Headlight issues...still, advice please
Hello all, so here is what I have, I put a headlight relay in my 39 six. I have no lights. So, I started tracing voltage. I have 6volts at the battery, to the starter 6 volts to the voltage regulator position B (which is what powers my fuse block. at position B on the fuse block where wire from regulator comes in, I have 6 volts. The wire that goes out to head light switch, which is SW position on the fuse block, I have 6 volts going to headlight switch. At head light switch I have 6 volts coming in. I have 5 volts coming out, 5 volts going into the dimmer switch. 5 volts coming out. 5 volts at the switch side of teh relay. O volts on the light side of the relay. Hence no lights. Not sure what to do next. I guess maybe remove relay and clean mounting surface of all paint. Could it be that the relay isn't getting a good ground? Please advise
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Therefore, you might want to remove your switch, open it, and inspect the insides. This may involve simply unscrewing the switch, or you might have to bend the metal ears that hold the switch together, enough that you can pull the housing apart. (So don't over-bend the ears, or they may break from metal fatigue).
Using some solvent (maybe kerosene or paint thinner), clean out the old grease and then re-lubricate the switch with new grease. You can also clean up the contacts within the switch; they may have corroded. Before you put the switch back in the car, run some simple continuity tests, clicking the switch again and again until you're sure that it works without failing.
Another approach is to buy a modern (12-volt) switch -- so long as the installation screws align with the holes in your Hudson's floor. If (like many people) you have installed a relay in your lighting system, then the amount of amperage going through the dimmer switch would be negligible, since the dimmer would now only be triggering the relays, not running the headlights themselves. Thus the lighter-gauge 12 volt switch wiring is not carrying the heavy load that it would if you had the dimmer hooked directly to the headlight bulbs.