strange lights

[Slide]

Hi Bob, well weirdness strikes again. I just noticed on my FIA Comp dash that my headlights do not work unless my parking lights are also on, and when the parking lights are on the turn signals do not work. Everything works,even the high beams, but just not in the the right combination. Electrical troubleshooting is not my forte-in fact I'm still searching for my forte. Thanks again

[Red Era]

Slide

I found that it is possible for the internals of the lamp base to be rotated 180 degrees. Are your parking lights brighter than the turn signals? This happened to me. Is the correct filament being lit by the turn signal circuit? Parking Light circuit?

Parking lights should be on when the head lights are on . (unless the FIAs are set up different than the 427.) Hope this is of some help.

Tim

[Slide]

Tim, I have separate toggles for parking and headlights. In order for the headlights to work I have to turn both toggles on. The turn signal is very bright, the parking light uses the other filament and doesn't hurt the eyes-I'm still seeing spots.

[Steve Dickey]

Clyde,
You told me the wiring job was simple, I'm starting to worry.
Take care, Steve

[Red Era]

Is the headlight circuit powered off of the parking light circuit so you can't accidently drive around WITH headlights and WITHOUTyour parking lights/tail lights? Interesting. Anyway I will wait to here Bob's answer since I have never worked on the FIA. good luck!

[Bob Putnam]

Slide,

The parking lights must be on for the headlights to work. I do that 'cause most (if not all) states require it. I'd hate to have you get arrested.

Places to check for the parking/signal light problem:

Check that the front lights are wired correctly - with the brighter filaments being the signal lights.

Check for bad ground at the rear lights.

[Slide]

Bob, thanks for the info-it would be ironic to get arrested for parking lights I'll be gone for a week, if this doesn't cure it I'll let you know. Steve , it's not hard to do the wiring just hard to do it right

[Slide]

Hi Bob, well I checked the grounds and everything is clean and tight. The front bulbs light the opposite filiments from the rear bulbs, and it seems the parking lights are the brighter [lower] filiment. The bulbs have uneven pins and go in only one way. The wiring harness only allowed one way to hook up also. Before I start cutting and splicing I don't understand why even if the front parking and turn wires are reversed they will work fine separately but the turn signals go non operational if the parking lights are on. The only other thing I noticed is that the left turn signal sometimes seems to take a few seconds to activate but not always. Thanks again Slide

[Red Era]

If the lights are like the 427 and you are lighting the wrong filament and wiring is correct, take out the bulb, push out the disk with the two contacts (INSIDE THE LIGHT SOCKET) by pushing on the wires , rotate the disk 180 degrees and put back in, and put the bulb back in. I almost cut and spliced before in discovered this.

Tim

[Bob Putnam]

Red's fix is correct. After 20 years of getting lights that were always correct, we got a batch that were wired at random.

Now we have to check every friggin' one... PITA

Some rubber boots may make it necessary to remove the light completely to rotate the contact plate.

[Slide]

OK, I reversed the pad in the socket and the turn signals are all fireing on the same filament and at a more rapid pace (normal) and very bright. However... I now have a dead short when I turn on the parking lights . I think someone has a Clyde doll and they are sticking pins in it. Red, thanks for saving me from cutting wires. Well Bob, now what? Thanks as usual

[Slide]

Nevermind, The short was too stupid for words and all lights are working properly. Thanks for all your help. Slide