Electrical: 1960 headlight switch

[LeoH]

So, I had a brief lights out issue with my headlights a couple of weeks ago in my 1960 Lark VI. The headlights were on as we drove home 40 miles and just before I got home, they flickered a couple of times then went out. No response from the switch or from the dimmer switch (recently replaced). A minute or 2 later when we got home, they came right back on and functioned correctly.

The explanation given was the circuit breaker had gotten hot and cut out the lights, when it cooled off, the lights came back on. Sounds right, so I took the switch apart last night and put it back together. No burning or heat issues apparent. The contacts were dull, brightened them up and reassembled the switch, but talk about low tech, there wasn't much there, definitely less than I expected to see.

Would someone explain how the 'circuit breaker' in the headlight switch in the 60(59?) Larks works?

[41 Frank]

To keep it simple, circuit breakers work on the principle that when too much current passes through them they heat up and trip. When they cool off they will once again pass current until they heat up again. So you either have too high a current draw for the breaker capacity, the breaker could be failing, or you have an intermittent short circuit.

[Skybolt]

As mentioned above heat is the condition that is used to operate the breaker. Once the components used for the elements heat up they separate and once cooled down will again be able to be used. This type of electrical safety for the system was more expensive compared to a regular fuse and looking at a Studebakers I usually find only a couple of fuses compared to cars of the era. Most of the problems with these I have encountered were found to be a wire or connector grounding out and therefore drawing too many amps thus heating up the element and shutting down the said system. Sometimes it can be inside the switches and units but more than likely it is either the wires getting pinched between some sheet metal or on the floor type switches it is the connectors touching the metal floor. I cannot guarantee that is the problem but it could be if you cannot find anything wrong with the component.

[LeoH]

Thank you for the description. I'll double check the floor switch to be sure nothing's cattywompus down there.

I'm still interested in the mechanical action of the cb inside the switch. With what was described above, too much current in the switch, I'm guessing, causes the copper tongue at the back of the switch to move and interrupt the function. Yes?

[41 Frank]

You are correct!

Thank you for the description. I'll double check the floor switch to be sure nothing's cattywompus down there.

I'm still interested in the mechanical action of the cb inside the switch. With what was described above, too much current in the switch, I'm guessing, causes the copper tongue at the back of the switch to move and interrupt the function. Yes?

[Tom Bredehoft]

Have you replaced the original tungsten light with Halogen units? They draw more Amps.

[LeoH]

They don't appear to be Halogens, but I haven't taken the bulb out to look at it close. They should be good ole' reliable GE tungsten bulbs. I will keep that fact in mind though in the future. Good to know.

[Skybolt]

With any headlight or electrical unit it is the watts that will tell you how many amps. 8 amps per 100 watts. If the lights were 55/60 originally and they were a sealed beam with tungsten and were replaced with 55/60 Halogen then they will draw the same amps, 4.4/4.8 amps. Only if the watts were higher will it make a difference with the amps.