Almost finished with the 68 I just put in all new light bulbs + fuses today (entire car) all of them work except the front turn signals and front parking lights (light #1157A). The 4-ways work in the front but they are not that bright. I already cleaned and checked all of the contacts. What would be the next thing to check??
the grounds. There should be one near the right headlight wiring that attaches to the radiator support. Make sure it is clean and in good condition.
either a ground at each side that should be grounded to the core support(3 wire sockets) OR maybe your bulbs ground to their perspective housing through the socket prongs(2 wire sockets). if your sockets are 2 wire, make sure your housings are grounded to the car good. not being familiar with your car...
Thanks for all the help, I will check it out tomorrow, The front lights are not installed to the new bumper all of the way. I never tightend the screws!! hope that is it.
A '68 should have a wire that comes out of the harness and attaches to the radiator/core support with a bolt. You should not have to ground the housings, as they are plastic.
. . . as others have stated; Sounds like a corroded, poor, or missing chassis ground connection somewhere in the headlamp wiring harness - check and clean the chassis ground wire connections. :TU:
Stick a pin through the green wire at the socket and touch your ohm meter to that and the bumper. Continuity at that point means the wire (ground is good. Now do it with the meter at the ground strip in the socket and the bumper... Infinity means its open and probably a bad or really dirty socket. Next, Turn on the parking lights and check for 12 volts on the bulb contacts and the bumper. 12Vs is good and 0 is bad. More than likely a bad socket being in all the bad weather for 40+ years! Take the lenses off and clean, paint the housing with chrome silver, and put a new bulb in a clean socket. Make sure the lens and socket both have gaskets to seal them! Lights like they were meant to be... Bill
THANKS EVERYBODY!!! It was in fact a grounding issue, the ground wires were not touching metal. I never took the new paint off before I attached the grounds. I did a little sanding / re-attached WORKS GREAT. QUESTION: You said to paint inside SILVER??? Front parking lights and the rear back up area on mine were WHITE inside not SILVER White come from factory?
Mine were silver F & R with 90% of it gone. Chrome in a spray can brightened them up considerably. GS's and SS chevelles and W30s all had the clear lenses with 1157A (amber bulbs) whereas the bass model cars has 1157 with amber lenses. I would've guessed they were all silver as well. The rears here are showing about 90% black plastic. The last pics are on the binders at night... its good to be seen! Maybe tomorrow Ill get some front shots. If you decide to take the housings apart, the self tapping screws are gonna twist off from rust (rot). If that happens get a small pair of vise grips tips pretty hot with a propane torch and clamp them onto the stubs, after about 5 seconds the heat will transfer and the screws will come out or all the way through. Gently pry the lens from the base and clean (scrub brush clean in the kitchen sink!) and paint, Don't forget to clean the outer gasket and make sure the socket has a seal gasket as well. Mine was missing one and it was a mess! Use all new self tapping "tech-screws". Theres also a L & R lens assembly. Ideally, the side marker lights will flash alternately with the front and tail turn signals. As in left or right side side on-off-on-off as well as the taillights. Buicks thrive on being seen; and heard! ws
Thanks for all of the input, I will check out if my lights are anywhere as bright as yours. I did paint the other two bulb areas dull alumn. (read somewhere it was close to argent silver) however still confused about the white paint. The front side markers are white plastic with amber bulbs. When I took apart the front turn signal lights there was definatly faded white paint with bulbs that looked like they were painted some yellow-orange color. the rear back-up bulb areas had the same faded white paint (more faded then front) with clear 1157 bulbs. If in fact they are all supposed to be silver color I will just have to repaint them. I already had them all apart, so the second time should be faster. I really do hate doing things twice, should have checked first!!
The backup bulbs should be 1156 single element with a one wire (+ ground) 1157 socket. Theres only one contact strip on the bottom inside so orient the bulb to connect. GOIN' JUNKIN' in the rain right now! ws http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/centgrtlakes_loop.php
What is right for that GSX car may not be right for your 1968. White may very well be correct for your car in the housings, I don't think silver was used 'til later years. Do more research before rushing to change them to silver. White sidemarkers w/amber bulbs are right for your car. The first generation of amber bulbs were just orange paint on white bulbs. The 2nd generation amber bulbs look different, but the color is more duarable.
The 1157A bulbs that Ive used since 1970 were always a clear bulb with a candy apple orange coating of some type applied to the outside. Possibly, there some china knock offs that are coated on the inside, but the ones Ive seen usually have the inside coating turn to dust from the heat. Buy USA made I guess (if you can). The 1970 and up side lights have amber and red lenses with a clear bulb. We went junking today and found some 1972 rear lens gaskets, and those were once painted silver inside as well. Id paint the inside STOP SIGN reflector white if I could afford it. I have this intense desire to not be rear ended. ws
Thanks for all of the great insight everybody!!!! Grounding issue is fixed and as far as the housing colors, I'm staying with what I did for now. LOVE THE REFLECTOR WHITE IDEA instead of gloss white. I may go ahead and change that.
