I apologize if this has been covered before because I am assuming it has been, tried searching but must be punching in the wrong keywords or something...
I know for the mustangs of this era there is a fairly simple way to rewire the lights so the park lights can stay on while you have the headlights on (like most modern day vehicles are.) Is there a relatively easy way to do this on a 66 F100? (Without burning anything up obviously

 

Your running lights (park lights) should run with the headlights. It is actualy illegal to drive without them at night!

#1 cause of this is a shot headlight switch. Try a new headlight switch.

They are still available aftermarket from standard motor products and I would bet napa can get them as well.

 

A quick google search reveals that the function of parking lights are a thing of the past and nowadays are wired to run concurrently with headlights. They used to be independent.

Short answer is to just run a jumper wire from the headlights to the parking lights. Of course, there's Ohm's Law to deal with. I don't know if the existing wires can handle the additional load without dimming both the headlights and parking lights. A lot of people run a relay to get brighter headlights. That just might work for you if wired correctly.

Should be able to google how to wire in the relay.

 

This happened to me two years ago.
The running lights quit working when the headlights were on.
You could wiggle the switch and the would turn on.

Bad headlight switch.
Buy a new switch please. The last thing one needs is a crappy wiring job causing shorts. Spend the $50 and fix it right,

I canot understand the idea behind "parking lights" Who the heck needs lights when they are parked? They are called marker or running lights. I dont leave my lights running when I am parked. Do you?

 

They don't on a 66 F100. Not fronts.

 

My 64s turn on.

When the switch went south both the fronts and the tailights went out.

I dug up my wiring schematic and it does appear that they are not connected? Ford also refers to them as park lights?????

Must be a jumper or a different internal switch layout.................?

Touche,

 

Flip, you caused me to google "touche"....lol

 

The idea behind parking lights was so that a car parked on a dark, narrow road could be seen by oncoming traffic. In modern times they fell out of favor, although I guarantee you that mine will always be on at night if I'm broke down on the side of the highway.

In the late sixties, according to my research, parking lights were required to be on with the headlights.

I also looked at the schematic for 65's and up and the headlights and parking lights are independent of each other. I drove a lot of fifties and sixties vehicles and can't recall any where parking lights came on with headlights. Generally, it is illegal to travel with only parking lights on, although laws vary.

Flip, if your lights run together, the parking lights must be jumped from the headlights, as you said yourself that, according to the schematic, they are independent.

Btw, Flip, my best wishes to you and anybody up in those parts that are being affected by floodwaters. I was up in Fargo yesterday and there is a whole lot of water everywhere. I'd a been up there sandbagging if it weren't for the bad back.

 

Wahpeton is where I am at and we basicly got out of it easy. Some of the folks along the wild rice had a mess and are finaly driving cars to work instead of tractors.

Went and looked at mine today. The lights no longer come on with the headlights on. I am positive that they previously did.

Also found out that my tailights are dead again!

#$(&*%*@&*^#*^%*&$^(*_$!

I realy need to restore the old girl.

 

I recall my dad running with parking lights on in the early evening, when there was enough light to see, but he wanted other drivers to see him.

I doubt Texas has a law that says it is illegal to run with parking lights only. What about during the day? How the cops would write a ticket for running with parking lights on at noon when no else has any lights on?

My guess is the law says something like..."headlights shall be used at reasonable times..." or something like that.

 

I just rewired my truck, and I had to figure out the headlight switch the hard way. I asked a lot of questions about it, and I was told by (I believe it was NumberDummy) that it was normal to have the park lights shut off when you put turn the headlights on. If a prior to 66 truck is not this way it was modified. I was going to make mine work like modern trucks, but I want it to be stock. I even checked on seat belts, and I don't have to have them even though in Colorado you have to wear belts at all times. The law does not apply to any Autos prior to 68, the year seat belts were mandated.

 

Most of these laws will say it's illegal to drive with parking lights on "in place of headlights." So, yea it wouldn't be illegal in the daytime.

As far as the Lone Star goes, don't test that theory, Greg. LOL

The Texas Highway Man Pages - Texas Traffic Laws (and good driving habits)

Anyway, I'm done beating this dead horse.

Happy Easter everybody!

 

On 66 trucks the park lights went out when the headlights came on. As others have stated this is normal.

I tried a jumper wire once on a 67 and it worked. I've not tried it on a slick. I jumped the tail light wire (I believe it was brown) and the parking light wire (can't remember the color) on the back side of the switch. I later installed a switch hidden up under the dash to switch them off. Worked great.

 

The FORDification.com Forums • View topic - 1967 f100 running lights

found a quick fix if anyone else is interested