Dash Light Fuse

[bohdy]

Hello,,,the dash light fuse on my 1956 Star Chief keeps blowing. Any suggestions as to where I should begin to look for the problem? Thanks in advance.

[Larry]

Like so often happens when you dig out the 1956 Service Manual, this is what you get:
"In each case trouble diagnosis requires following through the circuit until the source of difficulty is found."

On the surface, that sounds a bit smart-ass like. However, when it comes to electrical problems... nothing works better. It is a slow, step-by-step process until the culprit is found.

Start at the simplest spot first... 99% of the time that is where the problem will be found. For a '56, I would think that the old lamp sockets were still metal. Often times the wires got pulled to a point that they chaffed and then with road bumps, etc. would wiggle and short.

Next follow each wire from each lamp is the next point. Don't start unwrapping wire bundles at this point. That will be a last resort.

Make sure all wires at the fuse block are in good shape too.

Don't rule out the headlamp switch either. The rheostat for adjusting the lights can sometimes short out, or become corroded and cause over heating. It is made of very fine wires that don't last forever... especially with a contact rubbing back and forth on them for 55 years!

You don't mention if the fuse blows out immediately (dead short) or if after a period of time. If after a period of time, it is probably bad connections that are causing overheating and then failure. That could be from corroded sockets (if metal, that is the ground also), inside or out.

These lights draw little juice, so the condition of the actual wires shouldn't be a problem. Unless of course the car was in very poor shae that caused corrosion between the wire strands under the wrapping/insulation. But I doubt that.

Our posted wiring diagrams start with '57, but I have checked the diagram for '56 and see no unexpected things combined into the instrument light circuit to worry about.

Please let us know what you learn/find.