1968 F500 exterior lights

[dolinick]

I have been working on this old truck that had been parked for maybe 8 years.

I got the engine running pretty good. I got the brakes working a little bit. I put a little air in the tires.
Now I'm thinking about getting all the lights working just in case I am able to go driving around in
it soon. I did drive it 1.5 miles down to 7-11 just to put air in the tires. I only put 25-30 psi though.

I turned on the headlight switch and I really can't see any lights working. But this was in the daytime.
I pulled out the hazard flasher switch on the steering column and the blinkers started working on the
dash. I could see the light on the front driver side fender blinking but not too bright. Also I pulled the
red lenses off of the tail lights and I could see the filament blinking dimly on both left and right sides.

So maybe I have some grounding issue. I want to get into it with my volt meter. There was an extra ground
cable connected from the battery to the frame by the front bumper but I disconnected that.

Well, anyway I'm gonna start trying to get into the lights and see. The horn button on the steering wheel works.
The radio works but the it's an old aftermarket radio and the speaker is bad.

Now actually I have five marker lights on the cab and front and rear top corner lights on the utility bed. It will
be cool to get all those working also.

[jzjames]

The horn button on the steering wheel works.

Wow!

All the lights working will be cool!

[dolinick]

so i have been starting the truck and letting it run 5 or ten minutes. i turned on the light switch one and two clicks. i have a few lights on the cab and on the bed working. i haven't begun troubleshooting them yet but i did get the timing fixed i think... i broke down and got a timing light.

[sargentrs]

Progress is progress! It's the little things that can give the lost satisfaction.

[cep62]

put a long jumper wire on your test light and hook right to the neg battery terminal .
then you know you have a good ground.

There was an extra ground
cable connected from the battery to the frame by the front bumper but I disconnected that.

hook that back up , you can't have too many grounds

[dolinick]

put a long jumper wire on your test light and hook right to the neg battery terminal .
then you know you have a good ground.

dang, this should be good. i drove the truck to the car wash today and autozone. i got some tail light bulbs and headlights although i don't know if i even need them yet. dang.

There was an extra ground
cable connected from the battery to the frame by the front bumper but I disconnected that.

hook that back up , you can't have too many grounds

I may hook it back up. thanks. i might have changed the battery terminal or something. i don't know. but it seems a little short. i want to
start troubleshooting the lights anyway. some of the lights are working. a cab marker light, a tail light and a running light on the left fender.

also there is one marker light on the top of the bed that is working.

[cep62]

If there are any "scotch locks" wire connectors on there ,
those are a good place to look for a bad connection.