Parking lights on and off

[Deleted User]
edited August 2013 in HUDSON
When the parking lights on my 53 jet are turned on they make a clicking sound, go off then come back on again, it repeats every few seconds. Anybody got any ideas???

Thanks, Barry Smedley
53 Super Jet
and a bunch of Crosley's

Comments

  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    Old Car Poltergeists. Obviously, it's a short somewhere, and it sounds as though the short is coming from a relay. Do just the parking lights blink, or do all of them blink along with the parking lights whilst they are on? Is the system still a 6V system?
  • The dash lights, tail lights all go out, when the head lights are on it doesn't do it. and it is still 6 volt system.

    Thanks, Barry
  • The parking lights are off when the headlight switch is in the headlight position. If your headlights stay on with no problem there is a short somewhere in the parking light circuit causing the breaker to trip, When just the parking lights are on.
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    You nailed it, Joe.
  • Yes you have a short in one or the other parking lite .There is a terminal strip on either side of the radiator where you can un-hook wires to the headlights and parking lites. Un-hook one and then the other to isolate where your problem is,
    Roger
  • RonS
    RonS Senior Contributor
    edited August 2013
    I'm looking at my wire diagram for my 53 hornet. Is it the same as the Jet? Line #20 goes to the foot dimmer from terminal H( headlight & probably OK). Line #19 goes to the Aux CB( light switch feed) & then to the tail light and dash harness#21, &22( parking lamp).This may be the culprit area. Even a CB ( Aux)could be going bad. # 19 (hot) goes first through the Aux CB on the way to the light switch terminal for dash ,parking and tail/license lamps. Barry, try to find a diagram for a Jet. Without a diagram Barry is going to find it only by luck. BTW, I and as most of us recommend a relay for the headlights.
  • I have the wiring diagram for the jet, I guess I will have to start tracing wires. Thanks, I'll let you all know what I find.

    Thanks, Barry
  • lostmind
    lostmind Expert Adviser
    I think the license plate light is on the same circuit. You can disconnect one light at a time and recheck. If the short is still there with the lights disconnected, than there is a short in the harness
  • The license plate light is on when your headlights are on, If there was a short in the license plate light the Headlights would not stay on. His Circuit breaker only trips when he has the switch in the parking light position.
  • RonS
    RonS Senior Contributor
    On the hornet the L plate Light is on a circuit with the front Hudson crest. #21 from the T terminal which is also dash lights. T is for tail lights. B = battery ,H= headlights & P = parking. The P & T are lit together from the B. When H is lit then the internal disk in the switch is only contacting the B powering the H & T. I believe there is only 3 small bumps on that disk so since there are 4 terminals only 3 are ever hot at one time H&P are the variables. I would think that the Jet is the same. GM cars are the same except they use a pull contact switch instead of a roller. Even a Model A Ford works like Hudson. Frankly, I would buy a new auxCB . It is cheap and good to have an extra. They wear out over time. Then go from there if the same thing happens. BTY, does the CB fail immediately when powered or does it take a few seconds to start clicking?
  • You can narrow down which circuit is causing the trouble By seeing what still works. If it just does it with the parking lights on but not in the headlight position, The tail lights would be ok as they are on in both headlight and parking light mode. So it would have to be in the front light wire, that powers the filament, that stays on all the time, or the Hudson badge light. You can disconnect the wires from the post on the block on the drivers side, to cut the power to the passenger side, and the badge . If the drivers side stays on and does not trip the breaker, that circuit is good, connect one wire at a time back to the drivers side block until it trips and you've found the bad circuit.
  • I found the problem! It was the terminal on the passenger side, the insulation underneath the terminal was broke and the screw for the parking light wire was touching the terminal body. Put on a rubber washer and all is good! Thanks guys!!

    Barry Smedley
    53 Super Jet
    and a bunch of Crosley's
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