My 1969 442 trunk light mecury switch runs backwards. When the trunk is closed the light comes on and when open, it goes off. The position of the lamp housing (up vs. down) is as it always was. I have only replaced the single contact bulb and found this condition. How can the wiring allow voltage to the bulb when closed?
Thanks.

 

Welcome Kelly!
I moved your post to its own thread so you get better results.
I am not sure how the 69 switch works, but the 72 switch has a lever that rubs on the trunk lid hinge.
The 69 guys will know for sure. Or if you can post a picture of the unit, I will take a look and compare.

 

Welcome aboard

Sorry, I'm a 69 guy but and electrical moron.

Rob's the electrical guru. Follow his advice and he'll get ya straighten out.

I hate to ask But, Isn't this kinda like the old joke about the light in the Frigiaire? I mean how do you know it's on with the trunk closed?

 

Not familiar with that particular switch but a lot of the Mercury switches have a small 'pill' that holds the Mercury. In most cases, this can be removed and reversed to remedy the condition you are describing. May not apply here but it's worth looking into.

 

That's an Australian trunk light unit, it would work fine in the down-under.
The light really never goes off inside the refrigerator, you see the TV commercials with the talking food inside and the light is always on.

Is that the round light that goes on the bottom of the trunk lid?
I think that has a mercury switch?
The bulb opening faces the front or down when the lid is open
How to fix that?.. beats me.
It would make a good hood lamp base and mercury switch unit being backwards like that.

The assembly manual shows that light and says;

"THIS LAMP USES A SELF CONTAINED
SWITCH WHICH AUTOMATICALLY MAKES
CONTACT. WHEN THE TRUNK LID IS CLOSED
THE LIGHT IS AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OFF."

 

It's all in the positioning of the switch - which is apparently working!
Turn it 180 from how you've got it mounted, and see if that fixes it - the mercury competes the circuit, so it's to be on an angle when the trunk is closed!

 

A penguin controls the light in my fridge and he keeps drinking all my #%&! beer!!

 

you need to put one of these in your water dispenser...

you must take varmits drinking your beer seriously, otherwise word will get around and we will all be in trouble, I was just explaining to the missus that some squirrels must of drank the beer out of the fridge in the garage... cuz is wazshn't Hiccup schme!!!

 

How about posting a picture so we can see if the light is in the original one and in the original location? If for some reason that light was mounted on the rear section of the deck lid so the mounting surface of the light was sitting somewhat vertical when the lid was closed, that would cause your problem. When the lid was up, the mounting surface of the light would be horizontal and turn the light off. Just a guess.

 

The light has the mercury cell behind the base of the bulb. My photo is below, and is like the 67 Toronado sample. There is only position for light to cast down into the trunk when open, and the original light ring silhouette is in the trunk paint. so it is correct where it is. The nutty opposite operation makes me wonder if there is a way to reverse the mercury pill, as suggested below (above?) by Murphy.

By the way, how does the engine hood light operate? Another mercury switch or an interior light control? I am about to try to get it to work again after 20 years.

 

Hood light also uses a mercury switch or "pill" located under the light's base.

If your light is in the original location which would have the base sitting horizontal when the deck lid is closed, I'm not sure what's going on. In my mind, I can't see how the orientation of the mercury "pill" would make a difference but who knows.

 

LOL!!!!
If I put him in there, he will eat all the fish that the ladyfriend has there. And when she blames me, I can counter her and ask where all the beer went! Or maybe not a good idea..........

Of course I can make beer a meal but fish will not become beer.



Send me one whale, please, gray to match the fridge...

 

Beer is one of the basic building blocks of the universe, or is that carbon??

When you get home from work and there's a gray whale sitting on your porch steps waiting for you you'll be sorry Rob.
Those things drink like fish and you'll never be able to keep any beer stocked up.

Tell your ladyfriend that the fish drank the beer so you had to eat 'em.

I've heard you haven't lived until you've had fish flavored beer, it's supposed to be better than fish flavored ice cream.

 

Oh God.......

 

I was hoping the whale would be a compact "refrigerator-sized" one.
If not please cancel my order...

I bet there is a such thing in Asia. Thats one beer I will not try...

The ladyfriend has a high-dollar contraption in the back room called a "fish cream machine".
I can only hope that some words were lost in the Chinese translation...

 

Once you've tried durian ice cram, fish flavored ice cream sounds pretty good.

- Eric

 

Eric, now that's funny. I'm guessing most people don't know what Durian is. I was talked into trying it by a friend when I was in Singapore. He liked it, I thought it was absolutely disgusting. It's pretty telling when you see signs banning a fruit from the subway system due to it's smell!

Tom

 

I am glad I held off at asking what durian is.............
I wish some of this stuff was banned from our company breakroom as well.

 

For the hood light, the parking lights should need to be turned on as well for it to work.