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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1018
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin | restoring a 54 dodge convert and been working on the lights .. Got everything working except for the headlight. dont's seem to have any power from the main lead to headlights.. I assume the power has to go thru the bright eye dimmer switch before going to the headlights ..... is that correct? or just a myth.. I have no brights or driving lights . everything works . could I test that dimmer swwitch ? it is a 6 volt system. any ideas where to look next ? Thanks ! john. |
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Expert
Posts: 2312
 
Location: Arizona | I think you are right that there's a good chance it's the dimmer switch. Pull the connector off. One of the wires should have 12 volts on it when the headlights are on. If none of them do then you aren't getting any power from the headlight switch. You can jump that wire that has power to each of the other two wires and that should light the low and high beams. If it does it's definitely the dimmer switch. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1018
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin | Thanks jim .. |
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Expert
Posts: 3779
 
Location: NorCal |
"bright eye dimmer switch"? Dash top automatic dimmer?
I doubt if the full current of the headlights would run through such a device, more likely some sort of relay handles the current load. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1018
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin | 57chizler - 2014-09-24 5:05 PM "bright eye dimmer switch"? Dash top automatic dimmer? I doubt if the full current of the headlights would run through such a device, more likely some sort of relay handles the current load. chizler we are talking about the high beam dimmer switch on the floor. 54 dodge 6 volt system.. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1018
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin | <p>update on the headlights ...... 54 dodge royal 6 volt system </p><p> </p><p>did a test on the foot dimmer switch and all the terminal light up with the test light when the light switch is on in the on position. with just the parks on .........the foot dimmer switch terminals do not light up. at the junction box by the radiator support .. with the light switch on >>>> the harness main thick red wire lights up showing power where the headlight wires are attached at the juction box and the other wire from the headlights lights up also which seems a little strange .. I would think that wire should show as being hot also. would it? . not at the same time . I there is something going on there. not sure . I tested each bulb and both do work so it is not a ground issue .. but I did dry grounding again to another source. with results. some of you guys said in a post earlier that the postive red main lead from the headlight switch should light up when testing the foot dimmer . but all of mine are lit up. is that correct or is that shorted out?</p>
Edited by dodge59 2014-09-26 8:49 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2312
Location: Arizona | Hard to diagnose from a distance. One thing to be aware of is that getting a meter reading of 12 volts doesn't mean the circuit works. The meter puts no load on the circuit so a circuit with high resistance from poor connections can show 12 volts with a meter but not be able to deliver enough current (due to the resistance) to power what it's connected to. So if you are using a meter switch to using a test light. Any 6v light will do, you can solder a couple wires to an old parking lamp bulb to make one. Use that to test with and see if you are really getting enough POWER thru the wires to light a bulb. Another approach is to hook a wire (might want to put a 20 amp fuse on it) to the positive battery terminal and then use that as the power lead to work backward from the headlight bulbs, testing each segment of wire till you find the one that's not delivering. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1018
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin | <p>Surprise surprise ! ! ..... you won't believe the headlight issue! it turned out the be the female end of the headlight bulb sockets. both of them were loose enough to NOt make contact... everything works fine now even the high beams ............ So it wasn't the headlight dimmer switch after all. That's usually how it works "Always something simple " even the green dimmer light in the dash cluster works .</p><p>thanks for help on the issue guys !</p><p>john</p>
Edited by dodge59 2014-09-27 7:14 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2312
Location: Arizona | Good deal. I've had the same thing happen, starting out thinking I have a major electric problem but discovering (before I got too much torn apart) that it was something really simple. I bought an assortment box of those glass tube fuses at Harbor Freight while working on my 69 Firebird. I was putting something in, can't ever recall what, but it kept blowing fuses and I was getting ready to tear out the wiring to look for the short. I'd gone thru 4 or 5 fuses and decided to try just one more fuse but this time I dug up an old BUSS brand fuse. Stuck it in and end of problem. The 20 amp HF fuses were blowing under 5 amps of load...... threw the whole box out. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1018
Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin | yeah ..I here ya jim ! that's frustrating . companies now days just can't make the parts the way they were. |
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Veteran
Posts: 272
Location: Missouri | jimntempe - 2014-09-27 7:34 PM
Good deal. I've had the same thing happen, starting out thinking I have a major electric problem but discovering (before I got too much torn apart) that it was something really simple. I bought an assortment box of those glass tube fuses at Harbor Freight while working on my 69 Firebird. I was putting something in, can't ever recall what, but it kept blowing fuses and I was getting ready to tear out the wiring to look for the short. I'd gone thru 4 or 5 fuses and decided to try just one more fuse but this time I dug up an old BUSS brand fuse. Stuck it in and end of problem. The 20 amp HF fuses were blowing under 5 amps of load...... threw the whole box out.
Probably made in China??
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NO Headlights .. what's up ?
