1964 Polara 500 Electrical Gremlins

[grubby65]

I have been fighting through some electrical gremlins with my 1964 Polara 500. I basically had two problems, one was when I applied the brakes the two lights on the side of the console would come on and the other is I kept blowing the fuse for the instrument panel lights. Here are the two solutions which took care of the problems. I was wondering if you guys think I'm good to go or should look deeper.
1) I removed the drivers side seat so I could gain easier access under the dash and noticed the ground wire which goes to the light switch was disconnected. I re-attached it.
2) The car has an aftermarket set of Cobalt Autometer gauges and an aftermarket tach in the console. Both of these were hooked up to the Instrument fuse for their respective lights. I know this isn't always the answer but I removed the 20 amp fuse for the instruments and installed a 30 amp fuse as a test, to see if I had a short or not.

After doing both of these things I no longer have an issue with the console lights coming on and the instrument fuse is not blowing. Would like some feed back.
Thanks

 

[furyus]

I'm not an expert, but I wonder if it was just a bad ground. 30 amp fuse sounds like alot for dash lights. I have Auto Meter gauges, and the lights have a separate ground for the lights, but powered through the dash lights. I would check the grounding, and try a lower rated fuse.

 

[Glenwood]

Putting in a larger fuse may not help you locate a short but will certainly lead to cooking your wiring and may create a fire.

I can't imagine the extra gauge lights would overload the fuse if connected properly. Also i wasn't aware there was a ground wire on the light switch. Basically the switch creates different paths for head, park, rear amd signal lights. All of these lights pick up a local ground from the sheet metal or a wire such as the headlights. Take a close look at each light socket for possible shorts from the nodes in the socket to the metal socket body or where the wires lead into the socket. These are bent for decades and crack sometimes.
The instrument lights are on a separate fuse on my 64 but i noticed the wire connector in the fuse panel rubbing on another wire when i went through my harness recently.

 

[c_callen]

Where was the ground under the seat?

 

[TerryC]

I had the same problem. Took me three years to figure out. All your problems may be with the turn signal switch. Sounds crazy. I got a new turn signal wire harness and all my electrical shorts disappeared. Hope this helps.

 

[malex]

Those signal switches can be a real pain in the ***. The one on my Plymouth is old and a little sloppy/loose. If it isn't smack in the centre it sometimes keeps the right brake light from coming on.

 

[miller]

I have been fighting through some electrical gremlins with my 1964 Polara 500.

grubby65, do you have wiring diagrams for the car?
Some of the stuff your describing, some might be wired up wrong. Instrument lights on my 64 Ply, get fed off a 5 amp fuse, at the box. But, just like mine, any added circuits should be connected into the system right.
That ground wire 'under the seat', must have been added.

You'd be surprised by the various circuits, that also go through the turn signal switch. Might be worth checking out. Good luck on it!

 

[Wmcmackin]

I have been fighting through some electrical gremlins with my 1964 Polara 500. I basically had two problems, one was when I applied the brakes the two lights on the side of the console would come on and the other is I kept blowing the fuse for the instrument panel lights. Here are the two solutions which took care of the problems. I was wondering if you guys think I'm good to go or should look deeper.
1) I removed the drivers side seat so I could gain easier access under the dash and noticed the ground wire which goes to the light switch was disconnected. I re-attached it.
2) The car has an aftermarket set of Cobalt Autometer gauges and an aftermarket tach in the console. Both of these were hooked up to the Instrument fuse for their respective lights. I know this isn't always the answer but I removed the 20 amp fuse for the instruments and installed a 30 amp fuse as a test, to see if I had a short or not.

After doing both of these things I no longer have an issue with the console lights coming on and the instrument fuse is not blowing. Would like some feed back.
Thanks

I had a similar issue in my 1965 Plymouth belvedere when I press the brake pedal I get the courtesy light instead of brake lights I fixed the courtesy light ground and it was all good