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Technical 53' Chrysler headlight issue

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by sodakmini, Oct 13, 2015.

  1. sodakmini
    Joined: Jun 28, 2011
    Posts: 474

    sodakmini
    Member

    Bought my wife a 53' Chrysler Windsor. aaand the headlights do not work. Dash lights work. Tail lights work. Passenger side blinkers work. Replaced headlights with new lights. It's a dual battery 6v system.looks like each headlight has its own ground strap with 4 or 5 wires going towards headlights and blinkers. Any easy ways of bypassing headlight. switch to see if that's my problem??? Or is there some kind of relay? Thanks in advance for the help.
     
    Bruce Fischer likes this.
  2. Probably a bad headlight switch, but it might pay to check the floor dimmer switch first. Get at the dimmer switch terminals, and check for power to ground at any terminal with the light switch 'on'. No power here, it's a bad headlight switch. If you have power at only one terminal but neither of the other two, the dimmer switch is bad.

    Nearly all OEM light switches back then used an internal circuit breaker (rather than a separate fuse) to protect the headlight circuit, that breaker has probably failed. I have a friend who recently bought a '53 Chrysler that had been parked 30 years ago for the same reason (no headlights), a new switch fixed it.
     
  3. sodakmini
    Joined: Jun 28, 2011
    Posts: 474

    sodakmini
    Member

    Thanks for the good response. Will go tear into it.
     
  4. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,659

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Yeah the old dimmer switch on the floor, very prone to corrosion from mud and slush.
     
    302GMC likes this.

  5. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,867

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    Leave the headlight switch in there - never seen a rotary Chrysler switch failure. It'll be the dimmer.
     
  6. sodakmini
    Joined: Jun 28, 2011
    Posts: 474

    sodakmini
    Member

    Thanks guys. Will pull it out tonight
     
  7. I had the same problem with a 64 ford.It was the dimmer switch.Bruce.
     

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