OK, I have been messing around with a problem with my headlights, and have used up my limited ability to diagnose electrical problems.

The problem: High beams work fine. When I click the dimmer switch to go to low beams, they go dark. If I hold the switch, they will illuminate, but as soon as I let go, they go out again. I have tried switching the wires on the relay, and the problem reverses itself...low beams stay on, and the high beams will go out unless I hold the dimmer switch.

What I have done so far:
1- New turn signal/dimmer switch
2- New relay (the new style that required a jumper)

Neither part fixed the problem

HELP!!!

Try cleaning the ground wire connections. And you may have some wires that have rubbed together and are arcing.

I know it sounds simple and silly but you never know.

Check the brown and yellow/red wire at the bottom of the sterring column these
go to the switch for the low/high beams lights. I assume you can the relay for the
low/high beam lights also and that it is wired correctly.

The relay it's self is dirty

Pull the cover off the relay and spray it with electrical contact cleaner and blast some air through it.

Normally this happens to the high beam contacts

when you say 'relay', you are refering to the the one on the top side of the fuse box mounted on the bottom of the dash, correct?

k

Where are the ground wire connections? At the headlight itself? Grounded to the body? Are you sure you remember anything about having headlights on a 914, haha!?!?




I suspect you and URY are onto something there...I just really hate the idea of tracking wiring stuff down..



Tried that...relay is brand new and the fuse box is a brand new Engman unit.



Yep that's the one.....


I have been trying to avoid tracing wires, but it looks like it's time to just dig into it...Or maybe I can just keep driving it only during daylight hours...

and the relay does click when you try to activate the high beams, yes? did everything work prior to the fuse box switch?

k

Yes, it clicks. And the problems started prior to the fuse box swap.

Like I said, if I pull the switch and hold it, the low beams stay on, when I let it go to the rest position, they'll go out (although sometimes they will stay on for up to 30 seconds before going out)

From the sound of it, I would check the connection at the junction of fuses 1&2
the high beam fuses which run from the relay.

The switch on the column. gummed up.

I'm going to start there tonight.

Nope. Brand new switch. Keep the suggestions rolling!!!

[quote name='jdogg' date='Jun 20 2007, 12:16 PM' post='913761']
[quote name='904svo' post='913739' date='Jun 20 2007, 03:22 PM']
From the sound of it, I would check the connection at the junction of fuses 1&2
the high beam fuses which run from the relay.
[/quote]


I'm going to start there tonight.

Using a volt meter check the voltage on fuses 3&4 low beam then put on the
high beams check the voltage on fuses 3&4, should have voltage on them if
not the high/low beam relay bad or you have a high resistance ground on the yellow/red wire coming out of the switch or the switch is bad!!! The relay switches
the voltage between high and low beam lights.

Check the female connectors on the ends of the wires. My son's '73 bug exhibited the exact same behavior. We traced it to a loose connection at the fuse block on the wire from the relay. A VERY GENTLE squeeze tightened it enough to solve the problem. The connectors can be brittle, and may break if the give them a squeeze, so be careful if this is the problem.