The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 54 Chevy 3100 Headlight Headache

Need a little help here. Headlights, Turn Signal, Brake and parking lights went out. Tail lights, Interior dome and instrument cluster lights still work. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Check the connections on your dimmer switch.

Thanks apparently the dimmer switch has 3 positions, off, high beam and low beam. It was in the off position. Duh!! but it didn't solve the brake light, turn signal issue. I pulled the headlight switch from the dash and cleaned all the contacts when I was trying to diagnose the headlight problem. That had no effect. So I'm trying to figure out why the turn signals dont work nor do the brake light. Whats odd is the tail lights work. Any ideas?

The tail lights are on a different circuit from the turn signals/brake lights. Try the flasher first. And check for a blown fuse.

A dimmer has only 2 positions. If yours has an off position it has an intermittent open circuit.

There are more than one post here that reference the problem with the dimmer switch. I have the same issue and will need to replace my dimmer switch at some point. About 99% of the time my headlights work. When they don't, I simply click the dimmer switch a few times and they start working again. That does not explain your break light problem. Check the bulbs, is it possible the bad dimmer switch caused a short that blew the bulbs?

Shorts don't blow bulbs. They blow fuses or burn wires.

Yeah I think you're right doesnt make sense that it would have a off position. Replacing the dimmer will solve the headlight problem. As for the flasher. Where is it located. Under the dash. Its a [censored] to get to anything under the dash. Practically hvve to stand on my head.

Yeah, well, it's worse with the modern cars. The flasher should be under the dash near the steering column.

Sounds like some of the wires going down the frame rail to the rear lamps are cut or shorted.
It is possible that the only wires that were cut or shorted were the turn signal & the brake light wires.
The tail lights wire was not affected. Tail light wiring that shows only one tail light.

Check the two fuses on the fire wall.

Check the fuse that supplies voltage to the flasher module,
It is connected to one of the two gas gauge threaded terminals on the back of the gauge cluster.

Do the front turn signals work?

More info.

From fuse to lamp, there is one continuous wire to power the Left hand tail light.
The right hand tail light wire is spliced into the continuous wire, at rear of vehicle.
The tail light voltage, stop light voltage and directional signals voltage are separate from each other.
Each has their own fuse.
Tail lights come on when head light switch is pulled out.

The stop light voltage gets routed through the Directional signal switch.
The tail light voltage does not. 1954 Truck Directional Signals wiring

The stop light voltage and directional signal lights flasher module voltage share the same rear routed wires,
(But never at the same time) depending on the location of the Directional signals switch assembly lever.
If you have the lever in the up or down position and then push on the brake you will only have
one brake light on and one directional signal light on at a time.
Pushing on the brake with the lever in the center position, applies stop light voltage to both the rear
left lamp (ribbed) and rear right lamp (purple) wires.
In effect you just turned directional wires into stop light wires.

Picture of fuse (pink) on rear of instrument gauge cluster. (courtesy tclederman)
The fuse supplies power to the flasher module and directional lamps.

If the fuses are good.
You may have a bad Directional signals switch
Or cut or bad connections in the stop light & tail light wires.

Picture of a Tail & Stop fuse holder. it is mounted on firewall next to drivers side hood hinge.

Ok got everything working then a fuse holder that goes from the flasher to something on the instrument panel broke off. I can see where it goes to but it appears it broke off at the connection to the instrument panel. The fuse holder itself is ok. My question is what does this go to. What size fuse goes in there. The one that was in there dropped into the dash somewhere and i cant find the darn thing. Can the piece that the fuse holder connects to be replaced. I have no idea what it is. If not looks like a job for duck tape.

The fuse holder would have been slid onto one of the two threaded gas gauge terminal post that is tied to the gas gauge power wire.
The gas gauge power wire is connected to a switched terminal on the the ignition switch.
The other threaded gas gauge terminal post is for the wire that goes to the gas tank bowl float sending unit.
Picture of fuse (pink) on rear of instrument gauge cluster. (courtesy tclederman)
The fuse supplies power to the flasher module and directional lamps.

You can use a inline fuse holder.
Cut off the old fuse holder.
Then connect one end of the new fuse holder to the flasher wire and the other end to a switched terminal on the the ignition switch.

The tail and stop lamp uses 20 amp fuses.
So I assume the flasher uses the same 20 amp fuse.

How did you fix the lights?

Yeah I thought about doing something like that. I was able ti get a little better look at it today. Its the pink wire coming of the flasher. So I can just tie it in the the switched side of the ignition? Any idea what color wire that might be?

As for the lights long story but I found 2 wires that were partially frayed wires going to the stop switch. I replaced the dimmer switch and the stop switch. Now Ive got headlights, tail lights and stop lights. I'll try your suggestion on the turn signals tomorrow. Also ordered a flasher. Found some originals on ebay believe or not. Thanks for your patient help.

I forgot that the 1954 Chevrolet truck Ignition Switch has three terminals on the back.

One terminal has a red wire from the ammeter that supplies/feeds voltage to the switch.

Two terminals are switched ON when the key is turned clockwise and switched OFF when the key is turned counter clockwise.
There is no 3rd accessory position in this switch.
One of the two terminals should have two pink wires connected to it. One pink wire goes to ignition coil and the other to the gas gauge.
The 2nd terminal is suppose to be used for accessories, like heater fan motor, electric wiper motor, cigarette lighter etc.
You can connect the flasher fuse to ether one of the two terminals.

Thanks I'll give that a try