68 Charger front indicator/Park lamps

[Roger S]

One for the electrical experts, I am slowly going through some electrical gremlins on my recently acquired Charger , I have sorted everything but the front combined indicator/park lamps.
All wiring is in place and original and in good condition as are the light bodies themselves. The indicators work fine front and rear as do the rear park lights and front and rear marker lights, but the front park lights don't. Both front lights have 2 contact double filament bulbs is this correct ? or should they be single filament double contact bulbs ??

Got me baffled.

Thanks

Rog

[Dave999]

do you get power to the end of the wire that plugs into the unit for the bulb that isn't working?

if you do it may be bulb or earthing of the unit.

somewhere on the front lighting loom should be a wire that just bolts to the body. if its not bolted down you get some wierd things happening

but i'd expect more things to flash when the indicators are on than just the indicators if that was the case.


parking lights in general are going to be off a circuit that stays powered when the key is off if everything else that should work when the key if off works then its not the ignition switch

if rear parking lights work its probably not the light switch

that would imply something at or between the bulkhead connector and the light bulb



dave

[morgan]

Bear in mind some of these cars have been 'converted' differently.
Silly question, but with the headlight covers open do you have sidelights on the main headlamps ?
Mine only uses the front-valence lights (I think thats what you are talking about) for indicators - no lights. Everything else runs throuugh the main lamp units now. So if I wanted sidelights on, I have to open the doors.

My point is, are you sure they SHOULD work ?

[Charger]

Both front lights have 2 contact double filament bulbs is this correct ? or should they be single filament double contact bulbs ??

yes, as standard, bulbs should be double contact double filament

1 contact / filament for 5w parking lamp

1 contact / filament for 21w turn signal

but as stated above has the wiring been modified??

have the parking lamps been moved into the headlamps??

if the front indicators are working then your earth to the lamp units must be good

[Roger S]

Hi Si

Thanks, the wiring is original, I have put a direct supply to the indicators and park, mine works the opposite ie bright light on park that must be the 21w and less bright as indicators ie 5w. I have the Charger wiring diagram which shows the feed wire as black and yellow feeding the park lights this goes all the way back to the headlamp switch where I assume it gets the feed. The feed is dead at the lamps, so tomorrow i will check if the feed on the switch is live.
If the switch is duff, I was thinking of getting a supply from the park lamps as they are part of the park lamp circuit.
What do you think ?

Thanks

Rog

[Roger S]

Hi Dave / Morgan

As said I need to check the supply back to the switch, good point re headlights, I am sure they do not come on with ignition off and park lights on, the flaps certainly do not lift in park mode.It also seems odd that the park lights when connected direct to power are brighter than the indicators and yet the wiring connections are original.I suspect i will only use the Park lights once in a blue moon, but I would like them to work as everything else that wasn't now does.

Thanks

Roger

[Roger S]

Dave

Thanks will check that out,my project for tomorrow.

Rog

[Roger S]

Hi Guys

Spent a few hours this morning and good news, front park lights now working. You were right Dave. Traced the feed wire back from the lights to the bulkhead multi-plug, had no power out of the multi-plug engine bay side but had power from the switch to the multi plug, when I pulled the plug apart the connection was all crudded up with white deposits, all, the others were not much better, so good clean and power restored.

Still baffled as to why my park lights were a lot brighter than the indicators I assume it is using the 21 w side of the bulb and the indicators the 5W side as the wires and connections to the light units certainly look original and 50 years old I can only assume it came out of the factory that way, so I altered the wiring around so I now have nice bright indicators and less so parking lights, seems to make more sense.Hope I don't now blow a fuse!

Thanks again guys.

Rog

[Derek]

Glad to see you dot it sorted Roger, you shouldn't be blowing a fuse as you now have it around the right way, Dave is a wealth of knowledge on most things . I told you if you had any problems with your Charger someone would most pobably be able to help out, this is a great club to be in

[Roger S]

Thanks Derek.

Yes I am well chuffed, well worth my membership fee already.
All my electrical issues now sorted and working, can now start installing my new Dakota dash assembly, stand by for more questions LOL.

Rog

[Dave999]

those 2 filament bulbs come in about 3 varieties

1) bog standard globe with 2 filaments 2 solder nipples on the base surrounded by tar like plastic and offset bayonets.
2) a high power mini globe often halogen based with 2 spades and a circular base with bits cut out to force it to be used the correct way round
3) as above with a full circle base that has a nipple in it


1) you can wedge them in the wrong way and then they will always fit both ways because the bayonet fitting has been sprung and twisted in the light

2) bloody hard to get these in backwards as the spring clips won't fit and the bulb sits all wonky

3) relatively easy to get in the wrong way round as the nipple aint that big and you can only feel it hit its corresponding dip if the light fitting by spinning the bulb round until its feels right.


Other options

1) someone took off the big plastic modular connector at the light switch, connected them all up manually and transposed the 2 wires for these functions
2) someone poked the wires out of the bulkhead fitting and accidentally swapped them over when they put them back
3) someone swapped their position on the connector for the back of the lights by splicing in a new one incorrectly or by levering out the connectors and putting them back wrong

park light should be the low wattage one

OR you have terrible oxidation at a connector in 1 feed and not the other making the supposedly brighter of the 2 lights look very dim in comparison with a properly functioning dim park light.

Dave

[Roger S]

Hi Dave

The bulbs are new fitted by me not long after I got the car as one indicator didn't work, come to think of it they were quite difficult to get in as the originals had probably been in for many years. I assumed they were just the standard brake/ tail light double filament ones, I had some in stock.
Be interesting to see if indeed I have managed to get them in the wrong way around, will leave for now but will bare in mind if I have to change one again.

Thanks

Rog

[Dave999]

yeah they will be standard 2 filament bulbs

offset bayonet fitting
spring loaded base connection
press and twist should go in easy
press and twist and its stiff, potentially bayonet on 1 side not hooked into hole and just wedged against side of tube. bulb still works as the other bayonet is probably in a slot at the wrong depth, with the base connectors pressed flat down to the bottom of travel.

if it passes an MOT your suggestion is good leave it till it needs doing and enjoy the car