Do I need a new headlight switch?

[DougG69]

Well, tonight I finally put the battery back in & fired her up after about a month of:

rebuilding the heater box (new motor)
adding an accessory fuse panel
hooking up the electric choke
re-wiring the electric fans
restoring the instrument cluster with LEDs and a new printed circuit
running the wiring for the power door locks & power windows
AND
installing a tach

Incredibly, she did start and run, the gauges all work, and best of all NO MAGIC SMOKE escaped!

There's only one fly in the ointment. The dash lights work with the parking lights, but not with the headlights on. Should I just get a new headlight switch, or is there anything else I might check first?

 

[Jonk67]

Can't answer if that is where your problem lies but sure is funny that it happens between the 2 positions of the switch. Here's a site that has the '69 diagram for download in a zip file if it helps, might look at how it's wired first:
http://www.themustangshop.com/resources.cfm

Could be this upgrade is the culprit? "restoring the instrument cluster with LEDs and a new printed circuit"
I'd see if the power gets cut using a 12V test light touching the dash lights wire at the pigtail to substitute the dash, if the test light works in both postions you've narrowed it down to the what's in the cluster.
Jon

 

[DougG69]

Could be this upgrade is the culprit? "restoring the instrument cluster with LEDs and a new printed circuit"

I have an update that seems to answer this question.

I got in the car last night and poked around a bit. I did not have the switches in the doors for the courtesy lights, so I thought I'd put in the new ones. While I was messing around with those, I discovered I actually DO have dash lights with the headlights.

When the headlight switch SEEMS to be pulled fully out, with some extra force there is just a last tiny bit of extension and the dash lights come on. I don't have to really crank it, but I also wouldn't think you'd have to pull that hard either.

At least that tells me it's the switch. I have a new one on the way. Even though my current switch DOES work, the car right now rides like a rickshaw and I can foresee the dash lights cutting out with some regularity on these roads.

Now I just have to figure out why the passenger side courtesy light in the sail panel doesn't work

 

[janschutz]

Glad you got it figured out. Does sound like the switch.

 

[Fast68back]

So you have three extensions, one pull turns on Parking lights, second turns on headlights and parking, then a third to get the dash lights on?

 

[Jonk67]

So you have three extensions, one pull turns on Parking lights, second turns on headlights and parking, then a third to get the dash lights on?

I think he means the switch is going out so the 2nd pull has to be a hard one to get the headlights and dashlights on. Since you have the 4 headlight setup you might want to look at upgrading to a set of relays at the front to take the load off the headlight switch, it'll last longer and won't heat up with the relays installed:
http://danielsternlighting.com/
Jon

 

[DougG69]

I think he means the switch is going out so the 2nd pull has to be a hard one to get the headlights and dashlights on.

Pretty much right on. The second detent seems to need a little extra encouragement to get dash lights.

Since you have the 4 headlight setup you might want to look at upgrading to a set of relays at the front to take the load off the headlight switch, it'll last longer and won't heat up with the relays installed:
http://danielsternlighting.com/
Jon

Good advice, and I actually have everything wired in place for a relay harness except I'm waiting on some terminals for the headlight connectors themselves. I actually got the relays, etc, from Mr. Stern, but I don't like the headlight connectors that the kit came with:

 

[DougG69]

Got the new headlight switch in last night. Fixed 'er right up