be that voltage is not reliably getting to the junction on the rear of the lighting switch. Sometimes I measure 6V sometimes 3.2V. When I removed the light switch and found the voltage still variable I eliminated the switch as a voltage pull down problem. I will clean the switch today and reinstall it since the "Direct replacement" one I ordered is not remotely similar. I have noticed that honking the horn sometimes works sometimes not. I don't know but suspect the problem is "Upstream' somewhere. I will wait until the voltage supply problem reappears and go directly to the regulator to check it there. I have never had a regulator intermittently fail so I am not sure I am on the right track yet.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I have no idea if this has any bearing on your situation, but after looking at the wiring diagram, would it make a difference if the two smaller wires on the starter got inadvertently switched? Just shooting blind other than following your gut feeling to clean the switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterpainter Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I may be wrong but the horn relay might be a junction point for the power wire going to the switch & ign. That connection may be loose or on the wrong terminal.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosiesdad Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Hmmmm. You might be on to something there Bill. The shop pulled all those wires off the radiator support and I had to guess where to put them back. I thought I got it right but now not sure Thx,Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NikeAjax Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Phil, just wondering here, um, are these new or old wires? The reason I ask is, if they are as old as the rest of the car, you may be getting resistance within the wire itself: verdigris, that icky green stuff that makes bronze-sculptures look nice, makes a jimdandy resistor too!Just wondering,Jaybird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosiesdad Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 LOL. They are all OLD wires. I probably should have replaced the harness when the interior and dash was out. I didnt have any problems with it before we got rear-ended so I didn't expect all this to come up. When I cleaned the headlight switch I tightened up all the power wire junctions on the end and this may help. I appear to be getting better voltage at the dash area and to the fuel pump. I solved the problem with the horns though! I found the hot terminals on the horns were rubbing the underside of the hood. I guess there is not much clearance under there. Thus when I tried to honk the car would die!Regards,Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosiesdad Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 I have no idea if this has any bearing on your situation, but after looking at the wiring diagram, would it make a difference if the two smaller wires on the starter got inadvertently switched? Just shooting blind other than following your gut feeling to clean the switch.I think the Starter circuit is OK. I did find the horns hot wire grounding to the hood though! Will go through and clean all the main grounds.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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