some advise for your restore

werked 66 · 11-01-2002, 06:27 PM

lets just say i count myself very lucky that my car was not finished and driving it around yet. because tonight i started my car to run it good before she is shut down for the winter. when i noticed some smoke coming out of the drivers side window. i said to myself his does not look right upon further inspection i noticed i had a fire under the dash i put it out and made sure it was out. when i looked to see what was the reason for this fire i was making sure no wires were grounded out or anything like that. all the wires were fine upon further inspection i noticed that my headlamp switch was a little black . it looks like it finally died and something in it cause the little fire . since i had the car i had a problem with the switch and bought a new one when i started restoring the car so my advise to you guys if you headlamp switch starts to mess up just change it and save yourself from your car burning up after all that work..

Gearhead999 · 11-03-2002, 08:07 AM

Did you add Halagon headlamps to your car??

If you did it will burn the switch up. I installed a relay so that the headlamp power doesn't go through the switch. No problems now.

werked 66 · 11-03-2002, 02:46 PM

i dont have my headlamp hooked up yet but i did buy the tri-bar headlamp can you take a picture of what you did or explain it to me because i dont need this to happen again

thanks

lou

Gearhead999 · 11-03-2002, 05:57 PM

It's actually very easy. Get a small solenoid from an electric supply store or from an auto parts store. They have them for driving lights, etc.

Run the low beam wire, from the switch to the headlamps to the switch side of the solenoid. Then hook one side of the load side to the low beam and the other to a direct 12 volt source, don't forget to add an inline fuse from the power source.

Hope this helps, if not let me know and I'll help with what ever I can.

Kisner · 11-04-2002, 11:12 AM

I added the Halogen bulbs to my 68 a couple of weeks ago (I knew better because the experts on this site warned me - hardheaded I guess) and yep, it fried my headlight switch. Just went ahead, ordered, and installed the old non-Halogen bulbs. Still have major electrical problems. Finally figured out why brake lights and instrument panel lights didn't work. The prongs that hold my fuse on the fuse box are loose and not grounded. Can move it and they'll work. Got everything else to work except my turn signals, emergency flasher, or dome lamp. Any electrical advice would be greatly appreciated. I notice there is a circuit breaker off to the left of the fuse box on a metal panel that actually installs to and behind the fuse box. Maybe that's bad - not sure what it goes to? Also, Mr. Gearhead - on your 68 does the parking lights go off when you turn on your headlights. Mine do.

Kisner · 11-07-2002, 01:24 PM

Update - after spending a week unplugging and re-connecting every connection on my wiring harness, testing all wires, and re-connecting all grounds, finally figured out why virtually everything running through the fuse box wasn't working. Every fuse holder was covered with a small amount of surface rust. After I sanded off all the surface rust, every single thing on the old 68 works perfectly. Just goes to show, check the simple stuff first.

11-01-2002, 06:27 PM	#1
werked 66 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Brooklyn , New York Posts: 45	some advise for your restore lets just say i count myself very lucky that my car was not finished and driving it around yet. because tonight i started my car to run it good before she is shut down for the winter. when i noticed some smoke coming out of the drivers side window. i said to myself his does not look right upon further inspection i noticed i had a fire under the dash i put it out and made sure it was out. when i looked to see what was the reason for this fire i was making sure no wires were grounded out or anything like that. all the wires were fine upon further inspection i noticed that my headlamp switch was a little black . it looks like it finally died and something in it cause the little fire . since i had the car i had a problem with the switch and bought a new one when i started restoring the car so my advise to you guys if you headlamp switch starts to mess up just change it and save yourself from your car burning up after all that work..

11-03-2002, 08:07 AM	#2
Gearhead999 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 1998 Location: Oviedo, FL Posts: 992	Did you add Halagon headlamps to your car?? If you did it will burn the switch up. I installed a relay so that the headlamp power doesn't go through the switch. No problems now. __________________ "Support our Troops" Dave 1968 Cougar 2004 Thunderbird 2007 F150 Harley-Davidson, SuperCrew 1986 LTD 1997 Ranger 1992 Honda Civic

11-03-2002, 05:57 PM	#4
Gearhead999 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 1998 Location: Oviedo, FL Posts: 992	It's actually very easy. Get a small solenoid from an electric supply store or from an auto parts store. They have them for driving lights, etc. Run the low beam wire, from the switch to the headlamps to the switch side of the solenoid. Then hook one side of the load side to the low beam and the other to a direct 12 volt source, don't forget to add an inline fuse from the power source. Hope this helps, if not let me know and I'll help with what ever I can. __________________ "Support our Troops" Dave 1968 Cougar 2004 Thunderbird 2007 F150 Harley-Davidson, SuperCrew 1986 LTD 1997 Ranger 1992 Honda Civic

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11-03-2002, 02:46 PM	#3
werked 66 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Brooklyn , New York Posts: 45	i dont have my headlamp hooked up yet but i did buy the tri-bar headlamp can you take a picture of what you did or explain it to me because i dont need this to happen again thanks lou

11-04-2002, 11:12 AM	#5
Kisner Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 290	I added the Halogen bulbs to my 68 a couple of weeks ago (I knew better because the experts on this site warned me - hardheaded I guess) and yep, it fried my headlight switch. Just went ahead, ordered, and installed the old non-Halogen bulbs. Still have major electrical problems. Finally figured out why brake lights and instrument panel lights didn't work. The prongs that hold my fuse on the fuse box are loose and not grounded. Can move it and they'll work. Got everything else to work except my turn signals, emergency flasher, or dome lamp. Any electrical advice would be greatly appreciated. I notice there is a circuit breaker off to the left of the fuse box on a metal panel that actually installs to and behind the fuse box. Maybe that's bad - not sure what it goes to? Also, Mr. Gearhead - on your 68 does the parking lights go off when you turn on your headlights. Mine do.

11-07-2002, 01:24 PM	#6
Kisner Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 290	Update - after spending a week unplugging and re-connecting every connection on my wiring harness, testing all wires, and re-connecting all grounds, finally figured out why virtually everything running through the fuse box wasn't working. Every fuse holder was covered with a small amount of surface rust. After I sanded off all the surface rust, every single thing on the old 68 works perfectly. Just goes to show, check the simple stuff first.