Electrical question: 54 Super Wasp

402Bowtie

Before I start grabbing for straws I thought I would ask the experts first!! On my 54 Super Wasp 4d, the 4 lights in the passenger compartment do not come on. You know the ones that are on the door posts with the white plastic covers. Took bulbs out and no electricity to the sockets. The car has just 38,000 miles on it so I don't think it's anything serious, but not sure.

Also my low beam headlights work fine, but when I push the dimmer switch for the high beam they go off completely. Is this just a bad dimmer switch? Thanks for the help!! Bill

[Deleted User]

Bill, I took my dimmer switch apart and cleaned up the contacts inside to cure the high beams going off problem. As far as the interior lights I found the wires on the light switch all needed cleaning, after 53 years everything electrical was badly oxidized, by the way, a little tarnex silver cleaner will clean up tarnish and improve your connections. I the tight areas I put some on a q-tip especially to clean the inside of bullet connections.



Harry

[Deleted User]

Bill: If you need the 54 Wiring diagram ... I can send it via email.

BTW... is the car Green? There was a very low mileage 54 Wasp sedan for sale a couple of years ago in Nebraska.

Cheers

bob ward

Put your headlights on a relay while you are at it, you don't want all that current running through a 50 + year old light switch. There was also a Hudson service bulletin to this effect in the early 70's. Someone here will have a copy handy

harry54

I second that about putting your headlight on a relay... I had that problem where your driving and the lights go out..... Not fun...

hudsontech

bob ward wrote:

Put your headlights on a relay while you are at it, you don't want all that current running through a 50 + year old light switch. There was also a Hudson service bulletin to this effect in the early 70's. Someone here will have a copy handy

Go to www.freewebs.com/hudsontech - then click on "Tech Bulletins - Vol. 1".



The bulletin you want is 77-1, 1948-1954 Dual Headlight Relay - this was a bulletin Art Adams put in the WTN back in the 70's as a centerfold.



Hudsonly,



Alex Burr

HudsonTech

Memphis, TN

Park_W

Bill, what's puzzling about your door pillar lights is that according to the wiring diagram the power for left side and right side comes from diferent places, yet none of your lights is working. There's no fuse in that circuit, and it's not likely more than one wire would be broken, so that leaves the door switches as a prime suspect. Pop one of them out and see if you have power on one of the terminals (you should have). If so, short the two terminals together and see if the associated pillar light comes on. If it does, it would appear you'll need to replace or open up and clean the switches. Let us know what this test reveals.

402Bowtie

Thanks for the info!! I am on the road selling but this weekend I'll see what I run into. This forum is the greatest!! Again thanks to all! Bill

Fred

Does anybody have a part number for a duel headlight relay. The referenced source doesn't indicate one and when you ask at NAPA they look at you like a deer in headlights (with or without the relay).

Fred

Unknown

Fred wrote:

Does anybody have a part number for a duel headlight relay. The referenced source doesn't indicate one and when you ask at NAPA they look at you like a deer in headlights (with or without the relay).

Fred

Usually I would suggest using the VW relays to complete this task, but I went to the INTERNET for a looksee... this very interesting site was produced from a GOOGLE search. Check it out:



http://www.culayer.com/Matchbox.htm







Appears that someone has taken the time to create a solution for all the vintage car folks. Price is high but two VW relays will bring a similar total cost to the buyer. The site is filled with clear information on how to wire this relay and best of all it is small.



Good Luck