Think I found my parking light problem....

[67AvantiTom]

My 'new' to me Avanti has it's share of electrical issues. I finished getting the console dome light back and working so I've moved on to the next issue... no front parking lights.

Yes, I checked the fuse first, it's fine. Took the lenses off, pulled and tested the bulbs, ok. Cleaned out some 40 odd year old grease / gunk out of the sockets, cleaned the contacts. No joy. So up went the front of the car on jackstands so the wheels come off for some room to work. Front harness looks ok for it's age, the side marker lights work, but are hacked into the harness - I'll clean that up afterwards.

Test light shows no power at all to the front parking light harness - tracing it through the schematic shows it to be a pretty straight shot from the switch to the lights. Inside the car I go to pull down the parking light switch. I have to do it anyway since I have to replace the console piece due to an upholstery shop ruined to original one. Shining a light up in there as I pull it down (I've never done this before...) I see - electrical tape. Someone has been in here already.

What a hack job. I hope I have enough original wire to fix this! Bent and broken tabs on the switch, incorrectly connected wires, sheesh. I think I found my issue since the green parking light wire is not connected, and other posts are snapped off. Here for your viewing pleasure...

Anyone have a nice shape working light switch?

Tom

Edited November 7, 2016 by 67AvantiTom

[Avanti83]

SI has them listed in their catalog, $48/set of 2.

As an aside, they come apart quite easily. I just dis-assembled mine from the 74 and cleaned the contacts. They now work just fine. Just added a little diaelectric grease to replace the goop left from the original assembly. Just open them slowly on a clean sufrace with something to catch what might fall out.

Bob

Edited November 8, 2016 by Avanti83

[silverstude]

While you're working your way through the wiring problems, you may want to go to your local NAPA or even Home Depot and get a can of CRC Electrolytic Grease. Disconnect every wire from its Significant other, put a dab of that grease in and reconnect. It will enhance the connectivity, prevent corrosion, dry connections and make life very nice, especially for light bulb sockets. You can't go wrong with it...

[Jim78]

Just to clarify a little... We are talking about dielectric grease. It is generally a low viscosity silicone grease, which is by definition non-conductive. If it were conductive, it would create short circuits in applications like light bulb sockets. The benefit of its use is to protect an electrical connection from water, dirt and corrosion. So, the best procedure is to disassemble a connection, clean it thoroughly to remove any existing dirt and corrosion, reassemble with the grease. Depending on the type of connection, the grease may need to be applied to the components prior to assembly. It is important that the connection itself is mechanically tight, or the insulating grease can actually cause a resistance problem.

This type of grease also has value in lubricating moving contacts, as would be found in your light switch. But, here again, the actual contacts in the switch have to have sufficient force to ensure good conductivity.

[67AvantiTom]

Parking lights are working again! What a job working up there with stiff 50 year old wire. That wire was so stiff, when I went to put the console up in place I had a hard time getting it to go all the way up. Pulled it back down a bit to try and see why it was so tough, and found the parking light lead on my new replacement switch had BROKEN OFF! Great. Not willing to toss my new but broken switch I thought about it for a few days and had an idea.

I soldered a wire directly to the switch, put a bullet connector on each end of the wire and that worked. I now have a fully restored and working over head console. Here is a before (where the padding of the console had been ripped off and upholstered by a shop - didn't look anything like it should've) and the after with it mounted in place.

Tom