67 Instrumentation Lights Issue

[ryan92262]

Hooray! We just purchased our first Thunderbird! A '67 Tudor Landau ... overall in great shape. We took her out for her first night ride tonight and voila, we discovered that there was one thing we didn't check pre-sale: instrumentation lights.

Our headlights works great, sequential tail lights work, interior courtesy lights come on ... but no instrumentation lights.

I turned the base of the headlamp switch knob ... but it turns quite a bit counter-clockwise until the switch becomes quite loose. To the right it turns until it stops tight. If I understand it, this is normally how one would adjust the instrumentation brightness, but it has no effect this one.

I haven't checked fuses yet, but am wondering if this rotating base is rotating too much and, therefore, the culprit may possibly be a bad switch.

Any pointers appreciated. And thanks for putting up with a newbie!

[dales65]

Welcome and congrats on the purchase. Just to make sure.... you're turning the knob its self?... not the base attachment ring of the headlight switch?

It's the knob and the rheostat that it controls on the headlight switch that adjusts the dash lights.

Cheers
Dale

[ryan92262]

Welcome and congrats on the purchase. Just to make sure.... you're turning the knob its self?... not the base attachment ring of the headlight switch?

It's the knob and the rheostat that it controls on the headlight switch that adjusts the dash lights.

Cheers
Dale

Thanks, Dale. I turned the knob as well. I should have mentioned that. It turned the courtesy lights on, but had no effect on the instrumentation lights. Looking at a diagram online taken from a manual, though, it looked like it there was a control at the base of the knob for instrumentation light adjustment.

[dales65]

OK, now we are clear on that, I'll go out on a bit of a limb as I've never looked at your year. On mine (65) the headlight switch has an external rheostat with a series of contacts, it's not unusual that these contacts and the moveable arm get corroded and don't make the circuit. If there's someone out there with the same car and wants to chime in, feel free.

It's a bit tight to get under the dash with the drivers seat in place but doable, check the switch and clean up the contacts with electrical contact cleaner and a small strip of very fine sandpaper, that usually is enough to solve the problem, if not you make be looking at a new switch.

Don't worry about "newbie" questions we've all been there at some point and most of us still learning.

Cheers
Dale

[ryan92262]

So the fuse checks out okay. The same fuse (#5 in the glove box) is the same fuse for the glove box light and that works fine with its switch. So, I have to assume the chances are pretty good I have a faulty switch.

It is the knob that turns to change the instrument illumination intensity. I was wrong about there being a ring. See this image from the owner's manual:
http://oldcarbrochures.org/index.php/NA ... -Manual-06

I also discovered that in the box that came with the car, the previous owner had purchased a replacement switch in 1997. It's a Motorcraft part, but I haven't checked to make sure it is the *correct* Motorcraft part. I tried to figure out how to remove the current switch, then gave up due to the heat here in the California desert. Even with a cooling system in the garage, it is still 90 degrees in there.

If anyone has any tips on how to remove the switch I'll be happy to read 'em.

Thanks!

[ve4jnf]

Hi i am a electrical goo roo go to your fuse box you will see a fuse in the front with only one clip instead of two. but a aligater clip on the clip turn the key on
in the back of the fuse block you will see a tiny fuse at the upper back touch the wire to it the dash light should come on full. if they do replace head light switch very cheep.