Electrical: No Instrument lights on 62 Hawk

[Steve Winzar]

Hi All. I have no dash lights at all on the 62 Hawk I. I had removed one bulb just above the Ammeter because it was easily gotten at, and the bulb tested ok. I have not yet tested any wiring for current yet, nor the switch. Can anybody tell me how the ground is achieved with the fibreglass dash and only one wire going to the bulb socket? I'm assuming the black wire on the socket carries current. I am assuming the ground might be out.
Steve

[StudeRich]

All the bulb sockets have metal clips that retain them which ground them to the metal box they are clipped into.

The most likely suspect is your Instrument Light Switch or the jumper wire to the Headlight switch.
The contacts in the switch get corroded, have you tried switching it back and forth to all 3 positions several times to clean them?
Sometimes when held almost all the way in High or Low position they will work.

[doofus]

You may have lost your ground.poke around the lite sockets with them switched on and see if you get lite.dash is grounded to that brace below and behind dash. luck Doofus

[Steve Winzar]

Thanks fellas, I will have another look on sunday, when I'm on deck again. Metal box? I am aware of the metal clip the bulb is held by, but I thought all it went into was a fibreglass hole..So I'm still none the wiser as to how the ground is picked up . Would one of you guys mind expanding on that please...?
I have flicked the switch about, but nothing lights up.
Steve

[jclary]

Do you have a continuity tester? A good tool for anyone with a vintage car. If I recall from my days of owning a '62 Hawk, there is an instrument light toggle switch. I believe it allows you to have two brightness settings and an "off" setting. Beyond that, as our vehicles have reached over the half century age, it is possible that enough corrosion has encroached into the fasteners to degrade ground connections. Sometimes, for a corroded switch, it is possible to "awaken" it by flipping it several times. When you finally solve your problem (I'm confident you will), let us know. We learn from the experiences of others.

[StudeRich]

Thanks fellas, I will have another look on Sunday, when I'm on deck again. Metal box? I am aware of the metal clip the bulb is held by, but I thought all it went into was a fiberglass hole..So I'm still none the wiser as to how the ground is picked up . Would one of you guys mind expanding on that please...?
I have flicked the switch about, but nothing lights up.
Steve

The Metal "Box" is a robin egg/baby blue coated inside, LIGHT BOX for the indirect gauge lighting for the SW Factory Gauges with Baby Blue side "Windows", a grounded Bulb Socket goes between each Pair of small Gauges and 2 directly into each of the Speedo, Tach and Clock, all with metal Cases.

If the Light Boxes do NOT have their Ground wire to the dash frame, they need them, but if everything is still Factory original, I am still betting on the Inst. Switch as the culprit.

One simple test would be, using a alligator clip test wire from the Output Instrument Light Terminal of the Headlight Switch (or Hd. or Tail Lts.) to the Output Terminal of the Instrument Light Switch which would bi-pass the Instrument Light Switch.

Then when the Hd. Lt. Sw. is in Parking (or Hd. Lts,) position, the dash lights would HAVE to light if the problem was the Inst. Lt. Sw.

[Steve Winzar]

Thanks Rich and John, I will get into testing tomorrow; I have a test light and a multimeter. So if I understand correctly there will be a ground surface the metal clip contacts when it's pushed into that fibreglass hole- it's just that I can't see it, right?
Steve

[JoeHall]

Most likely, it is the switch. Just run a wire to the dash lights' switch power terminal, from the headlight switch terminal that becomes hot when head or parking lights are turned on. That way, the dash lights are powered directly by the headlight switch, anytime the lights are turned on. I wired my 62GT that way many years ago, and no problems since. The dash light switch often becomes sticky and intermittent, since it is usually switched to the on-hi position and left there. IMHO, the car's dash lights shoulda been wired that way from the factory.

[tsenecal]

Mac tools sells a great test light. It has two leads with clips to hook to known good hot, and known good ground. Then you can check any place whithin the circuit for both power and ground. They are also safe to use on newer computer equipped cars, without danger of frying components.

[StudeRich]

Thanks Rich and John, I will get into testing tomorrow; I have a test light and a multimeter. So if I understand correctly there will be a ground surface the metal clip contacts when it's pushed into that fiberglass hole- it's just that I can't see it, right?Steve

I don't recall ANY Holes in any Fiberglass for the Bulb Sockets, it SHOULD be as I described in Post 6, the Lights go into 2 METAL Boxes for the 4 small gauges and directly into the Large Gauges.
Maybe your Dash is not complete?
Does the FACE of it still look pretty much like this '63?
Click the pic Twice.

[JoeHall]

What are the odds that each individual bulb has lost its ground? Rather than test each bulb's ground, you can take a short cut and provide power to the powered side of the switch; if the lights come on, it ain't the ground. If they do not come on, check the common ground, which is the ground strap on the firewall that grounds the copper oil pressure line to the firewall, via a clamped, braided ground wire. There may be back up grounds for the 62GT's dash lights, but that is the only one I am aware. The wiring schematic does not show WHERE the ground is, only that there is a ground. If your car does not have the oil pressure line ground wire, I'd start by installing one.

[Steve Winzar]

I don't recall ANY Holes in any Fiberglass for the Bulb Sockets, it SHOULD be as I described in Post 6, the Lights go into 2 METAL Boxes for the 4 small gauges and directly into the Large Gauges.
Maybe your Dash is not complete?

Click the pic Twice.

I'm a newbie as to the GT Hawk so forgive me my ignorance . The dash is complete and normal as far as I can see I can't see much under there two days ago, but I pulled out a black plastic socket out of a hole just above where the Ammeter is positioned in what I assumed (and felt) was fibreglass. . The metal clip and bulb stayed in the hole but I pulled 'em out and tested the bulb (ok).
If this is metal, I better go have another look.
Does the FACE of it still look pretty much like this '63?

[Steve Winzar]

Orright- The godawful rain has stopped it is now bright sunlight (typical Melbourne weather!) so I had another look and a poke around with a test light. I pulled out the Instrument light switch. With headlights turned on I combined the three wires on the switch (black/yellow on one terminal + White/green and black on other terminal) and got flickering lights on instruments. It appears all the the spade lugs could do with a clean, which sorted out the intermittent tendencies. The switch has similarly cleaned, sprayed with WD40 and flicked around some more. Feels far 'crisper' in operation (the other switches work but feel 'muddy'). The only issue is that the switch only works in one position (brightest lights) but that's ok. Problem solved for now. The RH indicator dash light wasn't showing but I found it unplugged in the interim- all good now. Thanks for the suggestions everybody....
Steve
1961 Hawk undergoing body-off full restoration
1981 Avanti II RQB 3269
1962 GT Hawk intended 'driver
'