Topic: ALERT ! Bulbs for 1967 ? Up Safety Convenience Group or Convenience Check Group

[196667Bob]

For those of us that have the above noted Options, specifically ones that include the ?Door Ajar?, and/ or the ?Parking Brake? warning lights, as of a few weeks ago, it appears that the correct bulb for these, a #256 Flasher Bulb, is no longer being made. Note that this only applies to the warning lights that appear in the two ?Group? Options that I noted. The Accessory warning lights used a larger, round bulb (#257) which is still available. The #256 bulb is a tubular bulb which fits into a ?light tube? which directs light to the warning light lens.

I have checked with over a half dozen of the major suppliers of Automotive Bulbs, and was given the same answer by all, that this bulb is no longer in stock, and is not being made any longer by the manufacturers. The two listings for this bulb that I have seen on Ebay the past few weeks seem to support this, as one set of 10 was listed at $45.00 including shipping, and another at $80.00 plus about $5.00 shipping. 

A word of caution here ; the major suppliers of Mustang parts (NPD, Virginia Classic Mustang, etc.), show a ? #256 Replacement bulb?. If you read the small print in the descriptions, it notes (paraphrasing) ? Same size and shape as original #256, but no flasher function?.  If you are content in using a non-flasher bulb, I would recommend not using this bulb. A ?replacement #256 bulb is actually the same as a #1891 bulb. Ford initially used the #1891 for the non-flasher bulbs (Low Fuel, and Belts) in the very early 1967?s with the Safety Convenience Option. It didn?t take Ford long (September 6, 1966) to replace the #1891?s with #1445 bulbs. It seemed that the tubular shape of a steady burning #1891 bulb, tended to warp, or melt the plastic warning light lenses, due to the end of the bulb (and thus the bulb filament) being too close to the lens. The small (small enough to fit into the metal light tube), round #1445 bulb afforded more distance from the plastic lens, and was only 1.8 watts versus the #1891?s 3.4 watts, which at least reduced the chance of the lenses warping. This is even more important today, as no reproduction lenses or bezels with lenses are available. That leaves the only option being to find a nice, socket/ bezel with an un-warped or not melted lens. At $100 to $300 each, that is a lot of money compared to the cost of one #1445 bulb (typically less than a dollar each).

So, bottom line, if you run across some original #256 Flasher bulbs at a decent price, I would suggest picking them up if you want to have the correct bulbs for your Convenience Group.

Bob

[J_Speegle]

Thanks - Will have to go back to grabbing handful of bulbs and flashers from donor cars at yards and elsewhere as another option or at what few old autoparts/shop & stores there are left around.

[midlife]

Is there an LED replacement for this bulb by any chance?

[KevinK]

Superbrite list BA9S as a replacement LED for all listed below including 256. Prices start at $0.38 each.

895, 1893, 57, 53, 1816, 1815, 1445, 64111, 1891, 756, 64113, 1892, 3893, 216, 293, 1445LL, 1816LL, 1891LL, 12146, 1893LL, 1895LL, 47830, 17053, 182, 1889, 47835, 3893LL, 53LL, 57X, 57LL, 53X, 1895A, 363, 6253, 3886X, 64115, 256, 257

[67gtasanjose]

I bought 10 of the 256 flasher bulbs, made by GE. (original supplier).
All were new and of the 10, I believe 4 of them remained usable after lighting them for several minutes each...some flashed extremely fast, others didn't flash at all and some worked fine, flashed at a normal "blink", for a random amount of time but failed after a minute or two.

Don't count your 256's before they are hatched.

[196667Bob]

I looked at SuperBrite's website, and it shows the same 6 LED bulbs for all those you listed. Unfortunately, it appears that none are "flasher" (or in LED terms, "strobe") bulbs. While this is a good source for "steady burning" bulbs, the #256 LED replacement bulb they show, is actually an LED replacement bulb for the "#256 Replacement Bulb" that the Mustang vendors are currently selling.

The 6 different Ba9s LED bulbs that SuperBrite shows, vary in lumens, color, angle of beam, etc. You would need to check the candle power of the incandescent bulb that you want to replace, and multiply it by 12.57 to find the approximate lumens you need in an LED bulb. For a #256, 1.6cp = 20 lumens ; 1891, 1.9 cp = 24 lumens ; 1445, 1 cp = 12.6 lumens ; etc.

Thanks for the site info; appears to be a good source for LED automotive bulbs.                                                                                       

Hope this helps.

Bob

[midlife]

Somewhat off the subject, but this is the first I've heard of flashing bulbs (obviously different than turn signal lamps).  I presume the purpose of the flashing bulbs was to create more attention for the driver? 

Although I've refurbished a few safety convenience harnesses, I never really paid attention to which bulbs/circuits these particular flashing bulbs are used.  Can someone tell me?  Was it only the door ajar or parking brake lights?

Thanks!

[67gta289]

Randy, the turn signal bulbs are not "self flashing", they have an external flasher device.  The 256 bulb used in the 1967 low fuel warning light application is self flashing.  It could either be to draw attention, or perhaps it was to prevent the lens from melting due to heat.  I seem to recall that there was a TSB for this problem.

The parking brake is bulb 257, seat belt warning 1891.  Door ajar is not listed.

I did not see the low fuel light listed in the shop manual (part 15-5).  I did notice that the 67 Cougar uses the 256 for the "door lock warning" function.

[196667Bob]

Randy : Yes, only the Door Ajar and Parking Brake Warning lights on the Safety Convenience Option used the #256 Flasher Bulb (see the Aplication Sheet that I attached on my previous Post).

However, it should be noted that the 1965-69 Accessory Parking Brake Warning Light also used a Flasher Bulb, #257. While the #256 is a tubular bulb (like the #1891), the #257 is a round flasher bulb, which is too large to fit into the Safety Convenience Light Tubes.

Bob