Just got registered onto the FTE but have been lurking until I actually got a truck this past week. It's a 71 F-250 Camper Special (390 2v) with only 70,400 miles on it...got it from my Mom so I know that's the correct mileage. Put new tires, new exhaust, new shocks, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, points, condenser, fan belts, radiator hoses, heater control valve, and changed the coolant and oil. Had it aligned and then drove it 500 miles back to Denver on Saturday. It did just great...except for needing gas every 150-160 miles (I didn't want to take a chance with the auxilary tank since I wasn't sure if it'd been used in the past 20 years). It had seat covers all it's life so the seats are in mint condition as is 90% of the interior. Bahama blue and wimbleton white two tone paint with only a few surface rust spots since it sat under a carport for the last fifteen years with an occasional trip to the dump. The bed and tailgate are rusted through in places (from loading and leaving yard trash sit in it) but functional (I hauled a Buick 215 aluminum block engine back with me).

My question is how to find why the dash/instrument lights don't light up (the cigerette lighter doesn't have power either). I've turned the light switch **** left and right but nothing. The dome light also doesn't work and doesn't have power. I put a test light on the both sides of the instrument light fuse (that little bitty one)in the fuse box but got nothing on either side. Is there a fusible link somewhere that I should check? And where might it be? I don't have a manual with a wiring diagram yet so any help on what color wire carries power to that fuse box would be helpful and/or any suggestions on what to look for and what color of wire does what. Should I work my way back from the fuse box or forward from the battery? Details are much apprecitated.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Bud

 

Is that the ONLY electrical circuit that doesn't work?
Because that is a Powered, Key Off circuit,
It's possible the the back of the fuse box for that circuit has an open from corrosion.
Check all the other circuits and get back to us.

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The gages all work. The lights (tail, stop, running, headlights) all work. The heater/AC blower works. The cargo light works. Even the light on the hood works. I'm not sure what other circuits there are but all I can think of (the truck is at home or I'd check) that doesn't work is the dash lights, lighter, and dome light (it doesn't have power with the doors open).

I'll check the back of the fuse box and see if there's corrosion. I couldn't get the test light to light up on ANY side of the any of the fuses in the box now that I think of it.

Thanks for the help.

Bud

 

A bad ground for the testlight usually cause that.

Sometimes fuses look good BUT,They really aren't.

Change the fuse for that circuit.



[b][i][font color=red]Dennis[/font][i][b]

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Dennis,

Well it's not the fuse. It was OK. There is no power to the fuse holder with the key on or off. Could the rheostat in the light switch be causing a problem? I looked at it and the copper piece that slides on the wound wire seems to be twisted. Any way of testing this?

And how do you remove the light switch? Looks like there's an "insert" behind the **** that can be unscrewed...is that how? All the other fuses have power to them...it was a ground problem with my test light on those.

Thanks for the help.
Bud

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-May-02 AT 04:26 PM (EST)]>Dennis,
>
>Well it's not the fuse. It was OK. There is no power to
>the fuse holder with the key on or off.

How did you check the fuse?
Did you try another one that is confirmed good?



Could the rheostat
>in the light switch be causing a problem? I looked at it
>and the copper piece that slides on the wound wire seems to
>be twisted. Any way of testing this?

Do the headlights and marker lights come on?
The current sent to the Int. panel lights goes through the printed circuit.

>
>And how do you remove the light switch? Looks like there's
>an "insert" behind the **** that can be unscrewed...is that
>how?

See this illustration to push the button on the swtich while pulling the **** out.
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/FordIllustrations.html


All the other fuses have power to them...it was a
ground problem with my test light on those.

Thought so


>Thanks for the help.
>Bud

No problem

[b][i][font color=red]Dennis[/font][i][b]

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641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V [/font]

 

I am pretty new to these trucks myself (just bought a 72 F100 short bed 2 weeks ago) and haven't looked into this on my own truck (I am at work truck is at home) but other vehicles that I have had ran the gauge lights thru the brake lights fuse so if your brake lights went out you would have a more obvious indication.

 

Dennis,

Finally got the dash light problem figured out. It was the rheostat on the light switch causing the problem. I got a used light switch from a local used Ford truck parts guy here in Denver and put it in and the dash lights suddenly worked, and to my surprise the light to the cigeretter lighter and the light for the heater/ac controls also became functional. I examined the old light switch and saw that the copper contact that touches the coiled wire on the rheostat as it spins was twisted (can't imagine how that happened) and was not making proper contact. I straightened it out and it'll probably work just fine now but I'll just keep it as a spare since I got the dash lights plus a few bonus ones to work.

Thanks for the help.
Bud

 

All of us were wondering how it was going there.

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Excellent news & we love it when a plan comes together.




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