Hi,
I am helping a good friend bring his 1966 Park Lane out of long-term storage. He hates the big medalions in the front fenders that fill the holes on cars not equipped with the optional cornering lights, so over the years he has pulled several complete cornering lamp setups from junkyard cars so he can convert his Park Lane.
We installed the cornering lamps, but they blink with the turn signals instead of providing a non-blinking light while the turn signals are on. Each cornering lamp has a relay. We have cleaned all the connections and tested the relays, but no luck. 1966 was the first year Mercury offered optional cornering lights, and it was apparently a one-year only setup. I was wondering if anyone here might have the headlight wiring diagram for 1966 full size Mercurys. I’ve found the 1967 diagram, but the wiring is different. Does anyone have any suggestions on what needs to be done, or does anyone have the wiring diagram that you could scan? We sure would appreciate the help
It’s a really cool big old car. It has the 428 just about every option you could get from the factory, and it has low miles and amazing original paint and interior.
It’s my belief that the cornering lights aren’t activated until the headlights are turned on. ( I had old T hunderbirds)With that said, the corner lights are being activated by the impulse from the turn lever. This is not the wiring going to the flashers, as they come off the relays for the turn signal, which makes them go on and off.
Instead, you have to hook up before the wire from your turn signal lever goes into the relays.
If you have the wires available already, get a test light ($3 or so) and check the wires. You should be able to easily find out which one carries steady positive one you turn on your turn signal (make sure your headlights are on. This will activate the relays).
Separate relays are needed to provide enough current to the corner lights, as they draw some power.
The wire which carries a constant ground is your main power from the battery, and available at the relays. However, the power wont flow through the relays till it is activated. And this is happening by the impulse when you turn on your signal lever. 'hope this helps.
After a bit more research here is how it goes. From a 5 fuse block of unknown origins ( inside hopefully), comes an orange wire (there’s also a black-red and blue -red coming from the block. This is the power source that fires the relays). It goes to the middle terminal of the relays to operate the coil. On the left, facing the wire hook ups, is a black wire that goes to the bulb on the cornering lamp. The other wire from the lamp goes to the ground at the relay base. The right and last wire ( violet) from the relay goes to the park light/ directional signal bulb via yellow wire.