Electrical

[Avantir4]

Have a 69 Avanti , took apart the overhead switch panel , and didnt have the battery disconnected, learned my lesson there. what a dumb a---, any way i have no head lights and no parking lights, have tail lights, turn signals and brake lights. Took the switch that operates the a/c out and put it where the head light switch was , now i have nothing . Im thinking i shorted a wire , and going to have to pull all of the wire out after disconnecting the battery , and rewire . 

Would like to have some input?

Thanks

[WayneC]

I'm not an electrical guru, but I have chased a few shorts on my various cars over the years. Getting too old to do much of that anymore.

I assume everything was working before you took that panel apart? What was your first indication that you screwed something up? Did you see sparks or smoke? When you say you substituted the "a/c switch", did you really mean the heater switch? Actually, the headlight, instrument, and heater switches all have the same part number, so you probably eliminated the switch as the problem, assuming you (re)wired it correctly.

Does the horn work? Do the interior lights work? Do the instrument panel lights work? Does the heater work? Are the headlights dead on both low beam and high beam? Obviously some circuits (excepting headlights and parking lights) in the headlight/tailight circuits ARE working, and the issue is probably forward of the instrument panel. So, assuming the FRONT turn signals are working,  you are looking for wiring components common to the headlights and parking lights, either positive or grounding circuits. I'm not sure, but I'm wondering if the headlight hi/low beam switch provides ground for both the headlights and the parking lights.

The Stude Avanti shop manual (hopefully you have one) has a fold-out electrical diagram and a list of the wires called out on that diagram. Some time ago I scanned the diagram (half at a time) in hi-res,  then joined the scans. That way I can view the diagram on my 27" computer screen, enlarge parts of the diagram I need for a specific task and print those enlarged parts, then I use hi-liters to trace circuits related to the devices I'm troubleshooting. Using that method you can figure out what wires (and/or fuses and circuit breakers) are common to the headlights and parking lights (but not related to the turn signals and brake lights), see where they terminate, and try to test those paths for continuity.

I think the power for the headlights comes through the circuit breaker at the top of the fuse panel on the firewall, to the upper left of your left knee, but I can't recall if it automatically resets.

Edited January 17, 2018 by WayneC

[Mel]

Per WayneC above, get the wiring diagram.  If you don't have the diagram, I'd probably start fault tracing by checking, with a meter, to see if you have power to the overhead.  Being you had taillights, and now don't, I would guess you had power to the overhead, at least initially.  If you don't have power now, you may have blown the circuit breaker on the fuse block.  If you do have power to the overhead, proceed at your own risk, but I'd try eliminating the switch from the circuit -- i.e., try jumping wires together to see if you can get headlights, parking lights, ... to light up.  Basically, the set up is that the switch on the left side supplies power to the switch on the right (e.g., left - power on/off to the lights, right - headlights/parking lights; left - power on/off to the instrument lights, right - instrument lights dim/bright).  You should have two wires coming off the (headlights/parking lights) switch on the right, one leading to the headlights, the other to the parking lights.  You can put power to either of these wires, either from the power to the overhead or directly from the battery, and the headlights or parking lights should light up.  Again, proceed at your own risk.

Being you had the tail lights working, I doubt you have a 'short' but probably an 'open.'  Look inside the switch and you'll see, as I recall, it's not a rock-solid setup and these switches do get dirty.  I just looked in Studebaker International's catalog and did not see a listing for them.  You might try Nostalgic Motors if you need switches.  The headlights switches, particularly, have quite a bit of amperage going through them and a relay set up routes most of the current away from the switches.  (See AOAI magazine #170, pg. 47 for a circuit and write-up.)

You might want start with making sure your bulbs are good and you didn't blow them when you shorted the switch, initially.

Keep us posted.

[Avantir4]

Dave here with the 69 Avanti with Electrical issue,  have a shop manual and  have the electrical diagram, took the heater switch out and moved it over to where the headlight switch is at.  have nothing no headlights,tail lights ,parking lights. Tonight put the original switch in and back to having head lights, parking lights tail lights. so i will play with it another day and keep you two posted. Thanks for your help and input very much appreciated.

[silverstude]

 

Here is a new drawing that was offered to me to post / Might be of some help

 

[WayneC]

Great diagram, thanks for posting it.

[Avantir4]

Wayne  -took the header with the switches out was looking for another issue i had  , when i put the header back up to tighten the bolts i saw a spark. Got out of the car to look at the head lights with the switch on and nothing , no head lights or parking lights.The weird part is i had turn signals,instrument lights,tail lights, so talked with Michael Meyer , he said the heater switch, and the instrument switch was the same , try switching them , so i did and after that i had nothing, no tail lights, no turn signals ,no instrument lights , head lights or parking lights. , so back to the original switch, and had tail lights, turn signals and instrument lights. So back to the drawing board.

[Avanti83]

Just me, but if it were my problem, The first thing I would do is check all the switches for function. Dave said they are all the same so they should all test alike with a VOM for continuity. I needed to clean the contacts on mine in the 74 to get them to function correctly. New ones are available. Also be sure the wires  are on the correct contacts as every switch is wired differently.

You obviously have power to the overhead panel so I'd get out the 12V probe  and check back through the system to see if it goes where it should.

Bob has posted an excellent diagram. In fact, I've saved it for reference but the problem is it's for the Stude issue and I'll bet the later ones are different. Possibly with a fuse box. Hard to tell when changes were done but my 74 had a fusebox. It was corroded to crap so I replaced it and rewired the whole car but you may have one also.

After I knew the switches were good, I'd put 12V to the switch output to see what is working when you apply voltage to the correct wire. I wouldn't use the switch but just jumper the 12V source to the output wire. If you are worried about shorting something out, just go to the auto store and buy a single fuse harness and some 20 amp fuses and use that to jumper the wires.

One of the first places I would check for power is the dimmer switch to be sure it has input and is energizing both circuits when pushed.

It's just a matter of back tracking and finding the source of the problem. Not rocket science.

Lastly, before you put the overhead panel back, tape or coat every exposed metal surface to be sure it doesn't short out and also be careful to not just jam the wires back into opening.

Good luck, Bob

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by Avanti83

[Gunslinger]

4 hours ago, Avanti83 said:

Lastly, before you put the overhead panel back, tape or coat every exposed metal surface to be sure it doesn't short out and also be careful to not just jam the wires back into opening.

Good luck, Bob

 

Absolutely...that could be the source of the spark you experienced.  

Many years ago when I owned a '63 Avanti the battery kept running down.  I couldn't figure out where the problem was as the battery would take a charge and a load but kept running down.  One morning I walked past the car and heard an electric motor running.  The fan switch in the overhead had a contact completing a ground against the outer frame and started the fan motor going.  I taped it off and no more problem. 

[rqb3083]

Bob and Gunslinger are right on about the potential grounding out of the switches in the cramped area where the rocker switches mount overhead. I had the same problem with the fan motor running when the car was off. That being ground contact of a terminal to the frame. After I discovered that, I took special care mounting the overhead switches insuring that there was no contact to the frame. 

Gene