1955 president 2 door c body If you start at the right rear taillight,and work your way to the left taillight, the wires are running somewhere on the frame, with the gas tank in the way ,it's hard to see where the wires are.There's the license plate wire, then from there would be the left tailight wires, then from there the wires go on top somewhere to the frame, should I take off the tire, to trace the wires? Right taillight doesn't work.
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Oh the body is the ground. Looking @ the book. -
Maybe I should take the monster to the electrical shop, really can't afford it. Just tried the front blinkers ,that I wired earlier this summer ,and they don't work. Had the ignition to the on position, and nothing.Comment
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If I take out one of the headlights, and try some power to it , which one of those blades is ground?Comment
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Sounds like you need a good test light and probably a new flasher. You shouldn't have to remove a wheel or any parts to trace the wires from the right rear to the left rear. The wires run along the rear frame. You may some bare wires causing a short like I did at the back on my '55 sedan.
Jim Caldwell
"The view don't change if you ain't the lead dog"Comment
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Hey, hold on..who did you say wired the front blinkers...? And THEY don't work? Sounds like the kinda thing any good electrical shop could straighten out for between $1000-$1500...Comment
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I feel for you I just went through simalar with my 55 coupe. The lights are grounded through the body check that screws bolts are in good condition tight and clean of dirt etc. Everywere that wires conect clean and check condition of conector. I just replaced turn siginal switch all was good then I closed the hood. Right side stopped working finaly checked 5post conector on fan shroud one post loose an rusty. Wire brushed tightened all is good. All the old timers say chech the grounds they are right.Use dielectric tune up grease to.Comment
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I use a voltmeter across each connection as shown here
12 volts = bad ground or connection (or blown fuse)(and the light may light when you test the piece of the circuit)
should be a small fraction of a volt when device is working
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If you have a bad ground, the parking light element will will flash instead of the brighter turn signal element. Something will blink. Do the green indicator arrows flash or even light up? If not, grab your test light, turn on the ignition switch, and probe each of the wires where the flasher plugs in. If one lights up the test light, you most likely have a bad flasher. If not, you have a blown fuse, or other problem further up the line. As far as the right taillight goes, it, will still light up if there is a bad ground (it will ground through the brake light element). If the license plate light works, your problem most likely lies between it and the right taillight. Poke around and see what you find. LH
"I'm allergic to small block Chevys."Whirling dervish of misinformation.Comment
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Thanks lark hunter I will try those things you mentioned! The green lights I don't think light up . I would of noticed that.Comment
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Do the brake lights work?
We found a bad light socket on our "Super Coup"
Fred
**I'm not the best speller...FireFox catches most of my mistakes, but I use IE at work**
**Edited for spelling!! I'm probably still wrong too!Comment
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That's funny! I need that!Comment
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Well today I probed again, and like they say sleep on it , the probe lit up . So I cut the wires ,and decided to cut some more, and then I soldered a new wire in there, and hooked up and no light,... So took it to electrical place,and at first they said oh it needs to be sandblasted ,cause there's no ground. Well I said something that it doesn't light up, and some guy was talking it over in the back room. Then he came out ,and said there's a tiny non visual crack and the socket wasn't grounded. He said to solder around the base of the socket, but what kind of metal is that? So then he said to try soldering a piece of wire, from the socket to the base of the housing, if it can be soldered. He took the housing ,and was off to the races, so I just left my number, and might try calling tomorrow before work. Anyone know what the taillight housing is made out of? Then in the mail today is a letter from the studebaker national Museum / catalog. (tiny 3 pages ) One of the mounting bosses of the taillight housing has a crack ,and you can see some daylight. Not sure if I'll do anything right now about a different taillight housing. Great studebaker Day!Thanks to everyone!!Comment
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I think the taillight housing is chromed pot metal. LH
"I'm allergic to small block Chevys."Whirling dervish of misinformation.Comment
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What can you do to pot metal, i.e. weld or solder, or braze ????
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