Driving lights
 

I am working on a 1956 Thunderbird. It has the optional driving lights installed on the front bumper but it did not have an original driving light switch. I managed to find an original switch but I am not sure as to how the lights are set up. In reviewing the wiring instructions for installing the driving lights and checking the operation of the switch for the driving lights, it appears that when the switch knob is pulled out, just the driving lights are turned on. When the knob is pushed in the driving lights are off unless the parking lights or the headlights are turned on then the driving lights also go on (because of the way the tail lights are wired into the switch). There are three terminals on the switch: power; driving lights; and tail lights. In the on position the power terminal is connected to the driving light terminal but not to the parking light terminal so I can see that the driving lights would be on. When the switch is in the off position the power terminal is not connected to the other two terminals but the tail light terminal is connected to the driving light terminal. That is why I assume that if the tail lights are on (headlights on) then the same power would be sent to the driving lights and they would be on. Does anyone have a 1950's Ford with driving lights who can tell me if the foregoing is correct?
Jim Yergin

Re: Driving lights
 

A book I have shows photos of all the individual parts but not a wiring diagram, sorry.
Are you trying for 100+ percent original or ?

I too would assume the 3 switch positions are:
Off
On (anytime you pull the switch)
On & Off (with the headlights)

Re: Driving lights
 

Thanks dmsfrr.
Not trying for 100% original, just curious as to whether I am correct as to the operation and why it is was designed that way. In other words, why wouldn't a simple on-off switch be sufficient?
Jim Yergin

Re: Driving lights
 

See my post on the Y Block forum.

Re: Driving lights
 

It would, but you could accidentally leave the driving lights on and run down the battery.
Putting the switch in the 'on with headlights' position means you only have to remember the regular headlight switch, a more likely event.

I'll bet if you wire the oem driving light switch however you prefer, no one else will ever know.

Without the wiring diagram I'm (also) not sure of the original power source for the driving light switch. If any of the original / optional wiring is left in the car it might be a clue?

If the DL switch gets it's power from the headlight switch I'd be a little concerned about the current limits of the fuse & circuit breaker built into the headlight switch, and running all the lights at the same time.
A relay and separate fuse/circuit breaker to power the driving lights might be a good idea.

.

Re: Driving lights
 

dmsfrr,
If wired as the manual directed, you could still accidentally leave the driving lights on without turning the headlights on. The driving lights can be turned on without the headlights being on but the headlights cannot be turned on without the driving lights also being on.
I appreciate your suggestion about a seperate relay and fuse/circuit breaker. For what it is worth, the Ford Electrical Equipment Installation manual calls for the driving lights to be powered through the "A" terminal on the headlight switch and to rely upon the circuit breaker protecting that terminal.
Thanks.
Jim Yergin

Re: Driving lights
 

Jim, a little OT, but might help. I've got fog lamps hooked up as daylight running lights on an older OT car. This is the warning buzzer that goes off with the key off and the lights on. You can build one cheaper, but it's an example. After one dead battery, it seems like a good investment.

http://www.cjponyparts.com/scott-dra...1967/p/HW2259/

Re: Driving lights
 

Thanks Mike.
Jim Yergin

Re: Driving lights
 

As I mentioned in the YBlock site, I wired in a red LED that goes on when the road lights go on.

Re: Driving lights
 

I had fog lights on my 50 Ford and they worked with a switch on the bottom of the dash. It was totally separate from the headlights.