The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Headlight switch wiring

So I'm finishing up the wiring on my '40 with an EZ Wiring kit, and testing everything. I think I may have my headlight switch wired incorrectly. I have one of these aftermarket types with 5 pins and a glass fuse in the center, I've seen them in catalogs referred to as just "replacement headlight switch".

Of the five pins, they are labeled: (clockwise, from the top) Batt, Tail, not labeled, Head, Park.

Here is how I have it wired... BATT: headlight power, Tail: left front park, not labeled: no connection, Head: dimmer power, Park: left tail park/instrument panel lights.

Now here is what's happening.. When I turn on the park lights, everything works as it should- I have tail lights and front park lights. When I turn on the headlights, the front park lights stay on (I seem to recall they were supposed to go out when the headlights come on), but the tail lights go out. I think the tail lights should stay one when the headlights come on. The high beams work as they should, but I have no brake lights and no rear turn signals. The front turn signals operate correctly.

Here is a pic of the headlight switch... https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAABxw/wEdIOci4Z4w/s512/0815112051.jpg

I wondering if I need to reverse the left front park and left tail park on the headlight switch? And does anyone know what the unlabeled terminal is for?

I'm wondering if I should just get a GM type switch, since all of my wiring diagrams show a 7 terminal switch.

Thanks!

Hy stevebolt, yes I would reverse the connections you made to the "tail" terminal, and the "park" terminal. The turn signals are not involved with the light switch. The unmarked terminal may be for the dash light circuit, you could check it with a meter to see when it has power/conductivity from the "batt" terminal, hope that helps.

So I reversed the connections on Tail and Park, and now everything seems to be working as it should. It makes sense, and that's how I should have wired it to begin with. I think the instructions I was following have a typo, because the way I originally did it was the way it said. Should have went with my gut. Also I put the Instrument panel lights on the unlabeled terminal, because that gets 12v in both switch positions.


Almost there, now I just have to figure out why I have no brake lights and no rear turn signals. I have front turn signals, so I can rule out the turn signal switch and flasher I guess.