lights

[alex_510042]

Hi I have a 1952 studebaker champion and im having a lil trouble with the lights when u turn them on they work good but after awhile they start turnin on and off by them self. can anybody help me?

[stude freak]

With no great deal of information provided . Sounds like a short in wiring or connecions.

David Baggett Mantachie,Ms.

[studegary]

The lights turning off and on is probably the circuit breaker cycling off and on. This would indicate a short somewhere. The secondary possibility is an intermittent open, such as a poor connection at the light switch.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY
1954 Commander Starliner (restomod)
1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[Guido]

I had the exact same problem on a '62 Willys wagon I owned in the late '70's. It had one of the old ceramic type switches that had gone bad. Picked up a new one at NAPA and solved the problem.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

1946 M-16 fire truck
1948 M-16 grain truck
1949 2R16A grain truck
1949 2R17A fire truck
1955 E-38 grain truck
1957 3E-40 flatbed
1961 6E-28 grain truck
1962 7E-13D 4x4 rack truck
1962 7E-7 Champ pickup
1962 GT Hawk 4 speed
1964 Avanti R2 4 speed
1964 Cruiser
And various other "treasures"
Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond & Louisa, Va.

[ROADRACELARK]

Also check and or replace the dimmer switch...these can short and trip the circuit breaker.HTH OBTW, SI has these, #519246,$18.60.
Dan

Road Racers turn left AND right.

[Roscomacaw]

I think the first thing I'd look at is the circuit breaker. It's 54 years old now! And these things CAN get tired - I know I do.[|)] For that matter, it could even be a loose connection AT that circuit breaker or somewhere else in the light circuit. If this 52 still sports it's original wiring, there's LOTSA possibilities for shorts to occur as that old cloth/rubber insulation falls off.

BTW, that circuit breaker is usually mounted right to the rear of the light switch. It's a little rectangular metal cannister with two terminals sticking out one side of it.

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[r1lark]

quote:Originally posted by ROADRACELARK

Also check and or replace the dimmer switch...these can short and trip the circuit breaker.HTH OBTW, SI has these, #519246,$18.60.
Dan

I second Dan's suggestion on the dimmer switch. I had this happen on the '55 V8 1/2 ton pickup that I drove for a number of years as as daily driver. One night I got called out to work, and driving down one of those DARK country roads at 60 mph, I dimmed the headlights for an oncoming car, and the headlights just disappeared! After about a second, a lot of stomping on the dimmer switch ensued, and they came back on<G>. From then until I finally got a chance to change the dimmer switch, the headlights could go out at any time.

Paul

Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: http://hometown.aol.com/r1skytop/myhomepage/index.html

[Roscomacaw]

Paul,

On a recent trip, I had the same thing happen on the Transtar. Actually, it happened when I went to Hi-beam. But they STAYED out thereafter! [:0] NOT amusing on a dark and twisty road with NOplace to easily pull off!
The culprit turned out to be a female blade connector on the HL switch. the one that feeds the hi-lo switch. I reasoned that the higher load of the Hi beams overloaded the poor connection at the HL switch. I changed the crimped on female blade connector and it's been two years now.
There's alot of connections that can cause grief, but since this one's intermittently going on and off, I think the CB should be the primary suspect.

BTW, in looking for something else this afternoon, I came across a 52 dash and as I had suspected, the CB's on the very end of the HL switch.

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS