VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt Dash Light Problems....

Hello All,

I have a 47 Fleetline Aerosedan that has dash light problems. When I switch the ignition on the dash lights come on. The light switch does not affect the dash lights (the light switch does not affect the intensity of the dash lights).

Is there something I should be looking at to repair this problem (other than replacing the light switch)?

As always, thanks for your help.

Perol

The rheostat in the light switch is "bad" and some one hooked the wire for the dash lights to a location that is "hot" when the ignition is turned on. The rehostat looks like a small coil spring and a contact slides againsr it. It could be burnt out of dirty. For my 1950 I transfered the dash light wire on the switch to the tail light terminal. That way the dash lights are on when ever the tail lights are on, you just can't dim the dash lights. If your older you need all the light that you can get.
First you will need to find where they connected wire and then reconnect it to a light switch terminal that is hot when ever the tail lights are on. It will be necessary to drop the light switch to make the change. Not that difficult and described in the shop manual. Can send you a "fair" picture from the manual if necessary. The 1947 switch is different from the 1948 and up and still uses a fuse. Will be a good experiance to find out where the fuse is and keep some spares as it covers most items.
From the wiring diagram the dhash light wire is black with a "natoral" crossed tracer. That would be tan threads woven in, in a crossed pattern.

Thanks Gene for your help.

I have a Shop Manual and will look at the light switch diagram. I was thinking that the previous owner probably moved the dash lights to the ignition switch. From reading previous posts to remove the light switch I need to remove the light switch button by pressing on a plunger behind the switch - then I can reach the nut that is holding the switch to the dash.

I will look underneath the dash tonight to see if I can find the dash light wire.

Thanks again,

Perol

There is no button to press on a 1947, its a flat spring.

I've had some success removing the light green corrosion from the rheostat spring and adjusting the contact to ride on the spring. At times all 3 of my cars have had the problem.

Joe,
What does an original 1947 light switch llok like? The 1942 shop manual shows the round type switch with a seprate rehostat but that switch was up-graded over the years.

Perol, you might want to see the restoration work I have been doing with Advance Design light switches and dimmers. Your 1941- 47-passenger car switch may be a little different, I believe it had snap on terminals where the later ones had the screw terminals. I’m not real familiar with that earlier series. The auto and truck light switches from the AD era were both the same part for this period. Scroll through a couple of pages to see a few a few more pictures of what’s involved. Hope these help and give you some ideas:
http://community.webshots.com/album/555161678EhIoCb?start=288 ,
http://community.webshots.com/album/555161678EhIoCb?start=300

As usual, I’m always on the lookout for 1947-55 (6v) cadavers or switches that are being replaced with reproduction units. Don’t pitch them, recycle them my way please!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I will try to remove the switch and clean it up to see if that helps.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Perol

Gene, I checked my '29 - '54 parts book and my '47 too. The switch has a different number in '54. But, I remember replacing the 30amp headlight fuse on the switch back before '48. And, when I was in a hurry, I got my fingers burned. After many heating and cooling cycles, the fuse would give up and blow. All of this happened when the wiring got old, damp and frayed. On my '39 I put a headlight double relay on the left inner fender and that fuse was so cool after that. I had sealbeams on the '39...The '48 and later cars had a circuit breaker for all of the standard lights. There were a number of wiring differences between '47 and '48. Even the ignition switches were different.