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Old 01-19-2009, 01:08 PM
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Default Headlights _ Parking Lights on Together

I've resurected this as I was thoroughly confused. All along I was tryijng to get them on together by jumping the Purple and Brown/White wires at the light switch. The Brown/White stripe wire is not the one to use. You must use the solid Brown wire and the Purple wire only. That's all, nothing else is cut or unhooked from the switch. Just use a short piece of wire close to the same gauge and 2 scotch locks.

Thanks to a few great phone calls with Charles(Old Goat 67) I finally got my head out of my butt and did it the right way. After reading the old thread on this and a couple of PMs asking about it, I was completely in a fog. Charles got me straight but with an oddity. His GTO is a 67, no Brown/White stripe wire on his light switch harness. Mine does as does the 65s... tho not sure about 64 GTOs. The Brown/White wire seems to be the one that puts your dash lights on with the tail lights, but it is always hot. So never use it for this modificcation. I did and the park lights were on with the switch off.

I'm no electrician for cars so thanks to Old Goat 67, we now have it all in writing on doing it the correct way. Hope this helps any of you guys out there that want to do it.... it sure looks great IMHO. A BIG thanks Chuck.

BTW.. this should work on the GPs, StarChiefs, Catalinas...ect, ect for the 60s too.

Here's proof I did it. Don't mind the messy garage... it's cold here. LOL
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Old 01-19-2009, 06:50 PM
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I assume this has no effect on using the turn signal and they still come on in the park pos? (headlights off)

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Old 01-19-2009, 06:59 PM
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That is correct.

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Old 01-20-2009, 07:07 AM
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Cool, Thanks.

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Old 01-20-2009, 09:08 AM
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i thought the parking lights and low beams worked like that to begin with? its been awhile since i drove my pontiac with lights installed so maybee you can jog my memory

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Old 01-20-2009, 09:25 AM
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No Performer, they only come on by themselves and once you turn on the headlights they go out... as per the stock light switch. You need the jumper to have them come on with the low/high beams.

Like Charles said to me, and I agree, if you lose one lowbeam at least on coming traffic knows where you are with the parking lights on with headlights. I imagine that's why it was done in the newer cars a couple of years later. 68 I think was the start of that but not sure.

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Old 01-20-2009, 09:57 AM
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GT182:

So this wire work was done at the switch, or at the headlights? Looks good now that i have seen the pic of your car. Thanks, never thought of the safety part good point.

Scott

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Old 01-20-2009, 10:23 AM
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Scott, it's done at the wiring plug for the headlight switch. Pull the knob out of the switch.... but unhook battery first.... and then take the switch out of the dash. It's easier to get at the wiring that way.

BTW.. Charles found that the 64s have 2 Brown wires comining to the light switch. You have to find the hot Brown wire for the tail lights to make the jumper wire connection to the Purple wire.

Even tho the 64 and 65 GTO, LeMans and Tempest have their parking lights in the bumper, it's a good safety modification. Same goes for the 66 and 67 Lemans and Tempest. Remember, they all have the 2 element 1157 bulbs for the parking lights and turn signals in all of these cars.

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Last edited by GT182; 01-20-2009 at 10:37 AM.
  #9  
Old 01-20-2009, 02:21 PM
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GM began that feature in 1968.
I did it then for the safety aspect of it.

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Old 01-21-2009, 06:48 AM
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I was wondering if it was in the switch or the wiring. I saved a spare switch from a 2nd-gen T/A to swap into my '67 Cutlass for this same reason. I know the T/A's had parking lamps on with headlamps, and I like that look better, too. I guess if the switches are the same, I have a spare now.

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Old 01-21-2009, 07:53 AM
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Quote:
I was wondering if it was in the switch or the wiring.
Not knowing here, just guessing, it would have been much easier for them to multiple the front with the rear park lamp wiring coming off the switch so that the park lights are on together regardless of what position the switch is in (other than off).

Looking at a 68 Tempest shop manual, best I can tell is that the one lead feeding out to the rear park also fed the front park and the marker lights at all four corners.

That is essentially what I had done here, with this mod. I have always liked the result.

Cheers,
Charles

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Old 01-21-2009, 08:03 AM
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Gary,
Just to clear up your earlier post, there is a Brn/Wh lead going to the 65 and 66 switch from the fuse block which is hot all the time. By strapping that one to the Purple was what caused the front Park lights to remain on at all times. One must be sure to use the solid Brown lead for this modification, because it is the lead controlled by the light switch.
Charles

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Old 01-21-2009, 10:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Goat 67 View Post
Gary,
Just to clear up your earlier post, there is a Brn/Wh lead going to the 65 and 66 switch from the fuse block which is hot all the time. By strapping that one to the Purple was what caused the front Park lights to remain on at all times. One must be sure to use the solid Brown lead for this modification, because it is the lead controlled by the light switch.
Charles
Charles,
Got that and have it written down in my notes now.

Wasn't it the 64s that had the 2 brown wires and no Br/Wh wire coming into the switch? I thought that was what you said on the phone. And anyone doing the mod had to find the hot brown going to the tail lights for the jumper to work properly.

Here's a diagram I made to help out doing the mod. Just the tabs in the headlight switch as you look at it from the top. Pull knob will be at the bottom as you hold your switch.

Note:
I've been wondering if you could remove the connector that goes to the tab on the switch, out of the plug for the Purple wire, and then put it in the empty slot to connect the Brown and Purple wires without using a jumper. This could be a better way to make the connection to the tail lights without a jumper wire. If anyone gives it a try, let us know.
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Old 01-21-2009, 11:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GT182 View Post
You must use the solid Brown wire and the Purple wire only. That's all, nothing else is cut or unhooked from the switch. Just use a short piece of wire close to the same gauge and 2 scotch locks.

This has been on my 'to-do' list for quite a while, but it has been pretty low on my list as I am not thrilled about cutting things up.
You mentioned using scotch locs, this confused me a little as you mentioned using a jumper. Where did you use them and how did you jumper this? Did you use the UR2 scotch locs to basically make a three way (extra wire coming from each scotch loc) on the purple and brown wires, then connect these extra leads together? I'm guessing the switch has spades that the wiring harness plugs into and there is no place to connect a jumper to, correct? I'm sure it will be obvious when I actually dig into it, but a heads up would be reassuring.

BTW, the diagram is a nice touch for future reference.

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Last edited by goatmanmitch; 01-21-2009 at 12:02 PM.
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Old 01-21-2009, 01:45 PM
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I've included pictures of the switch, scotch locks I bought at Pep Boys(Pt # 85464), and the switch wiring after the jumper was installed. This should make it real simple to do the modification.

Mitch, you cut no wires. Don't feel bad, I was in the same frame of mind as you.... I didn't understand how it was done and what wires I had to use the jumper(splice) on. So I kept putting it off too. Once you look at the photos, you'll see it's really pretty simple to do. I just felt like a dummy until Charles talked me thru it. That's why I started this idea all over again with as much of the info in it so no one else feels like you and I.

There's one photo that's a close up of the wiring going into the block that hooks up to the light switch. It looks like it's a brown/white wire because of the lighting..... it is not tho... it is the brown wire connected to the red wire I used for the jumper. The scotch locks are inexpensive and I believe you get 8 in the package. That's good thing as I broke 2 from it being so cold here.

Here's the photos I took from in the car and what you need. The Light Switch shown here is the original from 66 I believe. The one in the car now is a new replacement that's set up exactly the same. Don't mind the Br/Wh wire with the plice... I broke that because it was so brittle and the cold didn't help either.

Save the pictures(Save Pictures As) to your desktop in a folder of their own, and print them out if needed. With Windows Picture and Fax Viewer you can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and enlarge them if needed for a closer look.
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Old 01-21-2009, 02:06 PM
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Thanks GT182 just saved the pics.

Scott

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Old 01-21-2009, 02:15 PM
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FWIW, I just used 1 of those connectors, place the purple wire in 1 side, and the brown on the other, no need for a separate "jumper" wire. Same thing, just easier.

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Old 01-21-2009, 02:15 PM
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Yer welcome Scott. It's easier to see pictures of it than to just read about it and still be in the dark. LOL

You know, it takes only about 10 minutes to do. The longest time is getting the switch out from behind the dash so you can see what you're doing, then putting it back in place and putting the pull knob back in.

Good luck.

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Old 01-21-2009, 02:18 PM
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Thanks for the pics,I was worried about cutting wires also.

Eric

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Old 01-21-2009, 02:42 PM
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Tempest, yeah that'll work too as you found out. I didn't find any of that type of connectors so it was the scotch locks for me. As long as it works that's alll that counts.

I'd still like to pull the Purple wire out of it's spot in the block and put it in the empty spot. That too should work seeing the brown wire is connected by the brass tab to the one that's empty. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow, so I'll try it seeing the switch is unhooked form the dash and is still easy to get to. Stay tuned for the results.

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