Headlight Problems...

[Houston Rodder]

I recently purchased a 4 door sedan and the previous owner kept the original headlights for his rod project. No big deal as I wanted to use a pair of family heirloom BLC aftermarket lights anyway. When I wired them I designated high beam, low beam, and ground. Now that they are wired I only have high beam in one headlight and the cowl lights are very, very dim when activated. I do have low beam lights in both but when activated the 30amp fuse on the starter blows after a few minutes of running. I am using 6volt bulbs in the lights.

 

[Houston Rodder]

Picture of the headlights installed...

 

[Houston Rodder]

How do I wire the headights so they are on the same fuse alone? I am currently using the monofuse and the engine dies when my headlights pop the fuse. Also, do the 6 volt halogens pull more current? Im lost when it comes to wiring.

 

[Mitch//pa]

this is showing the plug portion of the 9003 bulb.

 

[1931 flamingo]

Are you running an alt?? Are the headlight buckets grounded good? How have you run the wires/connectors from the light sw up to the conn you show in post #1?? I would think somewhere there's a short if you're blowing the fuse. You could try putting a relay in for the h/lights and separate fuse AFTER you find the short. JMO
Paul in CT

 

[Mike V. Florida]

Also, do the 6 volt halogens pull more current? .

Yes.

I also think once you get the wiring straighten out you can revisit the total current draw. I would not think the lights would draw 30 amps on their own.

I like using an auto resetting circuit breaker that fits in place of the fuse. This saves of using many fuses are you trouble shoot.

Do you have a wiring diagram for the Model A? The new lights would be wired the same as original.

 

[bhiland]

Yes.

I also think once you get the wiring straighten out you can revisit the total current draw. I would not think the lights would draw 30 amps on their own.

I like using an auto resetting circuit breaker that fits in place of the fuse. This saves of using many fuses are you trouble shoot.

Do you have a wiring diagram for the Model A? The new lights would be wired the same as original.

Agreed get a diagram. 30 amps is alot for light draw. Wrong wireing or short somewhere if blowing fuse.

 

[Tom Wesenberg]

Dim lights are normally the sign of a poor connection in the circuit, which is often the ground connection. If you have a dual filament bulb and a bad ground, then the current may travel through the other filament and find a ground source somewhere down the line. So, sending the current through 2 filaments (in series) will give dim lights.

You can run an inline fuse from the starter switch to the lights power feed wire. This means you will remove the lights/horn wire from the cutout and move it to the inline fuse.

 

[Houston Rodder]

OK Thanks, it looks like I have a short in the wiring. Are there any tricks to locating shorts? The only way I can think of is to visually inspect all wires.
Thanks

 

[Tom Wesenberg]

OK Thanks, it looks like I have a short in the wiring. Are there any tricks to locating shorts? The only way I can think of is to visually inspect all wires.
Thanks

That's the best way, and the shorts are very rarely in the wire, but usually in the terminals or the part connected to the wire. Repro headlamp contacts that are too large in diameter are one example. Some brake light switches have been known to short to ground.