The Ford Barn

Mike Mayer · 04-15-2012, 07:46 PM

my 1953 ford customline has a poltergeist.
Ignition off headlite switch operates the starter
Ignition On dash lites and parking lites on lite switch off
Motor starts and runs dash and parking lites on switch off
it is all stock all orginal !! HELP !!

40cpe · 04-15-2012, 08:06 PM

It sounds like you have a short between your light and ignition circuits. I would check the wiring harness. I'm not familiar with that model so I can't tell you exactly where would be a suspect area.

Jack E/NJ · 04-15-2012, 08:27 PM

Strange behavior like this could also suggest poor grounding issues in one or more circuits.

Jack E/NJ

Shadetree · 04-15-2012, 08:36 PM

Sounds like some wires have been swapped or short circuited by a damaged harness. Try pulling some fuses one at a time to see what affect it has. Disconnect the battery and trace the shorts with an ohmmeter.

52merc · 04-16-2012, 12:03 AM

looks like you need some divine intervention

Lawson Cox · 04-16-2012, 01:02 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Gremlins???

Frank Miller · 04-16-2012, 08:15 AM

Give us a bit more information. If this was fine in the fall and you put it up for the winter and it just started happening then you probably have mice chewing on the harness or worse living under the dash. If you just rewired something you need to recheck your connections. If you just bought the car and have now noticed this problem then you may need to rip out the whole harness and start from scratch trying to figure out someone else's sloppy work. Good Luck

rotorwrench · 04-16-2012, 08:47 AM

In this time frame FoMoCo was just starting to change over to plastic insulation on the wires. The cloth & varnish insulation deteriorates at a much faster rate than the plastic and rodents don't help the situation. The light switch & starter button are generaly close together in the mid century cars and a wire to wire short would be common place on a car that still has its original wire harness unless it was kept in an air conditioned garage most of its existance with rodent control in place.

Old Henry · 04-16-2012, 10:38 AM

Who ya gonna call?

An exhorsist! (aka Ghost Buster)

Mike Mayer · 04-16-2012, 10:39 AM

Thank you all for your input . Many years ago I brought a hot wire from the assessary post on my ignition switch to an old radio I have sence gotten rid of. The wire had a female connector .I also had a wire from the dash lites with a male connector.
I was working on my heat control cables and I thought I had disconnected these wires so I connected them .I did ask for guidence and patience to keep me from throwing a tool across the garage. It happens to us too. Thank you all again . Chaplain

04-15-2012, 07:46 PM	#1
Mike Mayer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 108	Mike Mayer Chaplain my 1953 ford customline has a poltergeist. Ignition off headlite switch operates the starter Ignition On dash lites and parking lites on lite switch off Motor starts and runs dash and parking lites on switch off it is all stock all orginal !! HELP !!

04-15-2012, 08:06 PM	#2
40cpe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Star, MS Posts: 4,024	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain It sounds like you have a short between your light and ignition circuits. I would check the wiring harness. I'm not familiar with that model so I can't tell you exactly where would be a suspect area.

04-15-2012, 08:27 PM	#3
Jack E/NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,173	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain Strange behavior like this could also suggest poor grounding issues in one or more circuits. Jack E/NJ

04-15-2012, 08:36 PM	#4
Shadetree Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cottageville, WV Posts: 1,535	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain Sounds like some wires have been swapped or short circuited by a damaged harness. Try pulling some fuses one at a time to see what affect it has. Disconnect the battery and trace the shorts with an ohmmeter. __________________ Son, you will never blow an engine up in high gear.

04-16-2012, 12:03 AM	#5
52merc Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: new zealand Posts: 1,054	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain looks like you need some divine intervention

04-16-2012, 01:02 AM	#6
Lawson Cox Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Above the gnat line in Georgia Posts: 7,009	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Gremlins???

04-16-2012, 08:15 AM	#7
Frank Miller Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Auburn, MA Posts: 2,106	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain Give us a bit more information. If this was fine in the fall and you put it up for the winter and it just started happening then you probably have mice chewing on the harness or worse living under the dash. If you just rewired something you need to recheck your connections. If you just bought the car and have now noticed this problem then you may need to rip out the whole harness and start from scratch trying to figure out someone else's sloppy work. Good Luck __________________ “The technique of infamy is to start two lies at once and get people arguing heatedly over which is true.” ~ Ezra Pound

04-16-2012, 08:47 AM	#8
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,431	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain In this time frame FoMoCo was just starting to change over to plastic insulation on the wires. The cloth & varnish insulation deteriorates at a much faster rate than the plastic and rodents don't help the situation. The light switch & starter button are generaly close together in the mid century cars and a wire to wire short would be common place on a car that still has its original wire harness unless it was kept in an air conditioned garage most of its existance with rodent control in place.

04-16-2012, 10:38 AM	#9
Old Henry Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Orem, Utah Posts: 5,762	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain Who ya gonna call? An exhorsist! (aka Ghost Buster) __________________ Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome) "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness

04-16-2012, 10:39 AM	#10
Mike Mayer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 108	Re: Mike Mayer Chaplain Thank you all for your input . Many years ago I brought a hot wire from the assessary post on my ignition switch to an old radio I have sence gotten rid of. The wire had a female connector .I also had a wire from the dash lites with a male connector. I was working on my heat control cables and I thought I had disconnected these wires so I connected them .I did ask for guidence and patience to keep me from throwing a tool across the garage. It happens to us too. Thank you all again . Chaplain