Lighting issue

Ordsgt

Ordsgt

Senior Member
My A Hates me! This week i noticed my left headlight only worked on High beam. Seems simple just replace the burned out bulb, except it is not burned out. Reversed bulb and low beam lit up. I have 6 volts to both high and low beam sockets but bulb will not light on one. Replaced the headlight wire harness and problem is the same. Now my left tail light and brake light quit. both lights work when plugged into another socket direct to battery and I have 6 volts to both light sockets any ideas?
Just to ad insult to injury I went to back the car out of the garage and it felt like a brake was dragging. Got out and found the left rear tire flat so put the spare on and put new tube in flat and mounted as spare.
The left side of the car is fighting me
 
Get rid of specter in your car by asking it directly to leave you alone, and then cleanse your car of any negative energies by lighting white candles and burning lavender incense.
 
Something is breaking the connection with the bulb in the socket. If you're getting 6v with no bulb installed and install a known good bulb and it doesn't work, that's what it has to be. I'd replace the socket and see if it works
 
Last edited:
You can have voltage but when you add a load you get no voltage, solder wires to a lamp and test for voltage. My guess is you have a bad connection in the head light switch. Spade connectors are notorious for bad connections.
 
Working one problem at a time I removed the whole taillight assy and when I put a six volt battery to the two leads AND grounded the bracket all the lights worked. It is important to note that this car has been running about 3 months after a total disassembly and then painted and reassembled. It appears I lost my ground to some very good painting. I sanded the taillight fender bolt holes to show some metal on the inside of the fender. Bolted the light assembly on and connected the harness and all the lights function as designed. Taillight fixed, flat tire fixed, only one more problem which is why is the low beam on left headlight not lighting. Sounds as maybe another ground issue but why low beam not both as the tailight was?
 
I'm wondering if there is an issue with your headlight switch at the base of the steering column? You did say you had voltage at both terminals in the headlamp socket. Was there voltage at only one terminal at a time? I mean, did you set the headlight switch to low beam and found that only one terminal had voltage and the other did not, and then did you set the headlight switch to high beam and found that the other terminal had voltage while the first one no longer had voltage?
 
When switching the light switch from low to high the 6volt registered on the associated contact. This is the same as the taillight assy did. It turned out to be a ground problem but how can that be on the headlight if one beams works and the other doesn't as they share a common ground?
 
If I understand correctly, the dim and bright on the other headlight are working correctly. Check the filaments. The one that wont light is perhaps broken but is touching when shaken or turned over???
 
Bulbs are good, tested numerous times but left low beam will not light. Flip the bulb and low beam will light up on the bright side and the high beam will not light up on the low connections. There is 6 volts to both connections
 
Ord,

Big Hammer said, "You can have voltage but when you add a load you get no or low voltage."

I just read your latest answer. So, now I think Big Hammer is correct.

I suggest unhooking the opposite headlight completely and tape off its power leads. This will isolate the current from the steering column switch to the faulty headlight only. The switch is set to dim. If the multi-filament (bright / dim) bulb was good, the bulb may shine when the load is reduced. If so, it would indicate a bad connection, but I'm thinking, not at the switch but somewhere in between the switch and the bulb. Perhaps the base of the socket or the base of the headlight bucket???

On our 30-31 coupe with cowls and single bulb headlights, each headlight wire of the two connectors in the steering wheel switch is a pair of wires on a single spade. It is possible that Ted is right and the problem is at that common spade, but I'm guessing it's further on.

Good luck, hope this helps
 
Last edited:
If you have a poor (dirty) connection somewhere in the low beam circuit you could get 6 volts if the bulb is not connected. Test the low beam with your meter but this time use jumper wires to connect the bulb to the circuit, you may need more than two hands. You should not see 6 volts at the bulb. With the bulb installed and the low beam on check the voltage along the wire using a sewing pin to puncture the wire at various spots. You should find a place where you get 6 volts.


Bob
 
Ord, if your dim side does not show any signs of heating, dull orange etc. perhaps you are not touching the dim terminal at the bottom of the socket or the terminal contact is corroded??? The circuit is not closed but open. The headlight socket in our coupe has spring loaded terminals in the bottom. If your socket is old, the spring might be collapsed and frozen or just stuck??? Maybe jiggle, push and pull lightly on the wire at the back of the socket???
 
Last edited:
All wiring less than a year old. replaced left headlight harness 2 days ago no change. I am going to take the harness clear of the main wire and just the wire harness to main harness out of the light assy. put power to it and touch socket to ground and see if that will work.
 
Ordsgt said:
Bulbs are good, tested numerous times but left low beam will not light. Flip the bulb and low beam will light up on the bright side and the high beam will not light up on the low connections. There is 6 volts to both connections
Click to expand...

Use a test light instead of a MM or DMM.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top