MIDLIFE MAGIC

[NOT A T5]

SO...I purchased a generic battery and put it in the Mustang. I followed midlife's instructions on how not to screw anything up. So here's a list of what's working and what's not. 

Working:

Power Top Pump, ALL 4 Turn Signals, Rear Tail Lights, Rear Side Marker Lights, Brake Lights, Trunk Light, Fuel Sender/ Fuel Gauge, E-Flasher, Under Dash Courtesy Lights, Dash Light, 3 Gauges OIL/ VOLTS/ TEMP, Console Clock/ Illumination, Key Warning Buzzer, Cigarette Lighter, Blower Motor/Fan, Windshield Wipers but only if I add a wire to the housing for ground, Washer Pump, In Dash BRAKES Light, Headlights, High Beams/ Indicator Light, Main Dash Instruments Illumination.

Not Working:

Front Side Marker Lights, Park Lights, Round BELTS Light.

Shifter and 3 Gauges Illumination (have to take another look)

TACH Conversion (Engine not in yet)

ALT Light (will find out)

TEMP and OIL Idiot Lights (Inoperable I think because of 3 Gauges added)

Reverse Lights (Transmission not in yet)

Radio (not installed yet)

Of course I'm HAPPY...HAPPIER if the non working items on this list would work!  :thankyouyellow:

KUDOS to midlife!!!

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

LOL, you are ahead of me on things working. With my back I cannot get it all working so I just gave up.

 

[midlife]

Abracadabra!

Temp and oil lamps will not function if I have replaced them with the 3 gauge version.

Strange that the side marker lamps aren't working. May be a bad ground, but then your headlights wouldn't work. I suspect the running light system isn't working as is the parking light system. Both are controlled by the headlight switch, so I'd try another switch.

 

[NOT A T5]

David, don't give up! When I'm laying in or under the car on my back I get Vertigo, sometimes so bad I almost have to puke. So I get up for a while until I feel better, LOL!

Randy, my headlight switch is new.

Now for the bulbs in the sports lamps, they are single filament, right? But the lamp sockets have 2 contacts so shouldn't there be 2 filament light bulbs?

Now when I pull the light switch to the first position just the tail lights and rear markers come on...nothing comes on in the front. Odd!

(It used to be when I pulled the switch to the first position, park, sports lamps, side markers came on. Pulled further the headlights came on).

If I pull it all the way out then the headlights come on, no park or front markers. What else do you suggest other than a new switch? You're flying out to Omaha? 

Why does my windshield wiper motor need an extra ground wire? I think that's odd.

 

[midlife]

71/72 sportslamps are single filament but two contacts. 73 sportslamps are 2 filaments and 3 contacts. The two contact versions are not reproduced, so 3 contact versions are used (ground contact is eliminated). For all years, sportslamps come on when headlights are on. For 71/72, the signal for sportslamps is from the dimmer switch power line. For 73, the signals include turn signal lamps and running lights.

The side marker lamps up front run off of running lights and ground. There is no parking light per se...only running lights.

Something is wrong with no running lights passing up forward, or bad grounding. There's a female bullet near the engine gauge feed harness with a brown wire for the PRNDL lamp. With the headlight knob pulled, is there 12V at that plug?

 

[NOT A T5]

Front turn signals have 2 filaments they came on with the switch in first position, used to. No Randy, I have no power to the plug for PRND21  and no I have nothing come on in the front. When I pull switch to first only taillights come on, when second position taillights start to flicker randomly! Buzzer still buzzes and Voltmeter shows almost half, near center.

 

[midlife]

OK, I checked my notes and you have a 71. That information would be useful to post...

Are we talking about the front marker/turn lamps or the sportslamps here? The front/turn lamps have two filaments and a ground, so if you are using a one filament bulb, that might be the issue. The two lines are turn signals and running lamps.

It appears that everything running lamp related up front is bad: no side marker lamps, no running lights on front turn signals, no PRNDL lamp signal, Running lights come on with both headlight positions. Do running lamps work in the back at all? You imply that you do. If so, I would disconnect the headlight harness from the underdash at the fuse box and examine the pin on the second row below the big pin and furthest away (what my spreadsheet calls KC6). Is the socket recessed on the underdash side? Is the pin recessed on the headlight side? If all is well, measure continuity from the headlight pin on the junction box to the outer pin on the front marker lamp plug (that should be a female plug).

 

[NOT A T5]

I'm sorry, yes it's a 71 Convertible with sports lamps grille. Electrical stuff is not my strong suit. I was talking about front turn signals, I've always had 2 filament bulbs in them. I will try to disconnect the under dash harness but I'll have to wait until next weekend. I might as well get a new headlight switch and try that first as you suggested. With the key in the "ON" position I checked all the fuses and they all have power by the way. Running lights come on in the back if switch is pulled to first position and if pulled to second position, only then, the front running lights will come on. Later in the day front running lights would not come on when switch was fully pulled out and rear running lights would "Flicker"! I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Is the socket recessed"?

 

[midlife]

Sounds like an intermittent contact for the running lights. Running lights don't have a fuse.

Flickering may be due to feedback on the front between turn signal and running lamps. Let's isolate the problem a bit...remove all bulbs from front from side marker lamps and front parking lamps. Now test rear running and rear side marker lamps. Everything OK? Good! Now plug one of the front bulbs back and see what happens front and back.

A connector plug has two genders: male and female. Another way of saying it is a pin and a socket. Make sense now?

 

[NOT A T5]

This morning before work I took another look and on top of the flickering I also heard a clicking sound (perhaps from a blinker relay?) so I pushed and pulled on the headlight switch a few times and all of a sudden the headlights came back on and the clicking stopped. I think I have to replace that switch, like you said, this is probably switch number 4 or 5 I've bought in the past 30+ years. This time I'll buy one from Don. Why do they go bad? I know what you meant now about the socket! What's your scoop on replacing all exterior light bulbs with LED's other than electronic flashers? My interior light bulbs are all LED's and I have no issues.

Ok, went in garage undone all light bulbs in the front and pulled the switch half way out and the rear running lights and side markers came on, no flickering.

Pulled the switch all the way and the headlights came on, rears stayed on. 

Put in a bulb for side markers, no change front or back. Removed side marker bulb.

Put in bulb for turn signal no change. Removed turn signal bulb.

Put in bulb for sport lamp, both head lights turned off and rear running light started to flicker...I did not hear any clicking noises.

 

[midlife]

OK, sportslamp bulb causes headlights to go off and running lights at rear to flicker. Make sure you're using the right bulb: two tits on the bottom and only one filament (Icejawa had a similar problem and he tracked it down to the wrong bulb in the sportslamp). If so, the headlight switch and/or the dimmer switch is causing too much current to flow and the headlight circuit breaker is tripping. A bad headlight switch or a bad dimmer switch.

When you put a side marker lamp up front, I take it it did not work? Same with front marker/turn lamp? I'll stand by my earlier diagnosis is that the running light signal is not getting to the headlight harness. Since it is going to the rear, that says that the headlight switch is at least functioning for running lamps.

 

[NOT A T5]

I found another used headlight switch in my stash. I installed it and still no front running lights. New switch arrives from OMS, installed it and still no front running lights. Replaced foot/ dimmer switch as well and still no front running lights. Now before I pull my fuse box apart where exactly should I measure for continuity?  Randy, can you post a little drawing of the fuse box and the pins I need to check? Terry

 

[midlife]

Running lights are not fused. Read my post just before your last post. You need to determine if there is any signal going to the front. I know this will be a pain to do, but pull the headlight connector on the back of the fuse box and the headlight switch. Measure continuity between the middle pin on the headlight switch where there are three pins in a row to the pin on the green connector on the back of the fuse box: the pin is located on the third row (with the large bolt on it, furthest away from the large pin). This tests whether the problem is in the underdash or the headlight harness.

 

[NOT A T5]

In an earlier post (8/6/18) you said second row below big pin! What setting should I use on my DVM?

 

[NOT A T5]

OMG!!! I've separated the fuse box and noticed one of the locking plastic tabs was bent inwards and blocked said pin(s) from making contact.  :shootself:  :shootself: :shootself:

I do now have running lights in the blinkers and side markers. Tears of JOY! Still...no running lights in grille.

I put the bulbs in the sport lamps and everything flickers front and back and the head lights go off. 

So what are the correct 2 tits 1 filament bulbs for the sports grill?

 

[Don C]

1142 are the double contact, single filament bulbs

 

[NOT A T5]

Thanks Don, who sells them? I've been looking all over online to no avail. Everybody else says 1157 bulbs.

 

[Don C]

Incandescent or LED:

https://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=1142+bulb&sprefix=1142+bulb%2Caps%2C663&crid=1DD353FGVABJK

 

[Don C]

1004 and 1076 are also double contact and single filament, but I don't think they're as bright. They are both used in motorhomes and boats. If you have a Camping World or boat supply nearby you might check them for any of the three.