S
SoCa56TB
Click here to upgrade
- Reaction score
- 5
- Thunderbird Year
- 1956
My first post. Loving this forum and wealth of information. Obtained my '56 Birdy six months ago, Colonial White with Fiesta Red interior, 312, Auto, PB, PS, PW P-Seats, and have been working on it in part myself to service, replace and upgrade certain parts and features, and having lots of help work by two shops that specialize, including Prestige Thunderbirds in LA (they are a great group of people and facility).
Had an interesting electrical issue experience with front park lights and turn signal lights/flasher stopping working, and wanted to post to help provide the info for others that may experience similar problems and look for troubleshooting solutions advice. The solution turned out to be a simple ground issue, but not one many would think about while trouble shooting the electrical, wires, bulb base housing, bulbs, flasher and fuse.
A few things led to the issue. I added the diode from Casco to make front park lights stay on with headlights on, as added visibility. It worked. (wasn't the problem ... but didn't know that). But one of the front Park Lights was not working - passger side not lighting up, flasher/blinker also not working. I disassembled the Park Light housing and discovered the blub was corroded and fussed into the base, and likely went out. The housing rubber gasket to body was also partially cracked and deteriorated. So I decided, if I need a new bulb, I'd get the new gasket and bulbs for both sides to both be new, and as the three black screws that secure the housing to the body had some wear from age and screwdriver use rubbing the black finish off the head, for a few dollars I'd add into the order nice new screws to replace the old ones. They arrived. I managed to get the old bulb out with a lot of work and destroying the bulb base. The leads also had corrosion needing pushing them out of the base to clean, and then reset the base socket into the housing, and I let the leads touch each other. I replaced bulbs on both sides, new gaskets, and put back together with nice new screws on that side, but hadn't yet replaced screws on the side that had been working. After that, still only one side would lite-up, and flasher worked only on that side. Took both sides back apart, and swapped bulbs to see if maybe I had damaged a bulb, to see if other side would now work. Put back on with new screws. Now flasher/blinker not working on either side, but driver's side that was working would light up just for park light just not blinker. Thought maybe I shorted the fuse, or damaged and caused flasher unit to go out, or diode added was the issue. But rear lights blinker/flasher working. Lots of trouble shooting, and no answer or solution. Spoke to tech at Casco (so thankful for their readily willingness to help and assistance), who said that the housing unit requires a solid ground by its installation, that bulbs will not work if you have the screws and lens off to see and test bulbs working. Only works fully assembled and installed. Said to test by isolating and check ground issues ... recommended touching ground wire to park light housing to car body. It worked. Put together, and park lights and blinkers both stopped working on both sides. On reflection finally realized the nice new screws were completely finished in black from head to base of threads. That black finish kept the screw threads from creating the needed ground connection in the base it screws into. Swapped new screws for old, and lights and flashers on both sides worked perfectly. Yes, I felt dumb. Then I scraped the threads of the new screws to remove some black finish and expose metal, installed them, and everything worked perfectly with new screws. Not a fuse or flasher or base socket issue or the diode. So if trouble with front park lights not lighting up or flasher/blinker light not working, may not be a flasher or fuse or wiring issue ... first check ground by making sure good contact of the screws that mount the housing to the car. Hope this helps someone from the hours of frustration I had trying to trouble shoot the issue.
Had an interesting electrical issue experience with front park lights and turn signal lights/flasher stopping working, and wanted to post to help provide the info for others that may experience similar problems and look for troubleshooting solutions advice. The solution turned out to be a simple ground issue, but not one many would think about while trouble shooting the electrical, wires, bulb base housing, bulbs, flasher and fuse.
A few things led to the issue. I added the diode from Casco to make front park lights stay on with headlights on, as added visibility. It worked. (wasn't the problem ... but didn't know that). But one of the front Park Lights was not working - passger side not lighting up, flasher/blinker also not working. I disassembled the Park Light housing and discovered the blub was corroded and fussed into the base, and likely went out. The housing rubber gasket to body was also partially cracked and deteriorated. So I decided, if I need a new bulb, I'd get the new gasket and bulbs for both sides to both be new, and as the three black screws that secure the housing to the body had some wear from age and screwdriver use rubbing the black finish off the head, for a few dollars I'd add into the order nice new screws to replace the old ones. They arrived. I managed to get the old bulb out with a lot of work and destroying the bulb base. The leads also had corrosion needing pushing them out of the base to clean, and then reset the base socket into the housing, and I let the leads touch each other. I replaced bulbs on both sides, new gaskets, and put back together with nice new screws on that side, but hadn't yet replaced screws on the side that had been working. After that, still only one side would lite-up, and flasher worked only on that side. Took both sides back apart, and swapped bulbs to see if maybe I had damaged a bulb, to see if other side would now work. Put back on with new screws. Now flasher/blinker not working on either side, but driver's side that was working would light up just for park light just not blinker. Thought maybe I shorted the fuse, or damaged and caused flasher unit to go out, or diode added was the issue. But rear lights blinker/flasher working. Lots of trouble shooting, and no answer or solution. Spoke to tech at Casco (so thankful for their readily willingness to help and assistance), who said that the housing unit requires a solid ground by its installation, that bulbs will not work if you have the screws and lens off to see and test bulbs working. Only works fully assembled and installed. Said to test by isolating and check ground issues ... recommended touching ground wire to park light housing to car body. It worked. Put together, and park lights and blinkers both stopped working on both sides. On reflection finally realized the nice new screws were completely finished in black from head to base of threads. That black finish kept the screw threads from creating the needed ground connection in the base it screws into. Swapped new screws for old, and lights and flashers on both sides worked perfectly. Yes, I felt dumb. Then I scraped the threads of the new screws to remove some black finish and expose metal, installed them, and everything worked perfectly with new screws. Not a fuse or flasher or base socket issue or the diode. So if trouble with front park lights not lighting up or flasher/blinker light not working, may not be a flasher or fuse or wiring issue ... first check ground by making sure good contact of the screws that mount the housing to the car. Hope this helps someone from the hours of frustration I had trying to trouble shoot the issue.
This page contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.