The Ford Barn

700rpm · 10-26-2011, 08:59 PM

My coupe does not have a correct wiring harness in it. Every wire is black. My headlights are completely scwewy. Can anyone suggest an easy method for tracing down which wire goes to which terminal in the headlight? The switch is wired OK, but by the time the wires get to the headlights they're all out of sequence. For example, when I turn on my parking lights, I get both headlight and parking light; same when I go to high. And nothing on low beam. These are TwoLites, but there are only two wires (each) going into the headlights. I can figure that part out, I think. But the rest? Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!

J Franklin · 10-26-2011, 09:06 PM

One wire lights low beam and one is for the high beam. The cowl lights should light only with the tail light (parking light) and not the headlights so it is spliced in with the headlight circuit. Each bulb is grounded through the frame.

Tinker · 10-26-2011, 09:09 PM

A test light or meter. Disconnect all wires and start turning on circuits and testing each wire. One at a time.

Smurkey · 12-03-2011, 10:08 AM

TwoLites have a dual filament "big" bulb and a small 3 c.p. "small" bulb in the reflector and need to have three wires going to them as well as three terminals (contacts) within the socket. From my understanding, the TwoLites were only used on cars without cowl lamps if the car had cowl lamps the small bulb in the reflector was redundant as the cowl lamps took over the role of parking light.

roccaas · 12-03-2011, 10:36 AM

While you are at it, how about relaying all the circuits?

700rpm · 12-03-2011, 11:27 AM

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Thanks everybody. I popped for a new harness, and everything works fine now.

ed stanley · 12-03-2011, 11:32 AM

I had some trouble with an old wiring harness this past summer on my '30 roadster. Bought a new wiring harness from Smith and Jones for about $72. Only took me a few hours work to get old one removed and new one installed. No problems now and everything is properly color coded. Perhaps this would make more sense for you also rather than spend a lot of time tracing wiring out that is not a proper harness to begin with, especially since a new harness is pretty reasonably priced. I thinik they're better now too. The old harness I took out is the one I had bought from JC Whitney in 1974 for $19.99, and it was in pretty rough shape. ( I will say, this time around crawling around under the car doing new wiring harness provoked a lot more aches and pains than back in 1974!)

ed stanley · 12-03-2011, 11:37 AM

Looks like, in the time it took me to write the previous post, you posted that you did indeed purchase and install a new harness - good move.

10-26-2011, 08:59 PM	#1
700rpm Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 5,906	Need help getting headlights wired properly My coupe does not have a correct wiring harness in it. Every wire is black. My headlights are completely scwewy. Can anyone suggest an easy method for tracing down which wire goes to which terminal in the headlight? The switch is wired OK, but by the time the wires get to the headlights they're all out of sequence. For example, when I turn on my parking lights, I get both headlight and parking light; same when I go to high. And nothing on low beam. These are TwoLites, but there are only two wires (each) going into the headlights. I can figure that part out, I think. But the rest? Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!

10-26-2011, 09:06 PM	#2
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,963	Re: Need help getting headlights wired properly One wire lights low beam and one is for the high beam. The cowl lights should light only with the tail light (parking light) and not the headlights so it is spliced in with the headlight circuit. Each bulb is grounded through the frame.

10-26-2011, 09:09 PM	#3
Tinker Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: MN Posts: 7,053	Re: Need help getting headlights wired properly A test light or meter. Disconnect all wires and start turning on circuits and testing each wire. One at a time.

12-03-2011, 10:08 AM	#4
Smurkey Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Esko, MN Posts: 257	Re: Need help getting headlights wired properly TwoLites have a dual filament "big" bulb and a small 3 c.p. "small" bulb in the reflector and need to have three wires going to them as well as three terminals (contacts) within the socket. From my understanding, the TwoLites were only used on cars without cowl lamps if the car had cowl lamps the small bulb in the reflector was redundant as the cowl lamps took over the role of parking light.

12-03-2011, 10:36 AM	#5
roccaas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 1,300	Re: Need help getting headlights wired properly While you are at it, how about relaying all the circuits? __________________ 20 years ago we had Johnny Cash, Steve Jobs, and Bob Hope. Now we have no Cash, no Jobs, and no Hope...please don't let Kevin Bacon die!

12-03-2011, 11:27 AM	#6
700rpm Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 5,906	Re: Need help getting headlights wired properly Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Thanks everybody. I popped for a new harness, and everything works fine now. __________________ Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole.

12-03-2011, 11:32 AM	#7
ed stanley Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: southbridge, MA Posts: 21	Re: Need help getting headlights wired properly I had some trouble with an old wiring harness this past summer on my '30 roadster. Bought a new wiring harness from Smith and Jones for about $72. Only took me a few hours work to get old one removed and new one installed. No problems now and everything is properly color coded. Perhaps this would make more sense for you also rather than spend a lot of time tracing wiring out that is not a proper harness to begin with, especially since a new harness is pretty reasonably priced. I thinik they're better now too. The old harness I took out is the one I had bought from JC Whitney in 1974 for $19.99, and it was in pretty rough shape. ( I will say, this time around crawling around under the car doing new wiring harness provoked a lot more aches and pains than back in 1974!)

12-03-2011, 11:37 AM	#8
ed stanley Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: southbridge, MA Posts: 21	Re: Need help getting headlights wired properly Looks like, in the time it took me to write the previous post, you posted that you did indeed purchase and install a new harness - good move.