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Technical => Electrical and Ignition Systems => Topic started by: Bjaye12 on 2020-07-22 22:12

Title: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Bjaye12 on 2020-07-22 22:12
Tried searching, spent 2 hours sweating balls, bent over backwards with my head in the footwell trying to track wires and connections and replacing bulbs. Need some help, lost cluster lighting. Turn signals, oil light, gen light, radio/light, dome light, speedo all work, lighting in cluster does not.
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Ford Blue blood on 2020-07-23 07:36
When you say the speedo works am I correct assuming you mean the speed indicator, not the lights?

All the dash lights are fed off one circuit.  The head light switch is the source for them.  There is a potentiometer on the switch that controls the brightness.  Rotate it fully bright (CW) until you feel a slight click.  If the dash lights are on it is a failed pot. If still no lights there is a broken wire off the switch to the dash lights.  The source for power to the pot is internal to the head light switch, no fuse for them.
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: gasman826 on 2020-07-23 08:26
First thing, take the front seat out!
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Fabulous50s on 2020-07-23 08:26
Check to see if you have 12volts at the headlight switch. Looking from the top it would be the right front terminal. I believe it's a yellow wire.

If you have 12volts at that terminal then your headlight switch is bad.
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Bjaye12 on 2020-07-23 15:33
Correct, speedometer works but no lights. And the front seat is a bitch!
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Ford Blue blood on 2020-07-24 08:55
As Gary says, I joke that I mount my seats with wing nuts!  Us old buggers don't bend ant twist like we did when youngsters so having the seat out almost makes working under the dash fun.....
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: lalessi1 on 2020-07-24 09:06
The rheostats on the front of the light switch are not very good for dimming the dash lights especially on "repopped" versions. I bypassed mine. Now I can't dim the dash lights but they are pretty dim to start with. The light switch isn't too bad to remove with the seat still in....
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Bjaye12 on 2020-07-24 12:30
How does it come out?
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: djfordmanjack on 2020-07-24 13:14
there is a little knob on top of the light switch ( inbetween the electric connectors) that you have to press to release the light switch knob/shaft assembly ( wiggle/pull). then you get access to back out the slotted screw.
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Bjaye12 on 2020-07-24 14:41
How did you bypass it?
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: scottegibbs on 2020-09-15 10:19
Hi, I also had cluster lights that didn't work. I found that the contact on the dash light dimmer (rheostat?) was dirty. After I took a little Emory cloth to the contacts I now have all my dash lights working. One more box checked off!!
Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: lalessi1 on 2020-09-15 12:07
Quote from: Bjaye12 on 2020-07-24 14:41
How did you bypass it?

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Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: CobraJoe on 2020-09-15 15:38
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Title: Re: 1957 Fairlane 500 Cluster lights
Post by: Bjaye12 on 2020-09-15 16:30
Bad rheostat and replacing it fixed issue. Had a bulb that wouldn?t light and found out it was not pushed into the cluster all the way.