Hmmmmm Electrical problem has occured
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Hmmmmm Electrical problem has occured
Hi Again
As some of you may know I am slowly restoring my daily driver 63 uni and I have a new problem in electrical.
It started when the generator light came on some 5 months ago ...so I waited to do anything about it and simply just recharged the battery.
Recently (two weeks ago) I installed a new voltage regulator on it....light went off, holds a charge and now I can even drive with my windshield wipers and not drain battery......but...
I drove it for the first time during the night and when driving the lights kept coming on or off...no matter i8f I was in low or high beems....so untill I can figure out what the problem is...it will continue to be just a day driver
Any helpfull suggestions will be much appreciated...i have no workshop manuals or electrical schematics since I have found this vehicle not to hard to work on since it is a basic truck......and have aways worked on my own vehicles
Thank you
As some of you may know I am slowly restoring my daily driver 63 uni and I have a new problem in electrical.
It started when the generator light came on some 5 months ago ...so I waited to do anything about it and simply just recharged the battery.
Recently (two weeks ago) I installed a new voltage regulator on it....light went off, holds a charge and now I can even drive with my windshield wipers and not drain battery......but...
I drove it for the first time during the night and when driving the lights kept coming on or off...no matter i8f I was in low or high beems....so untill I can figure out what the problem is...it will continue to be just a day driver
Any helpfull suggestions will be much appreciated...i have no workshop manuals or electrical schematics since I have found this vehicle not to hard to work on since it is a basic truck......and have aways worked on my own vehicles
Thank you
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,375
Likes: 5
From: seattle
I had the exact same thing happen with me...switch was bad in my case, but try tightening it up first if its loose...if its tight, I bet the rheostat winding is bad or corroded which for some unknown reason kills everything light related...the only other thing aside from that would be the instrument voltage regulator which it mounted to the cluster itself.
keep us posted on what ya come up with, cs65
keep us posted on what ya come up with, cs65
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,613
Likes: 6
From: Coal country
It sounds like the circuit breaker for the headlamps is failing.
The circuit breaker is integral to the switch. If you have checked all the grounds between the cab, frame, lights and all as good, then I would look at replacing the switch.
The circuit breaker is integral to the switch. If you have checked all the grounds between the cab, frame, lights and all as good, then I would look at replacing the switch.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
lots of good advice...thanx all....I had someone tell me the other day my brake lights dont work but my blinker does....hmmm more problems yet to fix....I keep getting around to it but unfortunately it is over 100 degrees in the shade with a high humidity....so once it starts cooling down a bit where a man can comfortably work on his truck outside I will just put on hold for a short period....once weather permitting I will review everything here and try them all...Again thank you for all your wisdom and advice....hopefully it will be a simple thing but again the wiring does lokk simple in this Ole Truck
Cheers
Jim
Cheers
Jim
Trending Topics
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 551
Likes: 0
What if your lights dont work at all!! which is a problem I have. lol. of course I cant drive until I get brakes...unless im up for a thrill ride.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026
Brett Foote
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time
Joe Kucinski
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,060
Likes: 7
From: Glendale Arizona
All the things mentioned travel through the light switch. They are flashing due to the circut breaker snapping on and off as it heats up. There is either mechanical damage (Short) or the switch is bad.
The regulator on the guage panel is for the guages to operate correctly, nothing more. It pulses voltage to them to shoe a value.
Garbz
The regulator on the guage panel is for the guages to operate correctly, nothing more. It pulses voltage to them to shoe a value.
Garbz
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: Raleigh, NC
The blinking headlight problem is common. The bimetallic contacts inside the switch provide protection in the circuit. You can replace the switch for about 11.00 at the zone. Earlier posts about halogen or more powerful lights may require a relay circuit but the switch replacement will fix the "blinking" problem.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
I put some really bright lamps on my '79, and promptly tripped the circuit breaker in the headlight switch. They would work ok on dim, but brights gave me the blinking problem. A new switch fixed it, but on brights the switch body, where the breaker is, would get quite warm. Sooner or later it was going to start doing it again.
The solution was a pair of dual headlight relays from NAPA.
This was almost 20 years ago, so I do not know if they still make them. Looking around on the web, I see pictures of them, but nowhere to order them. They were a square can with one power input screw terminal two control terminals and two output terminals.
They also had two fuses inside. I mounted one behind each headlight, ran a heavy wire from the battery to the power input terminal of each one, and then hook the filament wires from each high and low filament to the output terminals and hook the high and low beam wires from the switch to the input terminals.
Worked great. I did, however replace the fuses with circuit breakers that snapped into the holders.
J
The solution was a pair of dual headlight relays from NAPA.
This was almost 20 years ago, so I do not know if they still make them. Looking around on the web, I see pictures of them, but nowhere to order them. They were a square can with one power input screw terminal two control terminals and two output terminals.
They also had two fuses inside. I mounted one behind each headlight, ran a heavy wire from the battery to the power input terminal of each one, and then hook the filament wires from each high and low filament to the output terminals and hook the high and low beam wires from the switch to the input terminals.
Worked great. I did, however replace the fuses with circuit breakers that snapped into the holders.
J