Park light/ Dash Light/ Headlight problem

[cbfomoco]

I have a 1968 f350 with a relay and maybe a factory circut breaker on the pass kick panel. Anyway I was on the way home tonight pulled on the headlights and had no park lights or dash lights. The relay or circut breaker was clicking spratically. When it did the headlights would flash a little.( The Headlights were on the whole time though) I tryed turning them on a few times but it did not help. They never came on. ( dash and park lights) I am thinking that it is the relay or circut breaker. I tryed taping them but nothing. I dont think it is the headlight switch as the realy or breaker were making the click sound. Does anybody know which it might be? Does anyone have a part number for both the realy and the circut breaker and lastley does anyone know where I could find either part? Perferably new? Thanks

[cajuncannon03]

Make sure you don't have short on headlight wire to ground, causing excessive load on circuit. Look real good where wires pass at battery area. Known to have corrosion in this area.

[basketcase0302]

cajuncannon03 on Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:29 pm
Make sure you don't have short on headlight wire to ground, causing excessive load on circuit. Look real good where wires pass at battery area. Known to have corrosion in this area.

This would be something you should really put a voltage meter on! It almost sounds to me like the headlight switch itself is dropping voltage to the relay- Or the coil side of the cab light relay is as fault-not holding the relay in as designed-or the circuit breaker for the cab lights is going out.
Here's the wiring on the truck:
http://www.fordification.com/tech/wiring/68-22.jpg
http://www.fordification.com/tech/wiring/68-23.jpg

A quick search of NPD/DC and Mac's did not find the relay, (I too was curious about the availability of it). At first glance it looks similar to our horn relay, (thinking out loud-maybe we can use a horn relay that everyone sells)?

Maybe Shayne (Thunderfoot) or Hawkrod or someone else will pipe in here with a little more help on the troubleshooting and part availability.



edit: for part search info

[cbfomoco]

I will try and check the grounds and the connections at the rad support. I put the support in last fall and everything looked ok then but that could have changed. I am not going to say it is not the headlight switch either but I would think the headlights would not work either if that was it. I did look at the wiring digram and did not see a relay or the circut breaker in the digram maybe I missed it???( I am 99% sure it is factory and seemed to have read it somewhere that camper specials and dual wheel f350 got these) Also I was thinking this morring that I know that there are such things as auto reseting circut breakers maybe the truck has one and is resetting its self every little bit??

[basketcase0302]

camper specials and dual wheel f350 got these)

Yes, they are located on the upper part of the passenger side kick panel, (easier to get to via the glove box when removed). I thought I had a better picture of the relay and circuit breaker, they are right above the heater/fresh air ducting in this picture:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... C16089.jpg

Sorry I led you in the wrong direction with the above wiring diagrams, here's the cab light diagram:
http://www.fordification.com/tech/wiring/68-42.jpg

edit to provide proper diagram!

[fordman]

any auto circut breaker that trips and keeps tripping after restting. is either weak and goign bad. or there is a overload in that circut some place. an overload can be caused by wires shorting to ground or too many lights on a certain circut. the F250 camper special that chris and i parted out had this same extra fuse box moutned to the kick panel also. it was used for the cab clearance and width lights. that is about all i can help you with. maybe a bulb is bad inside and shorting across.

[FORDification]

Here's my FWIW:

If a circuit breaker trips in your home's breaker box, do you assume the breaker is bad and automatically replace it, or try to figure out what's causing it to trip?

Sounds to me like you've just got a bare (grounded) wire somewhere in the lighting circuit. Since you say you recently replaced the radiator support, that's where I'd start looking, to make sure a wire didn't get pinched or the insulation damaged during installation.

However, just an FYI...there's a 25-amp circuit breaker and a relay there. The circuit breaker is pretty basic and can be purchased almost anywhere. Here's one listing:


http://www.autowiringsolutions.com/cate ... gory_id=57

This is the relay:


It's PN C8TZ-13A435-A and is available from the following sources:

4 in stock
Bob Allen Ford Inc.
Overland Park, KS 66212
(913) 381-3000

60 in stock
GREEN SALES
CINCINNATI, OH 45237
(800) 543-4959

2 in stock
JST AUTOMOTIVE
LEBANON, TN 37087
(615) 443-3086

12 in stock
DENNIS CARPENTER FORD REPRODUC
CHARLOTTE, NC 28221
(704) 786-8139

1 in stock
ED BENNETT FORD PARTS
LEBANON, PA 17042
(717) 272-8762

48 in stock
MILLER OBSOLETE PARTS
BINGHAMTON, NY 13905
(607) 722-5371

[Thunderfoot]

You say that you had no Dash lights or park lights, this is only related to the light Switch... The "dash lights" are not anyway connected to the circuit breaker or relay on the passenger side for the camper/roof-bed marker lights.
However, with that said you could have a couple of shorted wires that are effecting both (park light and roof-fender marker lights both shorted). It sounds like you either have 2 issues or both are relate, if you don't find any shorted wires I would start with the headlight switch myself.

[cbfomoco]

Thanks for all the information. I checked/ Looked over the wiring the other day and could not find any problems. I also tryed the lights again and they all worked multiple times. I did take the headlight switch out and look it over. No burn spots or any other than dust. I now think/ agree that I think it is likely the headlight switch and will replace at some point. Thanks again

[Oren09]

I don't know if the park lights are fused or breakered (is this actually a word...?) but it appears the dash lights are fused.

Check the fuses just to be sure. My gauge lights weren't working and so I started poking around under the dash. I noticed the small fuse in the middle of the fuse panel was loose. It was too big for the socket and wasn't making a connection. I got a new one that fits the socket and seats all the way and the lights work now.

[Thunderfoot]

The Park lights are on a circuit breaker that is internal to the Light Switch. The light switch has 2 circuit breakers built into it, one for the headlights and one for the Park/Marker lights.