wiring junction in Jet trunk

Unknown

There is a wiring junction screwed to the side of the trunk in my 54 Super Jet. It accepts 3 wires from the front of the car and outputs 5 to the various lights: 2 for each taillight and one for the license lamp.



Does this come apart or is it a solid unit that would be considered part of the taillight wiring harness? Looks like I can pry it apart but figured I'd check here. Making progress on my electrical troubles... I seem to have a short between the front and back of the car. Unfortunately to replace the wiring I'll have to remove part of the headliner.



Thanks!

Geoff

You can take the junction block off, but it doesn't come apart - it has plug-in sockets for the wires. It would be unusual for the short to be up in the headlining area. I would disconnect each wire from the rear of the junction block in turn and see if the short goes away. If the short is between the bulkhead and the trunk it would be easier to run a new wire under the door sill moulding and carpet, and cut the old section out, rather than remove the headliner.

Geoff.

Unknown

Oh the wires have sockets, okay. I'm not used to this 50's wiring. I'll try to yank the wires out, thanks.

J Spencer

Unusual, yes but not impossible to have a problem in the wiring above the headliner. Some of this wiring may be routed near where the windshield mouldings attach and if someone put a longer screw than factory it may have pierced the wiring. Found this on one once.



Have you checked with a test light or voltmeter for current at the junction? If not I would do that first. If not then you should test at the beginning of each wire to verify for current there. If you have power at the beginning but not the end it would indicate an open circuit in that wire. Double check by powering up each wire with a "hot wire" from the battery on one end and testing for power at the other.



Seems silly, but have you verified that the bulbs are good? they can go bad at the base of the bulb and still look good (no broken filaments)



J Spencer

Unknown

Yes I've tested for power at the tail end, no juice. Also I've tried to jump power to the taillight wiring but I get sparks when briefly connecting it - seems like it is shorting out and of course I don't want to connect it for very long and possibly set the car on fire!