The only thing keeping my hot rod off the road at the moment is finishing my wiring. Specifically the headlight/turn signal/tail lamp/stop light situation. I'm trying to figure out how to utilize what I have and make it as simple as possible. I have- -a GM column with all the usual wire colors and the stock turn signal switch - a headlight switch from Speedway with 4 connectors (Battery, headlights, running lights, acc) -Speedway dimmer switch -Speedway '50 Pontiac tail lights with 1157 bulbs. -Speedway mechanical brake switch I got the head lights working with high and low beam, and I've got the front turn signals working with the stock GM column switch. Here is where I'm stuck... getting the tail lights to turn on with the headlights. Then getting the rear turn signals to work in conjunction with this. Also my brake switch turns the tail lights OFF. Is this a normally open switch? According to Speedway, the red wires on the tail lights are for the tail lamps and the white wires are for stop and turn. Will I have to run separate turn signals? I'm really confused. It's like every time I get one thing to work, something else won't. I have yet to blow a fuse or cook anything. Just trying to be really careful. Thanks
You have no grounds on the rear bulb sockets! When you hit the stop switch it puts 12V on the stop/turn signal filaments, which without a ground will not allow the tailights to have a "pseudo ground" back through the stop/turn signal filaments and turn signal switch. Ground the sockets and try again.
The output from your brake light switch should go to the correct wire on your steering column. Your brake light output comes out of the column using the same wires for your rear turn signals. This enables one tail light to function as a brake light and the other to flash for your signal light. Is this how you have it wired? John
Yeah I utilized all the stock wires on the column just like it says in all the basic hot rodding wiring guides. I've got 12V going into one plug on the switch and the other plug is going to the white wire on the signal harness. But when I press down on the brake switch it turns the lights off. The signals work fine. With the switch 'not depressed' it puts 12v right though it. When I depress the switch it cuts off the electricity. I thought it would work the other way?
I do not know what brake switch you have but if it is the lever type they are set up to go under a brake pedal arm. When you push in the pedal it lets the lever swing and turns on the internal switch and powers up the brake lights. You should feel spring pressure in the closed position and the circuit will be open with no power going through it. John
Hey Ehren, I have no idea what you're talking about; but nevertheless, it illustrates the horror I'm facing when I finally get around to wiring mine in a month or so Your ride looks BOSS, btw!!!
Well it's cool man. When you get around to it, I'll have all the answers.... hopefully LOL. BTW, my brake switch I believe is the 'normally open' type. So 12V only goes through when there is NO pressure on the switch. It's kind of like a 'reverse' switch???
A normally open switch is open until you activate or close the switch. With the switch sitting on your work bench it should be open (no continuty). Mount the switch so when you press the brake pedal it closes. Hope this clears up your problem..
It's a mechanical switch. And when it's just sitting there, continuity exists. When I depress the lever; no continuity. So I guess actually it's a normally closed switch. I made the assumption that it was normally open. I guess I was wrong. It's this switch... http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Universal-Mechanical-Brake-Light-Switch,1972.html funny they don't tell you whether it's open or closed normally. Kinda confusing.
did you do a search here? since you shop at Speedway Motors buy the very helpful book "How to wire your Street Rod" item 91085124 for $7.99
Yeah I have that book. LOL It was very helpful but like every other aspect of building a car start to finish, there are always little things that you've gotta figure out for yourself. Plus I'm an artist so playing the part of an electrician is, uh.... interesting.
Yeah ... what he said. Mount the switch so the pedal moves away from it when appling the brake. So when at rest, the pedal holds the switch open.
So I got the whole thing sorted out. Everything works and my problems stemmed from not understanding how the brake switch worked. So my car is pretty much done! Thanks guys! Couldn't have got it this far without all the help. Guess I need to show my support with a HAMB alliance membership.
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