Electrical: 1948 studebaker dashboard lights

[Guest]

i have a 1948 commander and the dashboard lights do not work at all.
do you know if car has fuse box or location of fuse ?

[rockne10]

Probably operates off circuit breaker with headlights but,are you sure?
Dash lights are in black light filter; originally made numbers and needles glow. Over the years that luminous paint has deteriorated.
When it is very dark and you turn on the dash lights you may still detect a faint bluish glow in the dash. Different problem.

[starlightchamp]

https://www.studebakerparts.com/studebakerparts/store/s/agora.cgi?page=wirediagrams.html

Go to above site and select diagram for 47,48,49 champion. It shows the instrument lights are
switched by the headlight switch. I didn't see a fuse but usually the headlight has a breaker.
As stated above, the instrument lights are nearly impossible to see in daylight so use a voltmeter
to check at one of the bulb sockets.

[RadioRoy]

Do the tail lights work? They should be on the same circuit as the dash lights.

But, like everyone already said, even when the dash lights actually are working they are not like modern dash lights, or dash lights of other brands.

[Guest]

yes the tail lights work and all other lights and turning signals work but you cant drive the car at night as i feel is too dangerous.
do you have any idea how to correct this problem ?
does any one out there know a good mechanic in the chicago or orland park, il. that i can approach to do work for me on this car (it is a frame 0ff restoration,)and i have not been able to find any qualified mechanic that is familar with old studebakers. this car deserves proper attention.
thanks

[StudeRich]

You need to join the Chicagoland Chapter of SDC, there are many knowledgeable, friendly people there that could help or know where to get help.

As mentioned here, the first step is a simple test of the bulbs and sockets that snap right out of the dash to see if they are getting power when their case is grounded to the dash frame and Parking or Head Lights on as well as the small knob in the center of the headlight switch needs to be on.

[gordr]

Park the car in a darkened garage, or wait until it is really dark out, and away from exterior lighting. Nice and dark inside the car? Good. Pull the headlamp switch out to the park lamp position, and rotate the knob from stop to stop, since, if I remember right, the '48s have a rotary dimmer for the dash lamps. See if you get a glimmer at any point. If the dash lamps are fully lit, you can see a deep purple glow if you squint around the edges of the dials. The numeral themselves should glow a greenish white like the face of a luminous watch.

If you see nothing for light at all, try popping out one or two of the dash lamps, which can be readily done by feel alone. Hold a lamp where you can see it, with the socket against a good ground (or use a clip lead to ground it, even better), and go through the routine with the headlight switch. If that gets you no results, try a new bulb; they are cheap enough. If that gets you no results, connect your clip lead to a hot terminal on the ignition switch or headlight switch, and connect it to the center button of one dash lamp socket. The remaining dash lamps should come on. If they do, then a bad headlamp switch or dimmer rheostat is indicated. If no lamps come on, there may be a major wiring fault under the dash.

BTW, if the dash lamps don't work, the car isn't "fully-restored". They missed something.

[RadioRoy]

We still have not established if the lights are working or not. That's really the first crucial step.

If the lights really are working, but you still cannot read the speedo because the paint has gone bad, it may be possible to remove the glass UV filters and let the lights shine directly on the instruments.

[rockne10]

We still have not established if the lights are working or not. That's really the first crucial step.

True!
Pop a dash socket out and ground it with the switch on. If the bulb isn't burned out it should light.
If you remove or somehow bypass the filters, you will probably want to install a rheostat in the circuit. There is no brightness adjustment on the switch and a brightly lit dash at night is not a good idea.