Headlight problems

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Headlight problems

Postby SLY327 » Sun Oct 19, 2014 5:20 am

Hi , can't see that anyone else has had this problem, so here goes.
When I turn on the headlights on low beam all four are on, the outers are bright and the inners are just glowing, when I dip onto high beam the opposite happens.
When I am on low beam the blue high beam indicator in the dash is slightly illuminated. I am sure this is an earthing issue, but am not sure where to start looking, has anyone else experienced this problem?
SLY327
 
Posts: 37
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Location: Brisbane Australia

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2


Re: Headlight problems

Postby 67shovel » Sun Oct 19, 2014 12:19 pm

I'm wiring my 73 vega right now and know that there is a ground coming from each headlight that grounds on the core support.
Hope that helps
79 Monza wagon Pro street, cage tubs narrowed 9
73 GT Vega wagon street car 355 700r4 a/c
68 RS Z/28 302
67 SS 396
Cobra replica
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Re: Headlight problems

Postby spencerforhire » Sun Oct 19, 2014 3:30 pm

Sounds like a classic case of a missing ground.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
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1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Headlight problems

Postby SLY327 » Sun Oct 19, 2014 4:26 pm

Thanks, I have checked and cleaned the two headlight grounds on the front panel, just have to keep looking
SLY327
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:08 pm
Location: Brisbane Australia

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Headlight problems

Postby spencerforhire » Sun Oct 19, 2014 5:54 pm

If you are 100% sure the grounds are good(including the ones on each headlight socket), I guess it is possible the dimmer swirch is "leaking" voltage from low to high.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
User avatar
spencerforhire
 
Posts: 2442
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:02 pm
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Headlight problems

Postby SLY327 » Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:22 am

Found it !!!! One of the headlight plugs was faulty :) Thanks all
SLY327
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:08 pm
Location: Brisbane Australia

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Headlight problems

Postby SLY327 » Sat Nov 15, 2014 7:03 am

It wasn't the plug, when I changed out the US headlights to Australian headlights (because the US ones dip the wrong way), I have to change the plug configuration for the lights, they are reverse to your headlights, so now they work :)
SLY327
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:08 pm
Location: Brisbane Australia

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Headlight problems

Postby spencerforhire » Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:03 am

If you had thought to mention that this problem cropped up after you had changed to Euro-spec(and Aussie) lights back at the beginning of the thread, this would have been easier. A shop I worked at waaay back sold Hella conversions when all North American cars had sealed beam headlights from the factory. The European H4 bulbs that came with them created the same problem; I still have a couple of pairs of the conversion harnesses so they were able to be installed without having to re-pin the OEM sockets.
I never thought about headlights being different where cars drive on the left(wrong? lol) side of the road. Only makes sense that they would have to have a different pattern.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
User avatar
spencerforhire
 
Posts: 2442
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:02 pm
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Headlight problems

Postby SLY327 » Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:22 am

Ah, hindsight is a great thing lol, I never realised that they would need different wiring, still running sealed beams :), thanks spencerforhire for your wisdom now lol(sarcasm) joke :)
SLY327
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:08 pm
Location: Brisbane Australia

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2

Re: Headlight problems

Postby spencerforhire » Sun Nov 16, 2014 9:40 am

Honestly, when I first replied on this thread, I didn't notice that you were from Australia. Not sure if that would have given me a clue or not. Also, now that we've got it all figured out, I understand why the confusion. All you did was swap sealed beams; why on earth would they be different? I thought only H4's were wired different, not the sealed beams as well.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
User avatar
spencerforhire
 
Posts: 2442
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:02 pm
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Headlight problems

Postby SLY327 » Wed Nov 19, 2014 4:02 am

Me neither, but they are, weird !!! :shock:
SLY327
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 6:08 pm
Location: Brisbane Australia

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2


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