Dash Lights Staying On

[renovate7]

I changed a gauge on this new to me 1966 Deuce and now the dash lights come on as soon as I turn on the power switch/lever. They stay on no matter what position the levers are in on the light switch. All other lights work normally. Do I need to look for a short on the back of the panel or has my very old looking light switch gone bad?

 

[mikew]

There are two wires that plug into the two dash lights, both wire #49.

I'd bet you have one of the #49 wires plugged into the wrong place (and one of the dash lights has something other than #49 plugged into it).

 

[73m819]

what gage did you change (fuel gage ???) and ditto on crossed wires

 

[renovate7]

Thanks for the quick replies and wire #'s. The truck came with no charging gauge (Radium!) so I found the only wire on the back of the panel that had been cut off and put a new end on it and connected it to the new charging gauge. I think it is one of the spider wires, the charging gauge works AOK. I also changed out the air pressure gauge, no wires. It's easy enough to pull the panel , I juse needed to know where to start my search.

 

[KsM715]

Do you have this?

 

[renovate7]

Thanks for the diagram. It looks like the panel lights, wire 49, come straight from the light switch. I guess I'll pull the panel and trace them back, not too far a distance. I can also pull the light switch and find the 49 pin and see if it's hot all the time. I just finished a 23 mile cruise, everything runs/works AOK!, and big storms are rolling in so this will have to wait until later.

 

[renovate7]

Problem solved. My spider wires is in sorry shape, probably original to truck. Insulation is missing off of it and one of the dash light wires. They were touching causing the problem. I've wrapped everything with electrical tape and already had a new spider on order.