My Lark VI is HAUNTED!!

[Lark Novice]

Well in the weirdest of the weird department-- my studebaker lark clock which stopped working May 25 2012 mysteriously started back up today by itself. It is keeping perfect time since early this morning. I have done nothing to it to help it restart-- it is just all of a sudden working again. Is my car haunted?

[StudeRich]

They do start and stop on their own quite often, but I never have heard of one STAYING Running correctly very long after a sleep!

It is always the electric motor re-wind points that become dirty and prevent winding, it must have been a Temperature change that caused it.

[Scott]

Probably. I think mine is haunted, too. The backup lights have not worked since I replaced a light bulb, and I find nothing wrong with the wiring. At least yours was a positive experience.

[StudeRich]

Probably. I think mine is haunted, too. The backup lights have not worked since I replaced a light bulb, and I find nothing wrong with the wiring. At least yours was a positive experience.

Check the Backup Light Switch and it's connections, Oil, grease and dirt will insulate the terminals if it is an Underhood Mounted one like 1960 & earlier.
Corrosion can do it to the '61 and Up Column mount type, or mis-adjustment, wear etc.

[JimC]

Not even joking. There is a little melody that plays sometimes when I use my turn signal. It sounds like one of those little toys that plays short musical tunes. No idea where it's coming from, but I'm guessing someone put it under the dash someplace. It's hard to track because it only happens when turning, which is usually on a street at respectable speeds. I want to pull out the dash this winter to have it re-vinyled, so we'll see if it turns up then.

[StudeRich]

If it IS actual MUSIC, it must be a fancy Turn Signal Flasher that plays a tune instead of clicking!
Sounds like something J.C. Whitney would have had decades ago!

On the other hand if it's just weird screeching NOISE when turning, it would be from the Horn Switch under the Steering Wheel.

-Studebaker Service-
Decoding Studebaker sounds:

Ping, Ping Ping $45.00
Ping, Clang, Clang $75.00
Clang, Clunk, Clunk $100.00
Clank, Thunk, Knock $200.00
Thunk, Knock, Knock $300.00

[sweetolbob]

-Studebaker Service-
Decoding Studebaker sounds:

Ping, Ping Ping $45.00
Ping, Clang, Clang $75.00
Clang, Clunk, Clunk $100.00
Clank, Thunk, Knock $200.00
Thunk, Knock, Knock $300.00

Those must be 1967 prices!!

[jclary]

Haunted??? NO!

Corroded...YES!

[JimC]

If it IS actual MUSIC, it must be a fancy Turn Signal Flasher that plays a tune instead of clicking!
Sounds like something J.C. Whitney would have had decades ago!

On the other hand if it's just weird screeching NOISE when turning, it would be from the Horn Switch under the Steering Wheel.

-Studebaker Service-
Decoding Studebaker sounds:

Ping, Ping Ping $45.00
Ping, Clang, Clang $75.00
Clang, Clunk, Clunk $100.00
Clank, Thunk, Knock $200.00
Thunk, Knock, Knock $300.00

That's the thing, it's an actual song! It sounds like one of those cheap little mini pianos that were big in the 80's, like this one:



The tune is even clearly identifiable - it's "love me tender". The weird thing is that it's very intermittent when it happens. It might happen 5 times in the course of a couple days, and then it won't come back for months. Initially it was driving me batty. I literally thought I was going nuts. Then a friend was riding somewhere with me, and he heard it too.

My curiosity has been really eating at me, and I want to start going through the spaghetti that is my dash wiring. There are so many patches and repairs and whatnot under there that it truly wouldn't surprise me if someone had put a little music box on that circuit in the past to know they had their blinker on!

[reichsrundfunk]

Aww c'mon guys. That's just ol' JM having some fun - at your expense :-)

[Corvanti]

my '63 Avanti played the "Twilight Zone" theme anytime she wanted to!!!

Jim C. - good to see you're back on the forum!