66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

[Mike G.]

Hi all,

All of a sudden, my hand brake and "lights on" warning lights no longer flash, they just stay on solid. I know they have to warm up so I left the headlights on (closed) for 10 minutes and still light is solid...ideas?

Thanks,
Mike

[Stephen L.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

Time for a new bulb... The "flasher" is a set of contacts inside the bulb which are probably "welded" together.

[Mike G.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

OK...now how on earth does one replace those guys?

[Richard M.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

With much difficulty.....

Lower the steering column a bit and use long 1/4-20 carriage bolts( or threaded rod) replacing the Cluster face Phillips screws one at a time. Slowly pull the cluster out paying close attention to the oil line.

Reach over the top edge of the cluster to swap out the bulbs. Suggest you find original NOS GE #257 bulbs before you go through all of this effort. Repro bulbs are junk.

Rich

[Harry S.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

Do a search on the bulb number. They were made by the millions in the 50's and 60's for the toy train collectors. They were in the engines. The price range will be from $100.00 down to the $5.00 range. Same bulb, pay the $5.00. Buy a few xtras

[Mike G.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

Thanks everyone. I just find it odd that they would both go out at the same time.

[Richard M.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

Thanks everyone. I just find it odd that they would both go out at the same time.

Hmmm, I'm wondering if your voltage regulator may be acting up and went overvoltage by sticking on. Next time it's idling place a voltmeter on your battery and check charge voltage. Shouldn't be more than 13.6 volts or so.

I landed a 10 pc box of GE#257's a few months ago on Ebay for $15.

[Harry S.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

Rich, I was thinking the same thing, power surge.

[Richard M.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

Rich, I was thinking the same thing, power surge.

Yes, maybe.....

Mike, did the lights seem brighter than normal? If your dash lights seemed normal, it may have been because the Headlight Switch dimmer had them at reduced brightness.

The Park Brake and HL LAMPS bulbs are not controlled by the dimmer switch so it could be a overvoltage condition going on. Something may have in fact welded the bimetal heat strip in the bulbs to the filament contacts as suspected by Stephen.

Rich

[Stephen L.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

While you are replacing the bulbs you might want to replace ALL of them in the cluster, especially if they are original/old.......

[Mike G.]

Re: 66 hand brake and lights on warning wont flash

Thanks all...great advice!