1972 Imperial Electrical System Repairs

The_Eagles’_Nest

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So I’m digging into my Imperial with easy things to do. I have replaced a few light bulbs and it has made wonders.

The original headlamps still work but are stuck behind the doors. I suspect the relay or the motor to be bad.

The right turn signal works, front and rear, but not the left. The parking lamps, cornering lamps, side markers and panel lights do not work. I suspect the headlamp and turn signal switches.

The courtesy lamps work but only with the rear doors open, I suspect both front door switches.

That’s a start, but I’m sure I will find more.

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The original headlamps still work but are stuck behind the doors. I suspect the relay or the motor to be bad.

The motor has a ground wire: is it connected to anything?

Relay test, headlight switch ON, 2-wire connector at grill motor disconnected: Should be power at blue/yellow wire. No power at black/red
Relay test, headlight switch OFF, 2-wire connector at grill motor disconnected: Should be no power at blue/yellow wire. Power at black/red

If the car passes the relay test and the motor has ground, need grill motor rebuild. I have used Jeff for 3 grill motor rebuilds. He does good work.

Jeff Woods Grill Motor
6882 CR 283
Terrell, TX 75160
214-755-0332

[email protected]
 
According to the Chrysler wiring diagram the headlight door motor is grounded into the headlamp circuit. It got dark so I will have to look tomorrow after work.
 
Almost always the bulb holders in the tail lamps, cornering lamps side marker lights etc. have poor grounds after many years of outside exposure (the housings for the bulbs of course need to be well grounded too). What I find helpful is to go behind each bulb holder and rotate the holder in place a little back and forth after spraying some penetrant such as Kroil around the outside contact area of each socket. Sometimes when the bulb socket/holder is difficult to reach especially behind the rear bumpers or otherwise difficult to access to rotate them I use a pair of channel locks to get up in tight areas to make the sockets rotate. By doing this, one removes the oxidation built up over time and the resulting uniform bright lights look great.

Often times when the instrument lights do not illuminate the rheostat is corroded and will need to be addressed.
 
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According to the Chrysler wiring diagram the headlight door motor is grounded into the headlamp circuit. It got dark so I will have to look tomorrow after work.
I believe motor ground, black wire pictured, will have continuity to a body ground bolt at the fender near the battery. My experience with 1970, 1971, 1972 Fury.
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George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison are rolling around in their graves. The previous owner put Westinghouse bulbs on the right side. They don’t go with the original GE bulbs on the left side.

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I got the front marker lights to work! I need to install the new headlamp switch from Murray B Park and the new turn signal switch from Classic Industries.

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I got the cornering lamps to work, left and right turn signals are almost sorted. I cannot seem to get the lower parking lamps to light a bulb on either side.

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Someone thought it was a good idea to unplug the drivers door switch. So none of the buzzers or warning lights work, or the ignition lamp. Fixed…

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I’m of the opinion that the previous owner had the car die one day and he thought he would rebuild the engine when the only thing wrong was the ignition module.

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