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Old 04-06-2012, 07:09 PM
mac266 mac266 is offline
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Default 1946 John Deere B lighting problems

Hi all,

My '46 B is having some issues with the headlights. This is the original 6 volt system.

When I bought it, one of them worked and the other didn't. I took the non-operational one apart to see what the problem was, and found three things wrong. First, the wire that was formerly soldered to the back end of the light had come detached. Secondly, the filament in the bulb itself was burnt out. Finally, the inside was rusty, including the contacts.

So I bought a new bulb. In the meantime, I glass beaded the inside to clean up the rust. I replaced all the wiring, which still had the original woven cloth insulation, with 14 gauge automotive wire. After soldering everything up (yes, I used rosin core electrical solder), I opted to hook the light up to see if it worked before I re-painted it.

Nope, it didn't work. All the wiring is hooked up correctly and the contacts are clean. I don't know why it won't work. The bulb is brand new.

So I checked to make sure the other light was still working. It was, so I took it apart to verify I had done the other one the same way. Yep, exactly the same. Then I put the working light back, and suddenly it no longer worked. I took it off again and disassembled it to make sure I hadn't knocked a soldered joint apart the first time. Nope, everything was still intact. So now I have two headlights that don't work.

What could be the problem here? There are two wires inside each light, one soldered to the socket into which the bulb plugs, the other soldered on to the back end of the bulb. Given the two wires, I assumed they grounded internally. However, I'm wondering if they actually ground where they bolt on to the tractor. If that's the case, the connection is a little bit rusty (just a little surface rust).

Your thoughts? I'm trying to avoid spending $70 apiece on new headlights when a bulb and a few wires would do the trick.
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Old 04-07-2012, 12:44 AM
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Ike Ike is offline
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Mac,

I suspect the ground connections are bad. You might try using a ground jumper wire between the lights and battery to see if they work that way.

Ike
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Old 04-07-2012, 12:49 AM
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soundguy soundguy is offline
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always double check switches, feed wires, connectors and ground...
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Old 04-12-2012, 04:39 PM
mac266 mac266 is offline
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They must ground by bolting to the frame. I cleaned those contacts up and now both lights work fine!
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Old 04-12-2012, 09:45 PM
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yep.. they do!
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