TripDeuces

My headlights and front parking lamps on my 1966 Cutlass have stopped working. Tail lights are fine and front and rear turn signals but no running lights in the front or headlights. First I looked for a fuse but didn't see one for headlights. Am I missing something? Any suggestions would help please. I don't see anything disconnected like a ground etc. but maybe I need to look again.

jeffreyalman

if front turn signals work I say headlight switch (try jiggling it) (just for the hell of it, try the brights switch too)

I am sure someone who knows will chime in soon.

good luck

Lady72nRob71

Are the parking lights supposed to light up when the headlights are on for '66 models?

Do the high beams work?

There is no fuse for headlights - there is a circuit breaker in the headlight switch for them.
If there is no voltage at any pin of the dimmer switch on the floor (when headlights are on), then the light switch might have taken a dump.

jeffreyalman

no on the parking light with headlights on 66

this has some good info https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...h-problem.html

Oldsmaniac

Look for bad connection at floor high beam switch. That would cause lack of headlights.

TripDeuces

Last I remember my parking lamps work when the headlights were on. Front turn signals do work. I have zero headlights, low or high beam. At least I'm not crazy about the fuse, thought I was losing it. I do remember the headlight switch becoming hot so maybe it did crap out on me. I'll remove it and see what's up.
I would like to strangle the last person who had this car. Just and mess of mickey mouse stuff that I know doesn't belong under there. Thanks for all the good info. I'll break out my multimeter and go to town.

George

Aceshigh

I've heard this is a VERY common issue on older GM cars.
Floor switch just has to be replaced in most cases.

rocketraider

G, this didn't start after you did the LED taillights, did it? though I can't see any reason it should have.

TripDeuces

Good question, but I think not. No way of knowing really. Circuits aren't even related and I can't blow a fuse apparently.

dan968

Use a meter or trouble light and check to see if there is 12v at the lamp. Put your negative lead on the negative battery terminal for this test.
If there is voltage check for a bad ground lead. If no voltage probe the switchs for voltage.

Lady72nRob71

This is a warning sign itself, especially if the dash lights are set at their brightest (eliminates heat from rheostat). Heat means the switch has developed internal resistance - not good.
If you are pulling it, might as well just put a new one back in there.

Strangle 'em with the half mile of lamp cord and crap they stuffed in there - works good for that purpose!
I wish i could have done that, too, after I had a near fire under my dash...

TripDeuces

True story about the stuff under the hood and dash. For example he had this alarm, well I should say siren under the hood. Well I took that off and cut the wire from the back. I noticed that the wire was rather loose so I began tugging on it and it looked like one of those magicians' tricks where you pull the scarves out of the top hat. I pulled and pulled and after about 25 feet of wire it popped through the firewall. A siren and 25 feet of wire was the extent of his alarm system. At that point I knew I had inherited 'a project'. Don't even get me going about the vacuum lines and other extraneous BS I found............deep breathe.

rocketraider

Oh man I gotta find me a hot wire to hook up this (insert electrical accessory)!

You've heard me say it before- P O S (Previous Owners' Stamp). We're fortunate that most Oldsmobiles don't suffer from it too much. Sounds like TripD and Rob have hit the motherlode with theirs though.

Lady72nRob71

I pulled about 20' of wound up antenna wire from under my dash, attached to a CB antenna splitter, going to another 6' of antenna wire. A transistorized power antenna controller was connected to where it activated the cigar lighter when the radio was turned on. Well, it might have powered his CB, but when I pushed in the lighter with the radio on, the box let out a nasty black acrid smoke while I was cruising about 50. Definitely an eye opener! That fried box had about 5 other stripped wires hanging loose, waiting to touch ground.

I later extracted about 10' of lamp cord connecting the left rear speaker to the radio.
The wire nuts fell off long ago, creating a short hazard to the radio.
Geeze...

TripDeuces

Yeah, I have a bunch of speaker wire also along what looks like electrical wire. That's for another day but in the meantime I purchased a new headlight switch and floor dimmer switch to remedy the immediate problem. Thanks for all the great info and help topics.

George

TripDeuces

Got new headlight switch and dimmer switch yesterday and just put them in. Everything works fine (one high beam out) but the new switch doesn't look exactly like the old. There is an extra terminal on the old switch that the new one doesn't have. I got the switches from The Parts Place and it's the only one listed for 1964-68 Cutlasses. Anyone know what this terminal is for? The terminal is in the upper middle of the pictures. Everything works fine but I'm curious.

Lady72nRob71

EDIT - the below info in this post is wrong!
This missing terminal on the new switch is the parking light terminal.
The GME control switch wire may have been connected to the blue headlight wire at the headlight switch connector.

I think the extra terminal was used for the "Guide-Matic Eye", an automatic high beam changer option available then.
The replacement switch might not be compatible with that system.
Glad you got it fixed!

joe_padavano

Which is interesting since the 1968 headlight switch is different from the 64-67 switch. The early switches do not light the front parking lights when the headlights are on. The 1968-up switches do. Of course you can substitute the later switch for the early one, which is what they have done. Now the front park lights should come on with the headlights.

TripDeuces

Hmm, my front park lamps don't come with the headlights or at all except for turn signals. Should this be a problem?

Lady72nRob71

Thats because the switch they gave you is for later cars.
You have been "Parts Placed"!
No surprise to me - been through a lot of that...
To them, one part fits all (but no guarantee to work or fit or be year correct)...

That pin you are missing is for the purple parking light wire!

I am thinking that you can remove that purple wire from the connector and insert it into the open hole to the side of the green wire and right above the brown wire and the parking lights will come on with the tail lights like on later models.
From your picture, it looks like that open terminal and the brown wire terminal are electrically connected. Can you tell?

Follow me or totally confused??

jeffreyalman

was 68 the 1st year for parking lights on with headlights? I think so. I wonder if the later switch would accomplish that. Not correct but I had a 66 T bird I would have liked that to have happened on.

TripDeuces

Yes I follow you Lady72nRob71. If it bugs me enough I may do that in the future. I prefer to have the parking lamps on with headlights but not a big deal atm.

Lady72nRob71

Does your state require the parking lights during inspection?

TripDeuces

Good question, I'll look into it.

rocketraider

I don't see how they COULD require parking lights burn w/ headlights on a car that did not originally come that way, but being as the vast majority of inspectors now were not even born when these cars were current, you might get some chin music.

I've had more than one 20-something city cop tell me my 64 Olds has to have shoulder belts for me to drive it legally. I finally started carrying copies of all the statutes in the car with me. I guess word got out about that, b/c they rarely bug me now.

TripDeuces

Fusick has the light switches broken down into more groups 64-67, 68, 69-up. If I want the parking lamps to come on with the headlights and also in the first position which switch should I buy?

I hear ya Rocketraider, I don't get bothered over that at all. Although I'm expecting it to happen one day considering the young storm troopers the town has hired lately. I just keep my lap belt on and do my thing trying to keep a low profile. My problem is I'm more concerned about being seen then anything else. I want people to see me and steer clear. Especially the tail gaters and nincompoops with cell phones attached to their ears like life support systems.

Lady72nRob71

You have it already.
Later models have the parking lights hardwired into the tail light (running light) circuit (brown wire). Your 66 has the parking lights separate (purple wire).

I think the factory initially planned to keep the circuits separate when the H/L switch was designed, but later altered the wiring.

If you can post a VERY close picture of your new and old switch, I will be able to tell if those two terminals are indeed strapped together like they look. If so, just move that purple wire to the open hole as mentioned and it will work like the later cars.

BTW, did your old headlight switch allow you to turn on the dome light? If not, the new switch should. Running an extra wire from the white jamb switch wire to the other unused terminal on the headlight switch.
If interested in doing that, i can give more details.

TripDeuces

There is no dome light, it's a convertible, hehe. My dome light is 93 million miles away. I call it the sun.

Lady72nRob71

Uh - yea - forgot about that........
Or courtesy lights I should say, like under the dash or the rear quarters if so equipped.

TripDeuces

Courtesy lights I have on the console and they work fine. Two either side by your feet and one in the rear of the console for the back seat people.

TripDeuces

I'll probably try moving that wire. It's tight under there and not a lot of slack in the wiring harness but I'll manage somehow. I'm pretty sure I know what you are talking about and those terminals are strapped together.

TripDeuces

Anyone know how to release the electrical contact from the plug? Do I go through the back or front?

Lady72nRob71

You should be able to go in the switch side, not the wire side.
Releasing them ~should~ be similar to releasing the gauge connector wires:
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tml#post108127

TripDeuces

Thanks for all the help everyone. Lady72nRob71 your instructions worked perfectly. I switched the purple wire over to the empty slot that was ganged together and now I have parking lights on the first detent of the headlight switch and also they are on when the headlights are on. I like that look much better.
I also removed those horrid Hella H3/H4 headlights. They never seemed bright anyway. I went out and bought some nice Wagner H5001's and H5006's halogen sealed beams. $7 each at NAPA. The difference is remarkable and I just like the sealed beam aspect.

Once again thanks all for contributing,
George

Lady72nRob71

Glad everything worked out for you!

I did this exact thing - same bulbs from the same place at same price with same good results.
Makes night cruising a lot easier and safer, esp for long distances like I frequently do.