Poor Headlights

moonshine runner

moonshine runner

Senior Member
Hello all,

Ok, I know this has been posted before and beat to death, but at the expense of being redundant, I'd like to throw this out for discussion one more time.

Awhile back I posted about my headlights being dim on my 47 Ford Super Deluxe.

Got a lot of great feedback about ground and resistance. At that time I replaced the headlight switch with an OEM type as well as replacing the dimmer switch which looked to have been in the car for many years.

Nothing seemed to help until I messed with the connectors on the left inner fender and I thought or at least it seemed to make them a bit brighter.

Anyway, still there is a brightness issue. The headlights are so dim that the lights from oncoming traffic will drown mine out.

In my last post on this subject, I had ran a ground wire from both buckets to the fenders and the other day, I pulled the drivers side bulb just out of the bucket, left it plugged in and ran a 14ga wire from the hot battery post to the light bulb and when touched, the light was as bright as could be.

So, short of converting to 12V, I am thinking of running relays for the headlights to eliminate the issue.

Was wondering if someone who has done this before might be able to give some direction on how to hook the relays up.

Thanks in advance!!

Kevin
 
Kevin
Start at light switch, with the headlights on. Check voltage at each connection all the way to the headlight socket. You should have 6 volts at the socket. Clean any connection where you lose voltage.
Bruce
 
cmbrucew said:
Kevin
Start at light switch, with the headlights on. Check voltage at each connection all the way to the headlight socket. You should have 6 volts at the socket. Clean any connection where you lose voltage.
Bruce
Click to expand...

Hey Bruce!

Thanks!! I checked the voltage at the headlight bulb plug and had about 4.5V. Wonder if there could be an issue at the circuit board.

Kevin
 
4 1/2 volts just will not get it done. Had the same problem with both of my cars. I put relays on hi and low on one car and relay on the high beam of the other car. Made alot of difference. I used 12 gauge wire, I don't think 14 is enough. I got the relays from Fifth Ave. Internet Garage. www.aveinternetgarage.com
 
moonshine runner said:
Hey Bruce!

Thanks!! I checked the voltage at the headlight bulb plug and had about 4.5V. Wonder if there could be an issue at the circuit board.

Kevin
Click to expand...

Like JT said, 4 1/2v won't get it done. You have an issue at any point in that circuit that doesn't read 6v. Could be at the CB, and could easily be one or more of those connectors. Could be a voltage drop across the switch itself, or thru the dimmer switch. Start at one end of the circuit and find-out WHERE the voltage drops. You've proven to yourself that jumping directly with a wire straight off the battery (6v plus) that the light is sufficiently bright. DD
 
42guy said:
I had trouble with dim lights until I went to a relay.
Click to expand...

I'm an advocate of relays for headlights and other devices, but you still need to insure that the relay delivers the full 6v to the load. Be careful when using your relays NOT to utilize some of the same wiring, connectors or components that are currently causing your voltage drop. Relays have good purpose, but they are not necessarily a magic "fix-it-all". DD
 
Really appreciate all the replies! Howdy Alan!!

Ok, so this afternoon before this evenings car show, I went out and did a little work with my multi-meter.

Unplugged the red and green (high and low beam on my car), wires (bullet connectors), and inserted my multi-meter. At this point I had 6V.

I then started working out toward the headlight, taking it out of the bucket and then removing the bucket.

I found some monkeyed up wiring from a previous owner, from the loom that runs out to the left headlight, over to the right (passenger side headlight).

I removed those wires and only had the 2 running to the drivers side headlight which were registering 6V.

I then checked the voltage at the plug and had 6V. At this point I decided to reinstall the bucket and plug the headlight back in and check the voltage at one of the low beam prong.

4.5 V with headlight in and on. So, I am going to continue tracing but really thinking about using relays.

Kevin
 
You need to have your lights plugged in and on to check for voltage drops along the circuit. With an open circuit and no load current, you will read battery voltage everywhere along the circuit.
 
I have relays for my headlights in my '47 Coupe, but I also have a 12 volt system using an ALT. I installed #10 wire feeds and relays for the headlights to MINIMIZE voltage drop in the system. However, your voltage lose appears to be occurring at the headlights .... relays will not cure that. As recommended by others here, keep measuring your voltage readings, and inspect the wiring for hidden areas of corrosion or broken wire strands.
 
I will add this to the mix. The replacement wiring harness sold today is junk! The plug - in's and wiring loose volts. I bought the yellow female terminals that fit the bulbs and got rid of the 3 prong plug-in's. I use new plastic coated, 12 gauge wire.
I used the original old dimmer to power the relay. I have two relays on the l949 and only the high beam on the '50. I just drive at night with the highs on. No one seems
to flash their lights at me........
 
Thanks again everyone. TJ, it's as old as the car! So I have started checking from the headlights back to the firewall so far and have replaced quite a bit of wiring because a PO had a mess going on.

No brighter head lights yet, but I will find the issue! I did check my generator and regulator tonight just to make sure there wasn't an issue with them and there wasn't.

I removed the Armature and Field wires from the regulator, connected them together and started the car and ran the RPM's up and got somewhere between 40 and 50V on my multi meter, so the generator is doing it's job.

I then reconnected the wires to the regulator and checked the voltage at the Armature lug and it's putting out like 7.2V so, the new regulator is doing it's job.

I will be working my way inside the car to see what else I can find for voltage drop(s).

Kevin
 
Moonshine runner, run a #8 wire direct from your Batt. Side of the the starter relay to two relays as close to headlights as possible one for dim one for bright use dimmer sw to control the relays. Fuse the #8 wire next to starter relay. Run new#12 wires to your headlights from relays. You will have full 6 volts at lights they will be bright. Have a Blessed Day!
 
Brooks said:
Moonshine runner, run a #8 wire direct from your Batt. Side of the the starter relay to two relays as close to headlights as possible one for dim one for bright use dimmer sw to control the relays. Fuse the #8 wire next to starter relay. Run new#12 wires to your headlights from relays. You will have full 6 volts at lights they will be bright. Have a Blessed Day!
Click to expand...

That is pretty much what I did for my 46 coupe and have full 6 volts at the lights. The thing I like about the relays are is that they take the load off the light switch.
 
Brooks, and Steves46, THANKS!!! That's what I was needing. Guys, what relays did you use and where did you get them?

Thank again!!

Can't wait to get good headlights!!

Kevin
 
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