Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Headlights


  • Please log in to reply
8 replies to this topic

#1 TimS

TimS

    Mini Doctor

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,712 posts
  • Local Club: TMF

Posted 02 October 2004 - 12:56 PM

Ok the other nioght my switch burnt out on my luights again(happens every 6 months or so) and so have changed it over now.the switch is working fine and so are all the fuses the problem i have is that on normal dipped beam the side lights come on but the head lights dont unless i flick it onto full beam and then they will light! the bulbs are fine and so i recon its goyta be a connection/ wire.... any help is apreciated

#2 cowboy

cowboy

    Friend of TMF

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,799 posts

Posted 02 October 2004 - 01:38 PM

sounds like you have something wrong with your wiring, and it could be the connection at the front of the car, by the bonnet release,

your headlight has got 4 wires on it, a red one - this is for the side lights, a black one - for earth, then you have a white/blue one - for main beam, and blue/red one - is your dip, have a look at the black connector, and check to see if the wires are all connected and make sure that they are all clean and making contactv properly


#3 Dan

Dan

    On Sabbatical

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,354 posts

Posted 02 October 2004 - 01:44 PM

As above, or it could be the dip switch or if your car is '88 or later this could be a problem with the dim-dip relay. Big pain in the ar** orange relay behind the instrument panel. Check all its terminals and knock it about a bit. This might wake it up. If this is the problem you need to replace the relay, one of the trade stands at MITP45 had buckets of them quite cheap but I can't remember who.

#4 TimS

TimS

    Mini Doctor

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,712 posts
  • Local Club: TMF

Posted 02 October 2004 - 04:27 PM

cheers lads... if found out the problem. i have a caravan 7 pin plug at the front of the car that connects the power to the front end(as its flip front it sometimes has to be disconected to be taken off) and found the terminals to be quite corroded!wire brushed it down and bingo... at last they worked again. im tempted to just rip the wires out and start again with a new loom but insed of a switch, id use a relay too to stop huge currents heating the switch up and metling it!

#5 cowboy

cowboy

    Friend of TMF

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,799 posts

Posted 02 October 2004 - 07:43 PM

i'm a little worried about your wiring you say you have a trailer socket, connecting, the front end, i take it this is just for the lights?

the electrics for the engine running on a differant loom??[/COLOR

[COLOR=blue]also i think you need to check your complete wiring if you are going through a light swith every 6 months, do they always burn out??


#6 TimS

TimS

    Mini Doctor

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,712 posts
  • Local Club: TMF

Posted 03 October 2004 - 11:32 AM

yeh they do, the connector is just for the lights and indicators!
im planning on rebuilding the whole car soon anyway its getting a bit tired so il re do all the wiring then

#7 Dan

Dan

    On Sabbatical

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,354 posts

Posted 03 October 2004 - 11:57 AM

Trailer connectors are rubbish, and not designed to run headlamps which draw a lot more power than trailer boards. Junk it and buy a proper multipole connector which can handle the power and is actually waterproof. It could well be the corrosion of the trailer connector which is causing you to use headlamp switches up. If the lamps are left on for a while does the trailer connector or its pins heat up at all? If so it is drawing power itself which will overload the light switch because that can only just cope with the demands of standard lighting.

I know that a lot of people use trailer connectors to connect front ends, but if I was fitting one I wouldn't. You can get quick release connectors from auto electrical places which are waterproof and properly rated to huge currents. Up to 175A per terminal if you use an Anderson type plug.

#8 TimS

TimS

    Mini Doctor

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 2,712 posts
  • Local Club: TMF

Posted 03 October 2004 - 03:14 PM

cheers mate, im gona change hat now as soon as i get chance. it wasnt that that was heating up, it was the actual light switch connector that meleted

#9 Dan

Dan

    On Sabbatical

  • TMF+ Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,354 posts

Posted 03 October 2004 - 06:37 PM

Sorry, I didn't explain very well. I would expect to find that the trailer connector was heating up, which will use power and cause the overload which heats up the switch (which incidentally could in turn overload the wiring before the switch even more, so make sure your loom isn't smoking anywhere behind the dash or under the bonnet).




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users