68 lighting problems

[Scott Tilley]

Does anyone know how to trouble shoot prblem with lights? Instrument panel, tail, marker, headlights and parking lights won't come on. I replaced the headlight switch still no luck. There is power on terminal 1(red) of the headlight switch. If I jumper to terminal 6(light blue) the dash lights come on. Jump to terminal 3(2 brown) the tail, marker and parking lamps work. Does it sound like the new switch is bad? There is continuity between terminal 1 and 6 only(with the switch on) but dash lights still don't work using switch. Any ideas, please help. Thanks Scott

[Wayne W.]

Re: 68 lighting problems

Sounds like it to me.

[Jim T.]

Re: 68 lighting problems

Do you have power in the power wire to the switch? Next item to check would be the fuse panel. On the engine firewall side this can be disconected and checked for corrosion. Be careful.

[Michael W.]

I have a very similar problem

with my '73, except that my headlights work properly. I have taken my switch apart and found it not to be the source of the problem.

I believe that the two brown wires at terminal three should be providing 12V to the switch but need to follow the wiring diagram a little further to see where they go and what they connect to.

Hope this helps.

[Scott Tilley]

Re: 68 lighting problems

Thanks for the suggestions. I did check the fuse panel and that's where the problem was. The fuse for the "tail" lights was bad. I thought I had already checked it. After replacing it everything works fine. The only thing that seems strange is that there is still no voltage on the panel labeled "inst lps"(instrument lamps?), but the dash lights are working. Anyway, thanks again. I should have spent more time checking the obvious.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 68 lighting problems

Wait a minute! In your original post you stated that the "Instrument panel, tail, marker, headlights and parking lights won't come on." You cured all of this with one fuse?

[Scott Tilley]

Re: 68 lighting problems

It doesn't make any sense to me either. I put the original headlight switch back in and replaced the "tail" fuse and everything works. Maybe there was a loose connection or short somewhere that could show up again. The front and rear lamp harness and engine harness are new. The dash harness is the original but doesn't seem to be damaged or modified. The only problem I see is the terminals on the fuse panel look a little oxidized or rusty?

[Wayne W.]

Re: 68 lighting problems

Ah, but you did change the switch.

[Scott Tilley]

Re: 68 lighting problems

I replaced the switch first, but that didn't change the problem. I've got the original switch back in it now so apparently the switch wasn't the problem.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 68 lighting problems

I can guarantee you that that fuse had nothing to do with the HL working. You had to do something else. The switch or the wiring in that area is the only common component.

[Scott Tilley]

Re: 68 lighting problems

I took all of the fuses out one at a time and put them all back except for the tail light fuse that I replaced. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I remember.