<VV> A Grounding problem heads up

[judynrandy at comcast.net]

If this thread helps someone else avoid the hell I just went through, then I guess it was all worth it.   I finally got the '63 convertible back from the body shop. Phew!! What an ordeal! At any rate, I get to put all the lights back in and everything.  Everything worked fine when it was disassembled a year and a half ago.  Along those lines I started with the back-up lights by checking to see if their was power to the light wires.  Yes.  Then I checked the bulbs. They worked.  So I installed them.  Worked great.   On to the turn signals.  I repeated the same procedure on them. But when I tried the parking light and turn signal-nothing.  So I removed the housing from the car, cleaned the grounding areas and tried again. Nothing. Power to the wires, bulb works, so it must be a ground.  I poked around and tried and tried to get it to work. Finally I grounded the light socket directly to the battery. 

Success!!  I'm not sure why, but the connection between the aluminium housing and steel socket refused to ground properly.  No corrosion. Just a factory looking crimp that wouldn't work.  I ended up fixing the problem by attaching a ground wire to the socket and clamp.  

The moral of the story?  When reassembling tail lights and other various lights that worked just fine when disassembled but  have sat awhile,  (inside a heated garage, even!!!)    There is no gurantee they'll work when reassembled!!!    D ouble and triple  check those  grounds BEFORE assembly !!!!  





Randy (Cap'n) Hook 

'63 ragtop 84/pg 

'65 monza 4dr 110/pg