dash wiring

[iontkendall]

I am trying to fix the gages/lights on my 66 custom cab. I have a couple of custom cabs so i have correct wiring available to me. My question is there is a light that is dangling behind the instrument cluster, it comes on with the headlight switch, it has a single wire gong to it (blue w/red stripe), it does not have a snap in socket like the ones used for speed light. I cant find any extra holes where this would go. Obviously this is not critical but i am curious where it goes.
Thank You
Ion Kendall

[OldHarley]

Does the light go off when you switch from high to low beams? or does it stay on?

'66 F100 CC standard sweep dash has 6 holes in the rear, 2 for illumimation, 1 for turn signal indicator and 1 for hi beam indicator, oil and amp idiot lights.

[Uncle Skip]

If it comes on when you pull the head light switch to park AND headlights, its an instrument back light and plugs in behind the gauges.
If it comes on when you turn on the headlight only, hit the high beam switch to see if it goes out. If it does, its the high beam indicator and plugs in at the top of your instrument cluster.
There IS a hole for it back there somewhere.
[albumimg]4619[/albumimg]
Note the white wires on the back of this cluster. They are ground wires for the high beam indicator and turn signal indicators. These lights (LEDs) are mounted in their original locations.
The four pieces of silver tape at the bottom cover the holes for the instrument back light bulbs. I don't use the stock instruments so I took them out and sealed the holes with tape.
Hope this helps you out.
U@ss

[OldHarley]

Skip,

Dat ain't da right one. Poster has a Custom Cab which has the sweep. You posted the standard dash, which has the round speedo. Not sure that will help much.

BTW, the Custom Cab has only ONE turn signal indicator light!

[DanSanDiego2000]

Since you said it did not have a normal bulb socket on it, I would guess that it is the backlight for the cigarette lighter socket.

Not all the cigarette lighters were illuminated, so if you have an extra light that comes on with the headlights and parking lights, that might be the right spot for the bulb.

[Sarg]

Not to steal the thread, but are the dash bulbs something you could get at your local Autozone or are they a special bulb that is no longer produced? I have not pulled the dash to look at them yet, but wanted to know before bothering to pull it. I only want to do it once and have what I need to get the job done.

[64shortie]

I have the extra bulb under the dash too. It's a smaller one than the guage lights with a different kind of socket. My 64 Custom Cab doesn't have a lighter or even a hole for one. I thought it may be an ash tray light or maybe for the factory radio but the wires are too short for either of those. The oil and charge guages have their own lights. For now the bulb is pulled and saved. Some day I'll figure out what that socket is for.

I got bulbs for my dash at NAPA.

[iontkendall]

I finally figured out what the extra bulb is for. It is for the cigar lighter. Apperently on custom cab models there is a lighted cigar lighter.

[Alan Mclennan]

Well if that don`t beat all!, the lit cigarette lighter!, do you only see the light when the lighter is out of it`s socket or is there some other spot for the light to come out of?. Talk about a rabbit with a gold tooth!

[DanSanDiego2000]

Well if that don`t beat all!, the lit cigarette lighter!, do you only see the light when the lighter is out of it`s socket or is there some other spot for the light to come out of?. Talk about a rabbit with a gold tooth!

You only see the light when you have the lighter out of the socket. The lighted socket helps you to return the lighter into the socket in the dark.

[Alan Mclennan]

some cars didn`t have that until the late 70`s or even later.

[F7BIGJOB]

some cars didn`t have that until the late 70`s or even later.

My '52 F-3, '52 F-5 [COE] and my '51 F-7 Big Job all had lighted wells.

[R Pope]

Umm...If there's only one wire to the socket, how does it come on at all if it's dangling behind the dash? What grounds it?

[DanSanDiego2000]

[albumimg]8757[/albumimg]

[albumimg]8755[/albumimg]

The bulb is a little dusty and dirty from decades under the dash, but you can see how the little capsule piggybacks onto the lighter socket.

[64shortie]

Yep, that's exactly what the one in my truck looks like. It didn't light up until grounded to something. I think I've figured out why my custom cab didn't appear to have a spot for a lighter. The previous owner had apparently moved the temp control for the heater into that hole on the dash from the bracket under the dash edge. Hadn't occured to me until I started looking at the heater controls in the 62. In it, the heater speed switch/defrost knob is in the dash and the temp control is under the edge of the dash. Looks like he may have used a choke knob and shaft for the move to the dash. It matches perfectly to the other dash knobs. Now I figure I have an extra feed for some kind of creative light for later use already built in. Hmmmm, maybe one so I can see my girls nice legs in the dark. Nah, probably cause a wreck.

[William-in-St George]

Bulbs are available at any parts store, but, LED are also available from Mustang parts vendors. These LED's come in a variety of colors as well. Might work for an upgrade.