'61 Dash Lights

[Richard P.]

I need help trouble shooting an electrical problem on my 1961. Everything works except Dash Lights, Radio Lights and Clock (function or light). All fuses look good. Ideas where to start?

[Ray C.]

Re: '61 Dash Lights

Check ground

[Edward J.]

Re: '61 Dash Lights

Rich, maybe the rheostat on headlamp switch has a open circut, sometimes if you wiggle the headlamp knob or reach behind dash and do the same wiggle with the connecter and look for the light to flicker.

[Jack H.]

Re: '61 Dash Lights

All of those lamp functions are driven by the potentiometer in the HL switch... Trace the wiring diagram and check the output voltage from the HL switch.

Hint, use a small/fine needle to pierce the insulation of the appropriate wire coming from the HL switch and monitor voltage to ground.

A common cause of HL switch failure is the dimmer was set to give almost maximum dash lamp illumination (low potentiometer resistance) AND there was a short circuit somewhere in the dash lamp circuit. That produced a 'race' condition...which would fail first, the protective circuit fuse or the resistance winding in the HL switch?

I see quite a few used/original '096 HL switches where the resistance wire windings in the pot section are melted/broken resulting in no output voltage due to the open circuit...

The other approach is to remove the HL switch from the dash and visually inspect the wire windings on the dimmer pot. But, I'd do this AFTER I confirmed there was no output voltage.

[Richard P.]

Re: '61 Dash Lights

Jack:

I had a replacement switch so I changed it out and the lights worked fine, so I suspect your diagnosis was correct. Any way to fix the old 096 switch? THANKS

[Richard P.]

Re: '61 clock

Where is the ground for the clock?