My restoration has gotten to the point where I put the headlights back in this weekend.
Everything works except for the highbeams, when I pull on the stalk there's a click from a relay but the headlights go black and the indicator light in the rev counter doesnt light up. Click again and the low beams come back on....

Since the relay clicks it should be ok? or?

I'm having the same problem . The relay clicks and then lights go out . But if you hold the switch they stay on.

The contacts in the relay must be corroded. A new relay should fix it. Or your high beam fuses are corroded. Give them a spin.

or the head lamp element is burned. pull a lamp and test it

I've got a new JWest fuse panel so that should be ok. I'll pull a headlight tomorrow and check but the chances of both sides being dead only on the highbeams sounds odd. I'll order a new relay and hope that is it.

I also found an issue with the tank gauge illumination bulb, if I pull the bulb and earth the bulb holder on the gauge casing it glows very dimly. If I pull the earth cable from the gauge and touch the bulb holder directly too it is glows brightly....

Bad internal earth on the gauge itself?

I had that issue, it was the square one where the fuses are, popped a new one in and all is well.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

My 75 1.8 has the same issue since I bought the car last 2011. Since I don't really need it, unlike regular headlight that we can use the high beam once I a while for making a signal to other driver Infront us. And 914 high beam is not capable of using it for signal since the headlight is hidden. So meaning I don't mind right now if it is not working. I'm thinking of just using the jwest switch to seperate my fog lamps to use it as a daytime running light or for signal.

Here its alegal requirment for the high beams to work so I need to get it sorted.

There is a mechanical cam inside the relay. This can jam due to wear or a weak spring. You need a new relay. The internals are not serviceable.

When you pull the stalk it energizes the coil and pulls the latching relay and when you release the stalk the coils de-energizes and the cam moves a bit. A new relay should fix this - even though you can hear it click.

Got the new relay today. The new one had 5 connections where the old one only had 4.
The solution was to jumper the 56 and 30 connector on the new relay. Now it works as intended.