Dim / Bright Issue - Is It The Switch?

[Classicman]

Hi

 

There is an issue with the dim / bright on the 73 Zim car that I've had restored.  Park lights and dim (low beam) work fine.  If you use the "flash" function on the stalk, then both brights (high beam) work.  If you click over to brights for normal use, then only one headlight works.  This points to a fault in the stalk switch to me, but I thought I would just put it our there in case anyone has experienced a similar problem, and the solution was something else.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[gilltech]

I think you're right in that the light switch is the likely culprit, as the lights work in other respects.

But before you go chasing a replacement, which are getting hard to find, take the switch apart & clean the contacts. Look closely also at the soldered-on wires, the solder can detach by just a hairline & break the circuit.

Seen it before, reason being that our S30 switch gear is getting old & tired & quite simply wearing out.

[Classicman]

Thats good advice, thanks.

[PB260Z]

Hi

 

Drop into Jaycar and get some Contact Cleaner - did a great job getting the pass switch in mine working beautifully.

 

http://www.jaycar.com.au/Service-Aids/Chemical-Aids/Aerosols/Contact-Cleaner-Lubricant-Spray-Can/p/NA1012

 

cheers

 

PB

Edited January 13, 2016 by PB260Z

[nizm0zed]

could be worthwhile rewiring the lights so that the bulk of the power doesnt run through the switch, it'll reduce the load on the contacts that cause them to burn out and increase the brightness of the globes themselves.

Alternatively, considering how clean your car is, with a bit of care and trickery a sub loom could be made to sit over the top of the factory loom using the headlight plugs as the inputs for the relays, that way there would be no actual modifications to the car itself, just an additional power wire attached to the battery terminal and a ground wire somewhere out of the way.

 

(maybe i should make these as a kit, could be a nice bit of loose change to be had...)

[PB260Z]

(maybe i should make these as a kit, could be a nice bit of loose change to be had...)

Gidday

 

Kits like that exist, but are aimed at the 4X4 scene so are rather agricultural looking.

 

http://www.piranhaoffroad.com.au/product/lighting-products/headlight-super-looms

 

There would indeed be a market for a neat and concealed kit to suit classic cars.

 

Cheers

[Classicman]

All good advice, thanks guys.  A well concealed relay might just do the trick.

[Classicman]

I spent some time on this today and have ruled out the switch as I have tried the switch from my other '73, and the problem persists.

 

When I switch the lights on, it seems that they are permanently on bright. When I use the dim/bright switch, the blue light on the dash comes on and off like it should, but there is no difference in the actual Beam. My car is a UK spec car, so has a flash button on the stalk as well. With the lights off, if I depress the flash button the brights come on as does the blue light on the dash. In this instance, I can hear a relay making the switch.

 

In normal operation though, even though the blue light on the dash comes on, there is no sound from the relay. The relay looks standard as it is wired into the original harness on the passenger side kick panel with a multiplug. Very confusing.

 

I'm thinking this is definitely a wiring issue and not the switch. I'm going to trace the wires from the relay to headlights tomorrow and will hopefully see something blatantly wrong :-). Any advice is very welcome......

Edited March 17, 2016 by Classicman

[Cozza]

Hard to give advice without seeing the wiring but, my 9/72 car has 2 relays for the high beam to function on the stalk pass button.

1 is located under the steering wheel area the other is near the passenger side kick panel.

 

Not sure this will help but....

[Classicman]

Hard to give advice without seeing the wiring but, my 9/72 car has 2 relays for the high beam to function on the stalk pass button.

1 is located under the steering wheel area the other is near the passenger side kick panel.

 

Not sure this will help but....

It will, thanks.  The car had a set f spotlights fitted, which were removed during the resto process.  I think they may have pulled this relay out, will look for it today.

 

I've also managed to find a wiring diagram, so will study this too.