I'm trying to find the electrical gremlin. The problem is the car has started dying for no reason. Starts right back up, but it acts like I turned the ignition off. There doesn't seem to be anything mechanicaly wrong, so I'm going thru the electricals. Since this has started, it will sometimes make the engine stumble when I turn on the headlights. Is there any way to test the headlight switch? Lights come on, and it does what it's supposed to do. I have 5 wires coming out of it, 3 are hot, and the interior fuse on the back. I have the workshop manuals from 58, but there's nothing about testing these switches. It's $62.50 to replace, and I'd rather not replace something expensive that's not broken. Second question. I found out why my heater didn't work. There's no hot wire going from the fan control to ignition. I'm going to run the wire, do you think I should put a in-line fuse on it? If there's a fuse block in this car, I haven't found it. All the wiring seems to have in-line fuses. thanks in advance for any suggestions!
So, you got a 58 ford, chevy, crosley? What? It sounds like you have very little voltage going to your coil circuit. You may have a loose or corroded connection or splice in your wiring and when the headlights tax the entire electrical system, it doesn't leave enough to operate the coil. Probably a loose connection if it sometimes just dies and starts back up. I've seen cheap ignition switches do this before. I have also seen weak coils do this when they're starting to break down. I'd hook up a portable volt meter at the coil-feed wire [unhook it from the coil]and turn on the ignition switch. It should have 12-13 volts. Leave the key on and have someone watch the meter while you follow the wire back to the ignition switch and wiggle it every 6 inches or so. If the needle on the voltmeter varies during this...you've found a bad connection. fix it. Wiggle the key a little and watch the meter...see if it moves....if it moves, you're losing current through the switch and it needs to be replaced.
[ QUOTE ] So, you got a 58 ford, chevy, crosley? [/ QUOTE ] 58 Ford Fairlane. I've been testing, and checking, everything from the generator back. Coil tested at 12 volts. I'm back to the headlight switch now. Looks like I'll have to re-check everything again. Thanks for the tip on wiggling the wire!
Any electrical problem should start with cleaning all the connections and making sure you have enough grounds. If you have no fuse block and everything is on in-lines then you have some one elses backyard engineered nightmare it sounds like. You might have to get a new harness or just get a factory wiring diagram and go through it and rewire one circuit at a time. Also not sure on the 58 but Ford used a resitance wire from the switch to the coil instead of a ballast resister or coil with an internal one. If that isn't the original resister wire you will need to know that you have compatable components. If you don't have a digital volt ohm meter with some good long leads, get one. Do a voltage drop test on the circuits in question by connecting one lead to the battery and the other at the final destination of a wire, like the coil hot lead. Try to connect it to the coil post and not the wire end. Turn on the switch and note the voltage reading it should be less than .1 volt if I remember right. Also check grounds in a similar manner, from the source (battery) to the final destination. This is also a good time to do the aformentioned wiggle test while watching the meter.
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