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wiring my 54 ford p/u

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  docvette 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
hey guy's a little help if you would. I have a 54 ford p/u that I've put a 302 and And tranny in and I started wiring it last week.

I got a kit from heywire and it seems like a pretty simple kit to install.

I 've got the head lights, park lights and tail lights working, but I ran into a small problem with the aftermarket headlight switch.

to use the switch I had to eliminate the floor dimmer and went directly to the headlight switch. The switch has h/beam, l/beam, park-lamp, instrument and power connections.

park and tail lamp are fused together so when I turn the park lights on the tail lights come on, but when I go to low or high beam the tail and parks go off.

park and tail are on a 15 amp fuse so can I use a jumper to the highs and low lights to run the tail lights? or is this to much on the fuse or switch?

Do I need to go buy a gm headlight switch and go back to the floor dimmer?
 
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#3 ·
Doc here, :pimp:

A bit confused here.. :confused: :confused: :confused: ,

When you say "Go Off"do you mean the fuse opens..Or they just go out until the parks are turned back on again?

Is the headlight system supported by relays on the Heywire Kit , or not..

And lastly, If tails are going out (but not blowing a fuse) when the headlamps go on..then you either have a mis-wire or the switch is configured wrong for your application..If tails and parks are not integral to each other..and you have full lighting on the park lamps, jump the Tail lamp fuse over to the headlamp feed .. (may require fusing and wiring outside the fuse buss)

Doc :pimp:
 
#4 ·
Why not just run the tail light filaments off the instrument panel fuse?

How does the dimmer for the dash lights work? Off the instrument panel fuse?

Seems odd to me that park and tail should go dead with the headlights turned on...

If instument stays live just tap into that circuit between the fuse and the dimmer for the dash lights, if it has one. That way your dash lights are dimmable and the taillights stay on full bright.

As an aside, with it wired this way if you suddenly lose dash lights you will know the tails are also out... this could easily alert you to a wiring problem in the tails because the dash stays dark...


Doc
 
#5 ·
Doc here, :pimp:

I edited your post to ease the read..Hope that's OK with you.. :thumbup:

Looking it over again, It would appear, the switch is either multiplexed incorrectly for your application, or Defective..(or requires a jumper they don't advise you of..)

The switch should be multiplexed as follows..

PARK LAMPS ON=Tail (low filament ) Front , side markers, & Park filament (not to be confused with turn elements)

HEADLAMPS ON= (HIGH OR LOW) Both headlamps on one set of output contacts..(may control a relay) , Tail tap remains hot on another set of contacts..but Isolated from headlamps.

HIGH BEAM / LOW BEAM=Should ONLY effect the headlamps and dash indicator.

If you jump the Park contacts to the headlamp contacts, with out switch isolation, you will have Headlamps in park.

If you jump the Instrument dim line to the park or tail (either one) those are USUALLY rheostat fed..and will , If not burn up the variable resistance source, will dim and brighten with the control..

If you jump to the fused side .. the lamps will remain "On" or " HOT" anytime power is on the system or just..anytime..(effectively , you are running the lamps to the fused power..with no switch capibility..)

Not to mention the dim line is / should be fused at about 5 amps..not enough for the added draw ..and the wire may be under-size as well as the contact.

Also , a heads up..If you have SINGLE element FRONT turn-signals and hook them through a park circuit with tails attached, ..when you turn the lamps and select a signal side..you MAY get 4 way flash without switch isolation..If it's multiplexed wrong..

What switch are you using? Is it a stalk type? or an aftermarket dash type? Did it come with a terminal / Function diagram? If you can, snap a shot of it..and scan the diagram If included..aand we can help you more..

If it is multiplexed incorrectly for your application, with that you STILL can make it right with relays..

Basically, It should be detent 1 (park) , Power from the input side passes through the terminals to the park terminal contact..An isolated contact should also get power..for rears..When you switch to headlamps, Detent 2, the headlamps should have power to the lights, AND the tail contact should be hot, BUT the park should be off, AND isolated from tails..You should be able to follow the path with a DVOM, set to OHMS, RX1 Scale..in both positions..If you just jumper here..you'll get headlamps in detent 1 and 2 , (no park)..

Ohm the switch out..snap a pix of it, and the data sheet and post it here..we'll see what can be done..

Doc :pimp:
 
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