 Wonky headlight..., back again (post 17) |
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| VaccaRabite |
 Apr 13 2010, 07:45 AM
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#1
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En Garde!  Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region 
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Last fall, the drivers side headlight went out. it was miswired - I am not sure how it was working to begin with. Fixed the wiring, and everything worked great.
Saturday I washed my car. Today, I decided to drive to work, even though rain was threatening, weather said I would be clear. But it was cloudy this morning, so I put the lights on. I got no beam from the drivers side light, again. Also, I noticed that the charging system was right at 12 volts, where it is usually at 13. May be unrelated. I know that the wiring at the light is correct. Any idea where to start trouble shooting? Zach |
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| tradisrad |
Apr 13 2010, 07:49 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 985 Joined: 11-September 06 From: San Mateo, CA Member No.: 6,815 Region Association: Northern California |
I also see a voltage drop when my lights are on from about 13.5 to 12.5.
Did you check the fuse and fuse panel wiring? Since you fixed the headlight wiring I would work backwards from there to the fuse box and onto the switch. |
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| underthetire |
Apr 13 2010, 11:11 AM
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#3
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,062 Joined: 7-October 08 From: Brentwood Member No.: 9,623 Region Association: Northern California |
I've had a problem with my old sealed beams before I removed them. The filament was broken off the stud, and turning the beam 90 degrees all the time, sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't.
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| jsayre914 |
Apr 13 2010, 12:07 PM
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#4
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Speed Up !!! Group: Members Posts: 3,210 Joined: 10-February 08 From: Timonium MD 21093 Member No.: 8,696 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
dont woory about the voltage drop zach, it isnt a true reading, the meter is on a circuit that always shows a huge drop whenever you turn somthing on. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) as far as your headlight... i am pretty sure i have a spare, i will bring it over after i pick lila up from school. will you be home around 4pm??
is mike over there too? |
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| VaccaRabite |
Apr 13 2010, 12:10 PM
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#5
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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Mike may be over today. He was planning on being over as of last night.
I am using H4 bulbs, and have a spare at home - no worries there. But come over and wish Theo a happy birthday. he's 2 today! My guess is that the other headlight is miswired and causing some weird issue. I'll have to look into it. I'll be home ~ 4ish - in a conference right now, though - so its hard to say. maybe earlier, maybe later. Zach |
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| TROJANMAN |
Apr 13 2010, 12:20 PM
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#6
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Looks nice in pictures......... Group: Members Posts: 5,275 Joined: 5-March 04 From: Colorado Member No.: 1,753 Region Association: None |
Did you check the relay?
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| VaccaRabite |
Apr 13 2010, 12:24 PM
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#7
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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Not yet. Noticed the light was out when I pulled into my office parking lot - and it was raining. Not a great time to start chasing wires. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) it will be something that I check tonight though.
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| Drums66 |
Apr 13 2010, 12:43 PM
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#8
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914 Rudiments Group: Members Posts: 5,321 Joined: 15-January 03 From: Coronado,Cali Member No.: 151 Region Association: Southwest Region |
QUOTE(TROJANMAN @ Apr 13 2010, 11:20 AM)  Did you check the relay? ECHO echo(also headlight ground) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif) |
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| Spoke |
Apr 13 2010, 02:32 PM
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#9
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Jerry Group: Members Posts: 7,153 Joined: 29-October 04 From: Allentown, PA Member No.: 3,031 Region Association: None
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Start checking voltages right at the light.
If you can touch the terminals on the light with the socket on, check here for 12V. If no voltage here, check each pin to ground to see that you have 12V and a good ground. Work your way back to the light switch. |
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| VaccaRabite |
Apr 13 2010, 07:03 PM
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#10
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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When I got home tonight I took a few minutes to troubleshoot int he drive way - but then the next squall came in and I got the car under cover with a quickness.
The low beam is out, and the high beam is really dim. Pass side works perfectly. I could go out and trouble shoot now, but I am supposed to be doing homework right now, and not posting on the World... And, its really cold out right now. I have a feeling that I am going to be fixing this in Mikes driveway next Friday. Zach |
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| Dave_Darling |
Apr 13 2010, 09:10 PM
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#11
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914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 15,151 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California
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Sounds like the brighter light is grounding itself through the dimmer one. I had that problem on my car at one point; I fixed it by providing a better ground for the bright light.
--DD |
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| VaccaRabite |
Apr 14 2010, 06:06 AM
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#12
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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Dave, I considered this. I think it is probably the most likely possibility. After all, if I miswired one headlight - and it worked for a while - stands to reason that I could miswire two headlights, and have them work for a while.
Zach |
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| VaccaRabite |
Apr 16 2010, 08:41 PM
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#13
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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Okay, so new puzzle.
I fixed the first problem. The headlight that was working was mis-wired (but working - weird...). Put it back together, and I get light on both sides again! But, the low beam voltage is only 6 volts on the drivers side headlight (and is predictably dim). The high beam voltage is correct, and the headlight is bright. Passenger side voltage is correct on both high and low. I tried a different headlight, and that was not the problem. So. What would cause me to loose 1/2 voltage to the drivers side low beams? Zach |
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| Dave_Darling |
Apr 16 2010, 09:20 PM
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#14
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914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 15,151 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California
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How did you measure the voltage? Between which and what? If you measured the wires at the headlight, you could still have one light feeding back through the other. Or the ground could be messed up.
If not that, then look for lots of resistance somewhere. But I'd bet that the one light is still grounding through the other. --DD |
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| VaccaRabite |
Apr 17 2010, 06:52 AM
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#15
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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I measured voltage at the headlight terminals.
Where else should I check to make the problem more clear? How do I check resistance? Zach |
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| VaccaRabite |
Apr 19 2010, 08:08 AM
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#16
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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Well, Mike helped me chase the problem, and we found it was shorting inside the fuse panel. I am going to swap panels for Hershey, while mine get fixed.
Zach |
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| VaccaRabite |
May 24 2010, 09:47 PM
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#17
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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So, this problem still exists.
I had been letting it slide and just driving my car during the day, but I got caught after dark last week and had a scary drive home So far this is what I have done: Replaced all the headlight relays - at the motors and on the fuse panel. Replaced the high/low relay. Soldered on new H4 sockets at the ends (I had no sockets, just spades) replaced fog light switch Tried running a new wire (test wire) that acted the same for low beams. High beams work as expected (though they are aimed low as they are my only lights) Low beams are only getting 6 volts at the bulb. Driving Lights are not working at all. Need to puzzle that one out. So I am back at my original question. What causes a circuit to go from 12 volts to 6 volts? Anyone got a headlight switch I can borrow to see if that solves the problem? Zach Possibilities: bad headlight switch. bad ground somewhere between the fuse box and the light. |
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| Dr Evil |
May 24 2010, 11:06 PM
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#18
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Send me your transmission! Group: Members Posts: 23,038 Joined: 21-November 03 From: Loveland, OH 45140 Member No.: 1,372 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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Maybe I can help you out sometime (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
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| VaccaRabite |
May 25 2010, 06:29 AM
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#19
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En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,722 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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QUOTE(Dr Evil @ May 25 2010, 12:06 AM) Didn't want to ask. I know you are swamped right now with the last tranny builds, fixing your own vehicles and getting stuff ready to move. By the way, I found a snipped off red and white wire, and a snipped off yellow wire under the fuse box - I am guessing from the work done at hershey. any idea what they came from? I can't find any wire missing ends. Zach |
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| Dr Evil |
May 25 2010, 09:41 AM
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#20
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Send me your transmission! Group: Members Posts: 23,038 Joined: 21-November 03 From: Loveland, OH 45140 Member No.: 1,372 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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I remember nothing. I would have to start at it somewhat fresh. If you drove up here, you would be doing me a favor. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)
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