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pontiac Firebird Formula 1973 warning lights?


ZZTANK

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Light circuits are all pretty straight forward. 

1. Power comes from the battery, through the key (which might include the fuse box)

2. Power goes through a switch. Each bulb has its own switch. ( Example: BU lights on the shifter or the oil pressure sender on the engine) 

3. Power goes to the bulb

4. Power goes through the bulb TO GROUND and the light comes on. 

Trouble shooting is a matter of using a test light to see if there is power at each point and if it stops there and doesnt make it to the bulb . . . Why??

 

Yes reverse lights were a federal requirement by 1973

 

First - Do you have the shop manual? You will need one

Second - tell us more about EXACTLY what you problems are . . .

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@m-mman Thanks for your answer and help, i need to know if the warning lights they suposed to be working by 73´ to make the Technical inform here in Spain (Europe) the rest of the car is in mint condition afortunatelly, thats why i only need those two details about original condition of the warning and reverse lights. Aparently our reverse lights cables are broken i can fix that but i need to tell the inspector here called "ITV" if they have warnings light the 4 intermitence lights at the same time becouse they are going to request that on the day of the car revision for the ITV, rules here are pretty hard in EU with the cars is diferent than in the US. thanks in advance and safe drives!

Zuhaitz

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The reverse lights are operated by a switch at the base of the steering column, even with a floor-mounted shifter. There should be a linkage from the transmission to the steering column that operates the switch when the transmission is shifted into reverse.

 

If you are asking about the warning lights on the dash, this depends on whether or not the car has factory gauges or idiot lights.

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3 hours ago, ZZTANK said:

@joe_padavano im asking about Warning lights outside the car, the emergence light when you are stop for a issue.

 

Sorry if I'm not understanding, but are you talking about brake lights, turn signals, tail/parking lights, or four way emergency flashers? Or all of the above?

 

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From my motorcycle experiences there is an option to turn on the taillight using the key to indicate a stopped or danger condition.  More recently a four way flasher set up was incorporated into the turn signals just like automobiles use.  I think this was done to meet Euro requirements for breakdown signaling.  I not sure if four way flashers were standard in 1973 automobiles.  

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A 1973 Pontiac was not an exotic car when it was new. 

It used two (single) headlights with two parking lights below the grille. 

At the rear there were two red taillights on each side and the white part of the lens was the reverse lights. 

 

Turn signals were standard, they flashed the "taillights" (separate bulb-filament from the red running light) and the front parking lights

Also standard were 4 way hazard flashers. They flashed the turn signal bulbs-filaments front and rear.

They are actuated by a button on the steering column near the turn signal lever. 

Either Turn signals or 4 way flashers turn on green arrows on the dashboard. 

 

First pull of the headlight switch turns on the taillights and front parking lights. 

Second pull turns on the taillights and the headlight bulbs. 

floor button turns on/off the high beam filaments. 

 

At each corner of the car (on the fender) were side marker lights. Amber in front and red in the back. They come on with the parking or head lights. 

All the flashing lights did, was flash on and off. There was no sequential design to the bulbs. (but there are modern modifications that can do that today) 

 

Good information can be found here. 

https://tran-zam.com/history/1973/Exteriors.htm

 

Good luck with your inspection. 

73bumper.jpg

Edited by m-mman (see edit history)
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34 minutes ago, TerryB said:

I not sure if four way flashers were standard in 1973 automobiles.

AFAIK, 4 way flashers were standard equipment across all models in the US starting with the 67 model year. Fords had them in 1966, with the switch hiding in the glove box.

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33 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

AFAIK, 4 way flashers were standard equipment across all models in the US starting with the 67 model year. Fords had them in 1966, with the switch hiding in the glove box.

I had. 1973 Chevelle SS and I couldn’t recall if it had the 4 way flashers mostly because I couldn’t remember where the button was located if it did. Obviously I did not use them very often🤷‍♂️.

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3 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

AFAIK, 4 way flashers were standard equipment across all models in the US starting with the 67 model year. Fords had them in 1966, with the switch hiding in the glove box.

 

What Frank said. Hazard flashers were federally mandated starting with the 1967 model year. They were optionally available prior to that. GM offered the dealer-installed Flarestat system for pre-1967 cars.

 

47958754d1456588324-flarestat-4-way-flas

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On the Japanese motorcycles I had the safety light feature was one bump past off on the ignition key.  If you turned the ignition too far the tail light was on and if you didn’t notice it the battery was weakened or dead. 
 

My 1937 Dodge truck with the add on turn signal kit had a four way flasher added to it too. 

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34 minutes ago, TerryB said:

On the Japanese motorcycles I had the safety light feature was one bump past off on the ignition key.  If you turned the ignition too far the tail light was on and if you didn’t notice it the battery was weakened or dead. 
 

My 1937 Dodge truck with the add on turn signal kit had a four way flasher added to it too. 

 

There were aftermarket Flarestat systems available for any car, even six volt units.

 

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