1978 Town Car Dash Light And Head Lamp Door Issues

Hey Bill,
I have a couple minor problems with my 1978, but the two I am most concerned with is one, I have no dash lights and the a/c-heat switches don’t illuminate either. The gauges work fine just not the lights. I’ve checked the fuses and they are fine. Haven’t checked the bulbs but I figured if it was the bulbs in the dash then the a/c-heat switches should still illuminate as well.
My second question is for some reason, when I shut the vehicle off the head light flaps close but when I start the car or turn the ignition on the headlight covers open up even when the lights are off, almost as if something is wired backwards or maybe something with the vacuum? Not sure its been this way since I’ve bought it which is approaching two years ago and I am not fixing the minor details. I would appreciate your help, thank you for your time.
Nick
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Hi Nick –
The seventies Lincolns had some very modern up to date lighting systems available for their owners. You don’t tell us if your Lincoln has the optional “Autolamp” option or not. Autolamp is an automatic lighting option that turns the headlights, park lights and instrument lighting on at dusk and off at dawn. It is explained in your owners manual and the Shop Manual. The Shop Manual also explains the procedures to properly diagnose the systems. In any case it would be better for you to start the process with the Autolamp feature in the “off” position as the power for the dash lights originates from the Headlamp switch and its dimmer rheostat coil. We have previously posted some Headlight and Autolamp diagnostic ideas on our blog and George will reprint these or post the links here for you to read.
We are not sure if you intend to perform these diagnostic tests yourself Nick, but it would be well advised for you or your mechanic to do so with the proper wiring diagram and at least a good 12 volt test light on hand. At Lincoln Land we do these tests with the Shop Manual at our side. These manuals can save a lot of time and money.
I do hope that the above helps to guide you to a quick repair. If you need any further advice or literature etc. or if you would like us to test any of your lighting components for you here at Lincoln Land please do not hesitate to contact us further.
Sincerely,
Bill
P.S. Here are a few links to previous posts – you can always use the Search Function on Bill’s Corner to find previous posts on a given topic – George @ Lincoln Land
https://www.lincolnlandinc.com/blog/2011/05/1985_town_car_autolamp_problem.html
https://www.lincolnlandinc.com/blog/2011/03/1978_town_car_autolamp_-_auto.html
https://www.lincolnlandinc.com/blog/2009/07/1978_mark_v_headlamp_vacuum_is.html