C1 lighting question

[Eric A.]

Need some guideance on how the lighting system should work. Hear are my questions:

I know when the headlight switch is in parking mode the front fog lights and tail lights are on with a light volt load or not so bright light.

Question: When the main headlights are on are the taillights suppose to be on just like in the parking light mode, kind of light running lights in a normal today's cars?

License plate lights ? When should they been on ? Parking light mode ? Main headlight mode? Etc.

My brakes lights work, blinkers work, parking lights work both front and rear HOWEVER I can not get the license plate lights to turn on. I have double check the ground at the bumper and it is confirmed grounded.

THnaks,

Eric

[Frank D.]

Re: C1 lighting question

Need some guideance on how the lighting system should work. Hear are my questions:

I know when the headlight switch is in parking mode the front fog lights and tail lights are on with a light volt load or not so bright light.

No fog lights on a C1; you must mean parking lights and the voltage to them is the same with the headlight switch pulled out to the first or second position

Question: When the main headlights are on are the taillights suppose to be on just like in the parking light mode, kind of light running lights in a normal today's cars?

Of course the taillights should be on when the headlights are on. What is the point of having lighting in front at night and no lights in the rear?

License plate lights ? When should they been on ? Parking light mode ? Main headlight mode? Etc.

Definitely when the headlights are on; and also when the parking lights are on I believe.

My brakes lights work, blinkers work, parking lights work both front and rear HOWEVER I can not get the license plate lights to turn on. I have double check the ground at the bumper and it is confirmed grounded.

THnaks,

Eric

[Bruce B.]

Re: C1 lighting question

If I remember correctly on both my 57 and 62 when the headlights are on (switch pulled out all the way to the second position) the front parking lights are off but as Frank points the tail lights are also on. Of course front signal lights flash when activated along with the appropriate tail lights.
I will double check tomorrow when the temp goes above 10 degrees, I hope.
Some guys do wire their cars so the front parking lights stay on with the headlights.
Bruce B

[Steve G.]

Re: C1 lighting question

Your license plate light should be on any time the tail lights are on. they are on the same circuit/wire. If they are not working and you've confirmed no power to the the bulb you will want to follow the wire back to where it splices into the tail light harness, looking for a break along the way. Someone else may be better able to tell you where the splice is, but in all liklihood you will find the break nearer the lic plate light end.

Pretty sure frt park lights are on only in the first on detent, then off with headlights on.

Steve

By confirming no power to the light I mean testing the centre contact with a 12 volt circuit test light making sure you have a good ground for your testers. If you have power to the centre contact and a confirmed good ground and bulb, look at the socket closely to ensure the contact isn't stuck up in the socket.

[Frank D.]

Re: C1 lighting question

On rare occasions those bulbs don't make contact....I've had to add some solder to the contacts on the bottom of the bulb a few times to provide enough 'meat' for the bulb to hit the socket contacts....

[Duke W.]

Re: C1 lighting question

On C1s and most C2s the front parking lights should only be on at the first detent along with the tail lights and license plate light. When the knob is pulled to the second detent to turn on the headlights the front parking lights should go off.

The requirement for front parking lights to remain on when the headlights are on was a FMVSS that went into effect , IIRC, for the '67 or '68 model year, but it's easy to rearrage the wiring to implement this on earlier cars and some guys "updated" their older cars by doing so.

Duke