Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

FORUM RULES: Users agree to these Rules when using Forum.

The site administrator reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of the user agreement without prior notice to the user. It is the responsibility of the user to regularly review the terms of this agreement.

The user agrees to the following terms:

All information that you provide to us for your membership is correct.
You will not use your membership to spam, harrass, or exploit other members in any way.
Vulgar, Abusive, Racist and Sexist Language will not be tolerated.
Commercial-type sales postings will not be allowed.
No mass posting or flooding of the boards is allowed.
No Advertising of parts or cars; no Ebay or business/commercial ads (please use the "Classified" for ads Wanted or For Sale).
VIEWING MULTIPLE TOPICS ON SCREEN: You can choose to see more than 10 Topics at a time ... Log In and choose "Preferences" from the top bar on the Forum page. Scroll down and Change the "Default Topics Returned" parameter to 25 or 50, and save the changes. Since this setting is stored in your browser 'cookies' (if enabled), it seems to use that stored value even if you are not logged in. So, if you use a PC that you haven't logged into the forum from, the setting still seem to remain at the default.
EXTERNAL PHOTO LINKS ON FORUM: You can still use external photo links in your posts on the new forum. They follow the rules of any link in that they have to have the URL link qualified down to the full image file name (example: .jpg). The links will open in a new browser window, the same as an uploaded image attached to a post. Since an image attachment to any post does not display inline with the post, the results are the same. You can use multiple external links within a post. This link is from photos on a site from Don Clink's 'Deuce@75' albums:

http://donclink.com/deuce_75_1/images/dscn2950.jpg

Using links from photo sites such as Photobucket can help in "size" issue with uploaded attachment files. For best viewing in web browsers, photos should be around the 800x600 pixel range, and probably not more than 1024x768. Most cameras today store HUGE jpg image files, as the default settings are in the 7, 8, 10, and 12Mb image sizes. The image files that are then attached are very large, and the browser can't display the full image size without using the scroll bars. Use the re-sizing functions of your photo editing software to reduce the image to 800x600, which reduces the file sixe and the image load time in the browser. Don uses Google's free Picassa3 software, which is an excellent photo management product. All of the photo albums of the Deuce, Grand National, and Auburn that are links on the NORG site were built using Picassa's web creation functions. And it's free? (THANKS to Don Clink for the info!)
HOW DO I SHOW MY EMAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH MY USERNAME? You can LogIn on the Forum, and select PREFERENCES. On this page Members can add optional information such as their City,State, Country; Occupation; Hobbies: list a Homepage; list AOL Instant Messanger Handle; Signature; "Make Email Address viewable to others;" and even change the number of Default Topics shown on a page. WHEN others click on your profile, they will see this information.

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1948 Ford (convertible) Lighting Circuit Mystery

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion

<< previous || next >>

Posted By

Discussion Topic: 1948 Ford (convertible) Lighting Circuit Mystery

oosterhousek@gmail.com

06-18-2022 @ 5:00 PM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Dec 2019

Headlights work. No other lights - no dash lights, parking lights, tail lights or brake lights. Traced the wiring diagram and took the multimeter out. Power to both battery contacts on the light switch, but no power except for the headlight out, so I assumed the problem had to be the switch. Just replaced the switch (that wasn’t very fun trying to find the elusive release button) and still no other lights.

The circuit breakers under the dash (just above the instruments) show power on both sides. There is a circuit breaker (I think). on the firewall right next to the power top switch, that isn’t showing power from either post, but that doesn’t seem connected to that circuit and the power top works, as does the other dash items - gauges all work, radio, lighter, etc.

What am I missing?

trjford8

06-19-2022 @ 7:16 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 4242
Joined: Oct 2009

Check all the grounds to the parking lights , tail lights and dash lights Grounding is critical in these old Fords especially in the 42-48 cars.. Also check the power to the brake switch. There should be a constant hot to one side of the switch and when the pedal is depressed the other side of the switch should also show power. If you have power to both sides then it has to be grounding. You can run extra ground wires from the tail lamp housings to a clean place on the frame to see if it's a ground problem.

TomO

06-19-2022 @ 9:32 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 7277
Joined: Oct 2009

The online wiring diagram is incorrect for a 1948 car and has serious errors, like a black wire changing to green without going through a connector.

It shows that all of the lights that you are concerned about go through the left side of the circuit breaker. Do you have battery voltage at all 3 light circuit breaker terminals?

Tom

Tooster

06-20-2022 @ 8:43 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Dec 2019

I need some help understanding the “left side of the circuit breaker”. Under the backside of the dash, above the instruments there are two blocks (each with two posts). There is another breaker on the firewall near the power top switch.

Under the dash, with the power running, all four posts on the two circuit breakers show power. When I put the headlights on (which work), the post nearest the passenger side doesn’t show power.

On the light switch, the two power in posts show power all the time and the headlight posts shows power when turned on (obviously, since the lights work). On the other side of the light switch (left side), the power in post shows power, but the other tow “out posts” don’t show power no matter what position the switch is in. Note, this was the same as the original switch.

TomO

06-21-2022 @ 8:03 AM

reply profile send p.m.

Senior
Posts: 7277
Joined: Oct 2009

From your description of the voltages at the circuit breaker, it sounds like one of your circuit breakers has corroded contacts. I don't know if a good replacement is available, if one is I would replace it.

If a good replacement is not available, I would remove the circuit breaker and clean the contacts with a 800 or finer sand paper.

I don't have a wiring diagram that fits your description of what is in your car. If you have a 1948 Operators Manual, it may have a correct wiring diagram.

Tom

<< previous || next >>

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

Merchandise Questions

Membership Questions