Rewiring

[Steel Warrior]

We have started wiring a 56 Dodge. Things were smooth until we did lights. Our problem is when we put the fuse in for the headlights. The signal lights come on real bright. Pull fuse and all is well. Any suggestions?

[robot]

Have you got a common feed at the headlight switch? Turn signals are not connected to headlights....normally. Therefore, something must be wired wrong. Do you have a diagram of your headlight switch? Can you illuminate the parking lights without turning on the headlights?

[cffisher]

Could have a 1157 bulb in wrong..Don't laugh it happens

[Steel Warrior]

Checking that out thanks! Yes a common feed to lights. What we are trying to do is use a new wiring harness and adapt it to the original switch.

[shine]

sounds like the feed wire is on the wrong post on the switch. the post that does nothing when tested is your b+ post.

[Steel Warrior]

OK we took the headlight switch out. So that it is not hooked up at all. When we put a fuse in the headlight slot of fuse box the front two signals come on really bright. This is with out a headlight sw installed.

[robot]

From the headlights, you should be going directly to a relay with the two hot headlight leads. The third headlight lead is the ground headlight lead
should go to ..... duh, ground. From the relay, the power comes from the fuse block.

For the turn signals, the feed goes thru the steering column turn switch and to the fuse block.

Somewhere, you have something wired wrong......how did you wire the turn signals?

[Steel Warrior]

Sorry this is late. Site was down. We are checking every step of wiring. We wired the signals as per ez wiring specs. We have wired about 8 cars and never had a problem like this. We are thinking a bad fuse block. There should be no connection between signals and headlamps. Thanks for the tips. We will be lokking again today.

[rspears]

Recheck your ground connections - sounds to me like you have a sneak circuit, maybe through your headlight plug connections?

[IC2]

I have had two bad light connectors from Vintique. The first was wire shorted outside of the socket, the second had no separator inside the socket itself, with the same problem you have stated. Both items made in a large Far Eastern country :-(

[Steel Warrior]

OK we found the problem. EZ wiring has a special circuit for the headlights. If you leave your lights on the fuse in this circuit will blow after getting so hot. Well the fuse has really wide prongs and if you stick it any where else. It will over ride into another. Say in wipers it would touch the one beside it also. Putting juice into a couple circuits at a time. WOW took a while but that is the cause. It can be used only for that special headlight circuit. Thanks for the info and help. Figured someone might be able to use this also!

[robot]

Maybe the company needs to change their name.....EZ seems a bit optimistic.

[rspears]

OK we found the problem. EZ wiring has a special circuit for the headlights. If you leave your lights on the fuse in this circuit will blow after getting so hot. Well the fuse has really wide prongs and if you stick it any where else. It will over ride into another. Say in wipers it would touch the one beside it also. Putting juice into a couple circuits at a time. WOW took a while but that is the cause. It can be used only for that special headlight circuit. Thanks for the info and help. Figured someone might be able to use this also!

Is that the position in the top right, where the Headlight Circuit Breaker plugs in? My EZ Wire kit came with the headlight circuit breaker in place, a small silver canister about 3/8"x3/4"x1/2"high? There's no fuse on the headlights, just the circuit breaker so that if you overload that circuit your lights will flash as the circuit breaker pops and resets, but you're not rolling down the road and suddenly have no headlights. That's my understanding of their system, anyway.

[JoeE42Ford]

Just a few thoughts. Older cars (mid 50;s and earlier) had a positive ground system. This was mostly used on 6 volt systems. Also the dimmer switch channeles negative (ground wire) electric to the headlights. They completed a ground instead of delivering + to the lights.+ voltage was via fusible link directly to the headlights. Hope this was helpfull to you.