sorry if this is a stupid question, but you may be about to save me a tone of time and frustration. reversing (or back-up) lights on my '59 Galaxie. They only light up when in reverse WITH the lights turned on. So before i rip out a load of wiring, is this normal? the reason i ask is, ever eurpoean car I ever worked on had reversing (back-up) lights that came on regardless of the lighting being on. thanks in advnace, Taff
That may be an aftermarket add-on where the installer or owner decided the backup [reverse , reversing] lights were only needed when it was dark . Even back when those were optional I believe they were marketed as both a useful night time accessory and a daytime warning device . I'd change that even if that were factory design . There would be little wiring to change - just the input at the control switch would need to be changed from the light circuit to an accessory power source .
Most that I have seen work the way R Pope said above with the key on. I did find a link to 59 Ford wiring diagrams with a search so you might poke around that a bit and see if you can trace the wires. http://images.search.yahoo.com/sear...p-t-521-s&va=1959+ford+galaxie+wiring+diagram Here, this one works better and you can save it to your photos or documents and even expand it to read it after you save it. http://wiringschematic.net/wiring-s...d-v8-fairlane-500-300-custom-300-and-galaxie/ You could always switch the feed wire to the backup light switch from the headlight/taillight source to a circuit that is on only when the key is on. Usually there is pin on the fuse panel that you can connect to for that that isn't being used.
I have no diagrams but can tell that its has its power source from the headlight switch if it only comes on with the running or headlights on. It may have been that way originally but only the OEM diagram will tell.
Yep, had a 64 nova hardtop that the parking lights would only come on with the headlights on, so after tracing down the one wire and switching it to a hot when switiched on I had parking lights by themselves or also with the headlights on.
If you want the backup lights to work w/o head lights being on, move the power source from the light switch to the ignition switch ,problem solved. ...............Jack
i know, thats what i thought, i just wondered if it was an "Americanism" i hadn't come across yet cheers for the diagram link, i had a couple but that one is far superior you know, sometime i feel i get too close to the problem! cheers for the dig in the right direction!!
Ok, I read this whole thread to my dog because I thought it was about a bone. Not one thing about a bone. Now she looks disappointed......I hate that.....
The 55 - 57 Thunderbirds were wired this way, and perhaps other Fords too. I have no idea when they changed, but its not a big deal to relocate the power feed from the light switch to the Acc terminal of the ignition switch. If you have a fuse block you could find a power source there also, but if original wiring you probably have individual inline fuses.
I was really disappointed about the lack of relevance to the Bone as well. And I was going to answer, but I had to shoot at the last guy who got too close to my sister's lingerie drawer and thought it might be the OP so I decided not to answer.
My 74K mike Un-Molested "Bone" stock 59 Galixey back-up lights only work with the head lights on. Why do you need back up lights in the day time? Why would you move a car at night without turning on the lights. This is probably how Ford thought in 1959, took the Euro's to screw us up. The Wizzard
my apologies to your sister "bone" is a term used in the army to describe stupid or uninteligent questions, hence a stupid questio becomes a bone question. A bad habit of mine to drop into that without explaining myself, sorry when you say it like that it makes lots of sense!!
The Jalopy Journal
