1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

I am rewiring my 28 model A Tudor. It is a single bulb headlight system. I purchased a wire harness from Snyder's so it is color coded correctly. My issue is the wires coming out of the headlights are not color coded. Someone just used red and yellow wire on the headlights. I assume both bulb filaments are supposed to come on for high beam but I am unsure which filament is to come on for low beam. I tried both filaments and my wife and myself differ on which single filament we think is brighter than the other. Maybe it doesn't matter but would like to have it working correctly. Also I do not know what is supposed to come on with each position of the light switch in the center of the steering wheel. It appears to me with the handle straight down everything is to be off. I can move it one notch towards the drivers door and it appears low beam lights come on. Then if I move it one notch towards passenger side also it looks as if low beams come on and 2 notches towards the passenger side the high beams come on. So my question there is why would the low beams come on with one notch to the left or right from bottom position. I do not have the tail lights connected yet so does one position verses the other have something to do with the tail lights of am I not seeing something correctly. I should add the car does not have cowl lights. Please provide me with any guidance you can.

Thank you
Joe

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

one fillament is for low one is for high shell is ground...

6 o clock is off,

7:30 o clock should be parking lights only, i believe with single bulb systems they had cowl lights and they should come on in this position.

4:30 o clock is lows

3 o clock is highs

sometimes the bulb fillaments are both 32cp, just positioned differently in the bulb thus creating a more of a spot light vs flood light (high vs low) like mag lights you can rotate the lens and make it more of a flood light or adjust it correctly to a spot light - same bulb same brightness just different focusing.

might hold the lens up over the light shining at a wall and see which beam reaches higher or appears brighter.

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

Thank you for the quick response. Makes sense to me now.
Joe

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

First make sure the filaments are HORIZONTAL as the bulb is mounted in the headlamp. Some repro sockets aren't correct or got turned in the reflector.
Both filaments should never be on at the same time.
The upper filament is the LOW beam, and the lower filament is the HIGH beam when both filaments are driving beams. Original bulbs for 1928 had only a driving filament and a parking filament in the single bulb in the headlamp.
The taillight should be on in ALL switch positions except OFF.
Do you have a copy of the owners manual? It shows the switch positions. For my 1928 with it's 3 position headlamp switch, 6 o'clock is off, one click left is parking, and one click right is driving beams.

1929 and later with high/low beams has a 4 position switch. 6 is off, 7 is parking, 5 is low, and 4 o'clock is high.

BTW, a welding helmet is good to use to see which filament is burning.

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

Tom, I really enjoy reading your replies. There is always something to learn. Sometimes the common sense ideas blow me away.

Your latest...'BTW, a welding helmet is good to use to see which filament is burning.' is great.

However, only 21,418 replies.

Thanks, Tom.

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

Bulb alignment

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

So which of the two filaments are on top, the small one or large one?

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

Does your headlights have fluted lens and your tail light is the tuna can style ?

If so you need the first style light switch with a bail; this switch only has 3 positions, 1 position left is park, center is off, and right of center is on for headlights, no high beam. The headlight blubs are 21/3 candle power.

This light switch uses a special terminal block that only has 3 positions and is internally completely different than the later light switch that is made for high and low beam headlights.

Sacramento Vintage Ford makes the wiring harness that has the proper color coded 2 headlight wires; also the tail light wires go clear to the tuna can tail tight and plug into the tail light.

I have a Feb. 29 Roadster that still has the fluted headlight lens and tuna can tail light; the tail light bracket mounts with 3 bolts to the body sill not on the fender like the later A's, It has the light switch I described above, no high beam, and 21/3 headlight blubs.

Ron Rude

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

The original bulb for the fluted headlamp, as Ron just mentioned is easy to tell by the long thin parking filament, and the short heavy driving filament.
Other 2 filament bulbs such as 35/35 or 35/50, which are high/low driving beams aren't quite so easy to tell, but normally you can see the short heavy filament is the heavy amp draw filament and used for brights.

When the filaments are identical, then the top filament gives lower illumination on the road, so it's low beam.

Re: 1928 Tudor headlight wiring
 

I failed to answer your question regarding the use of red and yellow to your headlights. If the person did not have the correct light switch it is possible, if you use a later switch, to use just two wires to the head lights, the yellow goes to the park position in the switch; if you have the correct 21-3 CP blubs, when you put the switch to park it will bring on the 3 CP side of the blub; by using yellow and green and cutting off the red wire, when you move the switch 1 position to the right it brings on the 21 CP of the blub in the head lights for driving; by cutting the red wire off of the terminal, the 3 position on the switch is open and does not work.

Back in the early 60's I had a late 28, but not the correct light switch, so I made the modification above so it worked like I had the correct light switch. I suspect the person who had your 28 Tudor may have modified the wires to your headlights.

By the way, the 28 Harness made by Vintage Ford is actually 2 harnesses, one to the headlights and horn, the other to the stoplight switch and taillight. Vintage set up using my original harnesses; the other thing unique to the taillight harness, the 2 wires to the stoplight switch is also in a loom, and the tail light wires are in a loom and reach clear to the taillight.

Ron Rude