65 Riviera Headlight/taillight/dashlights/notworking

[Oarsman]

headlights/taillights/dash lights not working. New headlight switch, new headlight bulbs, no 

blown fuses. What could the problem be?

[1965rivgs]

8 hours ago, Oarsman said:

headlights/taillights/dash lights not working. New headlight switch, new headlight bulbs, no 

blown fuses. What could the problem be?

Did you try rotating the headlight switch knob to bring up the dash lights? If so, and still no dash lights, it sounds like you are not getting a hot feed/voltage into the headlight switch because nothing that is switched is working. Check for juice at the switch. If you have voltage going in, and none coming out, then the switch is the issue.

Tom Mooney

[NC1968Riviera]

Was everything working prior to installing the new parts?

[Seafoam65]

                  You need to buy a 12 volt testlight if you don't have one to diagnose this. A testlight is an ice-pick looking device with a light bulb in the handle

and a cord coming from the handle with a spring clamp on the end. To check your problem out, ground the spring clamp on your test light by hooking it to a known good ground on the car like a bolt on the metal dash board. First probe the ice pick into the red wire at the headlamp switch. It should light your light. If it doesn't, then you have no power feed to your headlamp switch and that is your problem. The red wire goes out to the horn relay on the left inner fender, and it gets it's power from the positive battery cable that goes to the horn relay. If you have power at the red wire where it plugs into the switch, then when you pull out the knob fully on your headlamp switch, the brown wire coming out of the headlamp switch that goes to your tail lamps should light your test light, and the light blue wire coming out of the headlamp switch should light your light . Do these tests with your light and report your findings.

[Oarsman]

Good Day,

As per instructions, I have performed tests. There is power to switch via red wire. When switch is on both brown and light blue wires

have power. I noticed that the ceramic part on the switch is hot to the touch when on for a bit. 

By the way, your instructions are very clearly written.

Thank you much......

[1965rivgs]

    With the headlights turned on check for voltage at the fuse box at the taillight fuse.  While you`re down there check for voltage at the headlight dimmer switch.

  What is the background on the car? Was everything working at one time or are you resurrecting a long idle vehicle? Is everything else working on the vehicle including starting and charging?

  Sometimes if a circuit is barely intact, like a bad connection or frayed wiring, there will be enough voltage to fire a test light bulb but not carry the load of a circuit with multiple bulbs and components. I suspect you have already covered this but make sure you have good connections at the battery, including the ground cable to engine and the ground straps between engine and body.

  Also, check the connector on the engine side of the firewall which brings juice into the cab. The connector is a lone, largish red wire in the brake booster area with a hex head screw, basically opposite the fuse box on the engine side of the firewall.

Tom

[Oarsman]

Headlights, taillights, courtesy lights worked prior to installing new Delco Remy switch. Instrument panel lights did not work and 

calm shells were intermittent. The clam shells have been disconnected at relay. After installing new switch headlights worked,

tail lights worked and courtesy lights worked. After dark I turned on headlights to see if dash lights were working and at that 

time discovered nothing worked. Checked fuses which are all good. 

Have purchased test lite and will test as per instructions within next several days. Hopefully Friday or Saturday.

 

[Seafoam65]

 The brown wire goes to the tail light fuse, then   to the rear of the car via the ribbon harness under the carpet and onto the tail lamp sockets.

The blue wire goes to the dimmer switch on the floorboard, then shoots power to one of the other two wires on the dimmer switch depending on which

beam is selected and then on to the headlamp bulbs.  Also, make sure all your grounds are good on the light harnesses.

 

[Oarsman]

Background of car: My mother took delivery of this car November 26,1964. It is a 1965 year model. When she bought a new car, 

my father kept the 65 Riviera. He died in 1986 and my mother kept the car. It has always been garaged and is a clean car in good 

condition. My mother rarely drove the car, but made certain that its needs were met. She gave me the car when she was 85 and I have also kept the car garaged. I would take the car out occasionally, but not at night so I did not know about light issues. With the 

exception of the antenna, all else is functional including power windows and seat.

I have additionally tested juice to fuses and brown and blue wires at headlight dimmer with which test positive. I have also checked 

copper grounding  strap as well an negative cable to ground. Battery is correctly cabled.

Discovered blown fuse for dome lights which are now working as are taillights - parking lights and headlights are not working. Also

do not hear clamshell relay trip when headlights switched on.  

 

Many thanks to all of you for taking this on!

[1965rivgs]

33 minutes ago, Oarsman said:

Background of car: My mother took delivery of this car November 26,1964. It is a 1965 year model. When she bought a new car, 

my father kept the 65 Riviera. He died in 1986 and my mother kept the car. It has always been garaged and is a clean car in good 

condition. My mother rarely drove the car, but made certain that its needs were met. She gave me the car when she was 85 and I have also kept the car garaged. I would take the car out occasionally, but not at night so I did not know about light issues. With the 

exception of the antenna, all else is functional including power windows and seat.

I have additionally tested juice to fuses and brown and blue wires at headlight dimmer with which test positive. I have also checked 

copper grounding  strap as well an negative cable to ground. Battery is correctly cabled.

Discovered blown fuse for dome lights which are now working as are taillights - parking lights and headlights are not working. Also

do not hear clamshell relay trip when headlights switched on.  

 

Many thanks to all of you for taking this on!

There are 3 wires at the dimmer switch. One wire is juice in from the headlight switch. The second wire is juice out of the dimmer switch to the low beams. The third wire is juice out for the high beams. If you disconnect the plug at the dimmer switch you will be able to determine which wire is "juice in". Place the plug back on the dimmer switch and see if the switch is sending juice out on the other two wires. It might help to cycle the dimmer switch repeatedly by depressing and releasing.

I dont have a wiring diagram in front of me so I`m not sure what you have checked re the dimmer switch. If you have power coming out of the dimmer switch go to one of the headlight bulbs to see if there is power there. If so, you may have a grounding issue as you describe the bulbs as new and you do not have parking lights. The ground for the front lights is under a screw on the top of the cross bar between fenders. There should be a right and left side ground wire. It would be weird if both grounds are bad but if the "+" side of the circuit checks OK that is the logical area to look.

Tom

Edited March 29, 2019 by 1965rivgs (see edit history)

[Oarsman]

Spent the afternoon performing recommended tests.

Went on line and found reference to a past post from another person who attached a photo to his query  showing battery and cables. 

One of the suggestions offered was to turn battery around so that positive cable was closer to radiator than to the outside edge of 

the underside of the hood so as to avoid contact with the hood and prevent a possible electrical issue. I opened the hood and discovered

a grayish discoloration which lined up with the positive battery post. I repositioned the battery on its tray so as to avoid the battery post. 

Head lights, dash lights, tail lights are now working. Front parking lights are not working, but directional signals are and I expect that is another 

and unrelated issue. 

 

Thank you all so much for helping me to find the issue.......

[Riviera63]

8 hours ago, Oarsman said:

Spent the afternoon performing recommended tests.

Went on line and found reference to a past post from another person who attached a photo to his query  showing battery and cables. 

One of the suggestions offered was to turn battery around so that positive cable was closer to radiator than to the outside edge of 

the underside of the hood so as to avoid contact with the hood and prevent a possible electrical issue. I opened the hood and discovered

a grayish discoloration which lined up with the positive battery post. I repositioned the battery on its tray so as to avoid the battery post. 

Head lights, dash lights, tail lights are now working. Front parking lights are not working, but directional signals are and I expect that is another 

and unrelated issue. 

 

Thank you all so much for helping me to find the issue.......

 

When I first got my car all of the lights worked properly except the parking lights. I could not figure out why they didn't work as all components seemed to be in good working order. On advice from a forum member I unplugged the main electric feed at the firewall, cleaned the connectors and reseated it firmly. Problem solved.This may or may not solve your problem but, it is a good place to start. 

 

Bill