The Ford Barn

elwood · 01-05-2019, 06:23 PM

hey guys, being a positive ground car, so if I hook my test light to the - on the battery, can you tell me which of these contacts should light my test light ?
using the notch at the bottom as a reference point,
thanks ...

mrtexas · 01-05-2019, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwood

hey guys, being a positive ground car, so if I hook my test light to the - on the battery, can you tell me which of these contacts should light my test light ?
using the notch at the bottom as a reference point,
thanks ...

Post the other side of the plate

JSeery · 01-05-2019, 10:31 PM

One of the groups of three contacts should all be hot. The other two groups of three should not. Do you have the wiring diagram?

cas3 · 01-05-2019, 11:13 PM

if the wire harness is all hooked up, one should be hot all the time. got a multimeter or test light?

JSeery · 01-05-2019, 11:41 PM

What are you referring to as one? The group of three connectors are bridged by a buss bar so all three connectors in the group are hot.

petehoovie · 01-05-2019, 11:46 PM

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This is diagram is a little clearer but it's for a '35 which I think is basically the same as the '34 as far as the lighting switch is concerned....

elwood · 01-05-2019, 11:47 PM

hey guys, yea so there are 3 groups of 3, and 3 are hot, but nothing is working, its not even sending power to the tail lights,
shouldn't it work when I put the rotary connector on it by its self and turn it to test it ?
I did download a diagram from mac vanpelt but cant read and of it, its so blury .

JSeery · 01-05-2019, 11:59 PM

Then you are not getting power to the switch. The brake light just uses the switch as a connection point and is connected to the hot wiring such that it is hot all the time. The problem is in the wire to the switch. The tail lights do require the movable contacts to work.G

On the wiring diagram, the three sets of three contacts are labeled:

BATT this set of three contacts are power in and the brake light wire

TAIL these three contacts are also connected together with a buss bar so the tail lights are on in Park, Low Beam & High Beam

The last grouping are labeled individually and are PARK, HIGH & LOW.

Can you read the diagram Pete posted?

deuce lover · 01-06-2019, 02:35 AM

Do you have the wire from the loom that connects to the left side of the starter switch (at steering box),connected?

mrtexas · 01-06-2019, 08:27 AM

The part with the brass connectors on it shouldn't be loose like that which is the reason it doesn't work. It is clipped on with a spring under it. Looks repro to me and the solution to that problem is get an original. I'll sell you this original that works for $50 plus postage.

[/IMG]https://fordbarn.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=2057&pictureid=41204[/IMG]

Kurt in NJ · 01-06-2019, 01:32 PM

How are you checking for power??, with no load a voltmeter can show voltage through a poor connection, but it will disappear as soon as a load is on the circuit ---try a jumper on the back side, I have also seen rivit connections go bad, have had to solder the rivit to the connecter

Terry,OH · 01-06-2019, 03:39 PM

I have mentioned this several times the wiring on the light switch as shown in Fords diagrams is incorrect. check out the attached. As noted on the diagram this is the wiring end so just use a jumper between wires. What happened to your center horn contact, it usually is a flat solid contact yours appears as a tube?

JSeery · 01-06-2019, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry,OH

I have mentioned this several times the wiring on the light switch as shown in Fords diagrams is incorrect.

All of the wiring diagrams are somewhat stylized.

rotorwrench · 01-06-2019, 07:15 PM

The horn contact was likely removed. There is a fuse up under the dash panel that feeds the yellow/red wire to the light switch. Check the fuse first. If it's good then the Y/R wire can be checked at the switch connection. If no current there then the wire may be open somewhere. As mentioned before, the Y/R wire is attached to the switch and powers three of the terminals in the 10 terminal switch and those three are grouped together so that power can be distributed in all of the required positions of that switch.

Switch function would be all lights off, park lights only on, low beam head lights on w/running lights, and high beam head lights on w/running lights positions. Negative cable at the battery is the power in a positive ground system and anywhere on the frame is ground.

elwood · 01-07-2019, 01:45 PM

thanks for all the replies guys, I found a sometimes good sometimes bad power wire running to the switch.
Fixed that, now all is good ...

01-05-2019, 10:31 PM	#3
JSeery Member Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 16,132	Re: 34 roadster light switch One of the groups of three contacts should all be hot. The other two groups of three should not. Do you have the wiring diagram?

01-05-2019, 11:13 PM	#4
cas3 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: sw minnesota Posts: 4,571	Re: 34 roadster light switch if the wire harness is all hooked up, one should be hot all the time. got a multimeter or test light?

01-05-2019, 11:41 PM	#5
JSeery Member Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 16,132	Re: 34 roadster light switch What are you referring to as one? The group of three connectors are bridged by a buss bar so all three connectors in the group are hot.

01-05-2019, 11:46 PM	#6
petehoovie Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8,111	Re: 34 roadster light switch Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) This is diagram is a little clearer but it's for a '35 which I think is basically the same as the '34 as far as the lighting switch is concerned.... __________________ The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... *"Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!"* "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0 Last edited by petehoovie; 01-06-2019 at 12:10 AM.

01-05-2019, 11:59 PM	#8
JSeery Member Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 16,132	Re: 34 roadster light switch Then you are not getting power to the switch. The brake light just uses the switch as a connection point and is connected to the hot wiring such that it is hot all the time. The problem is in the wire to the switch. The tail lights do require the movable contacts to work.G On the wiring diagram, the three sets of three contacts are labeled: BATT this set of three contacts are power in and the brake light wire TAIL these three contacts are also connected together with a buss bar so the tail lights are on in Park, Low Beam & High Beam The last grouping are labeled individually and are PARK, HIGH & LOW. Can you read the diagram Pete posted? Last edited by JSeery; 01-06-2019 at 12:07 AM.

01-06-2019, 02:35 AM	#9
deuce lover Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern France Posts: 5,305	Re: 34 roadster light switch Do you have the wire from the loom that connects to the left side of the starter switch (at steering box),connected?

01-06-2019, 08:27 AM	#10
mrtexas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sugar Land, TX Posts: 4,395	Re: 34 roadster light switch The part with the brass connectors on it shouldn't be loose like that which is the reason it doesn't work. It is clipped on with a spring under it. Looks repro to me and the solution to that problem is get an original. I'll sell you this original that works for $50 plus postage. [/IMG]https://fordbarn.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=2057&pictureid=41204[/IMG] __________________ 41 woodie https://41fordwoodie.weebly.com/ Last edited by mrtexas; 01-06-2019 at 10:26 AM.

01-06-2019, 01:32 PM	#11
Kurt in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: on the Littlefield Posts: 6,157	Re: 34 roadster light switch How are you checking for power??, with no load a voltmeter can show voltage through a poor connection, but it will disappear as soon as a load is on the circuit ---try a jumper on the back side, I have also seen rivit connections go bad, have had to solder the rivit to the connecter

01-06-2019, 07:15 PM	#14
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,426	Re: 34 roadster light switch The horn contact was likely removed. There is a fuse up under the dash panel that feeds the yellow/red wire to the light switch. Check the fuse first. If it's good then the Y/R wire can be checked at the switch connection. If no current there then the wire may be open somewhere. As mentioned before, the Y/R wire is attached to the switch and powers three of the terminals in the 10 terminal switch and those three are grouped together so that power can be distributed in all of the required positions of that switch. Switch function would be all lights off, park lights only on, low beam head lights on w/running lights, and high beam head lights on w/running lights positions. Negative cable at the battery is the power in a positive ground system and anywhere on the frame is ground.

01-07-2019, 01:45 PM	#15
elwood Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Dallas Posts: 1,053	Re: 34 roadster light switch thanks for all the replies guys, I found a sometimes good sometimes bad power wire running to the switch. Fixed that, now all is good ...