Headlight Warning Light Not Working
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Instructor
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 109
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From: Green Bay WI
Headlight Warning Light Not Working
Just got most, if not all the bugs worked out of my electrical system after installing new wiring harnesses from tail light to headlight.
I still have one gremlin left to chase. What is the logic behind the "headlight warning light"? I bought the car and didn't it drive more than around the block before tearin' it apart, so I'm not familiar with how it's supposedto work. Anyway, I have put power to the system and checked everything out, but can't seem to get the light on the dash to light when I have the headlights "ON" and the buckets in the closed position. I checked for power at the connections, the gray/black stripe wire, solid black should be ground, and no juice. The black is grounded and the headlights work in both lo and hi beam. (Also installed relays in the system to provide more voltage
!)
Can anyone give me a place to start looking?
It could be the bulb, which ALL are new with the dash harness, and it's also about the toughest to get to now that the dash is all back together. Should the light on the dash blink with the lights ON and buckets closed?
Thanks in advance
John
I still have one gremlin left to chase. What is the logic behind the "headlight warning light"? I bought the car and didn't it drive more than around the block before tearin' it apart, so I'm not familiar with how it's supposedto work. Anyway, I have put power to the system and checked everything out, but can't seem to get the light on the dash to light when I have the headlights "ON" and the buckets in the closed position. I checked for power at the connections, the gray/black stripe wire, solid black should be ground, and no juice. The black is grounded and the headlights work in both lo and hi beam. (Also installed relays in the system to provide more voltage
!) Can anyone give me a place to start looking?
It could be the bulb, which ALL are new with the dash harness, and it's also about the toughest to get to now that the dash is all back together. Should the light on the dash blink with the lights ON and buckets closed? Thanks in advance
John
Race Director
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From: Beverly Hills/Pine Ridge Florida
I still have one gremlin left to chase. What is the logic behind the "headlight warning light"? I bought the car and didn't it drive more than around the block before tearin' it apart, so I'm not familiar with how it's supposedto work.
Should the light on the dash blink with the lights ON and buckets closed?
Thanks in advance
John
Check the switches in the HL area. These are the 2 black switches with a spade connector on each end. There's also an off/on plunger on each of them. Those "turn on/off" the circuit to the flashing bulb.
Which brings me to the flashing bulb. It's a special bulb, can't remember the #. Has its' own internal flasher to make it blink.
Chuck
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Washington Michigan
Each headlight motor has a black plastic limit switch on it, with two push-on blue connectors; those switches are operated by the Y-stops on the pivot shafts, and ground the circuit (energizing the flashing #257 bulb) when the lights are on and the buckets aren't fully open.
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From: Conroe Texas
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
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On my C2 the ground circuit of the headlight warning bulb is wired through both of the headlight warning switches....in series
When the headlight buckets are both closed (both switches engaged and "on" the ground circuit is completed and you turn on the headlamps warning bulb blinks.
When you raise the headlamps it breaks the ground circuit and the bulb goes off. Looks like they switches are wired together in a series circuit so both have to be either closed or opened for the bulb to operate.
On mine the light goes off as soon as I start to raise the headlamps.
JOHN Z - This this sound correct to you? Is the bulb supposed to go out as soon as you start to raise the headlight buckets? Or go out only when the buckets are both completley opened? Are the switches actually wired together in series to complete the ground circuit? Is mine wired incorrectly? How to fix it?Thank You!
When the headlight buckets are both closed (both switches engaged and "on" the ground circuit is completed and you turn on the headlamps warning bulb blinks.
When you raise the headlamps it breaks the ground circuit and the bulb goes off. Looks like they switches are wired together in a series circuit so both have to be either closed or opened for the bulb to operate.
On mine the light goes off as soon as I start to raise the headlamps.
JOHN Z - This this sound correct to you? Is the bulb supposed to go out as soon as you start to raise the headlight buckets? Or go out only when the buckets are both completley opened? Are the switches actually wired together in series to complete the ground circuit? Is mine wired incorrectly? How to fix it?Thank You!
Last edited by babbah; Dec 31, 2006 at 03:14 PM.
Tech Contributor
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From: Conroe Texas
Babbah
I'm no JohnZ but at least I can confirm that on my 65, the headlight flasher continues to flash until the last headlight bucket is all the way open. This is just the opposite of what you've described. I completely rewired my entire car with LectricLimited harnesses this summer.
Jeff
but at least I can confirm that on my 65, the headlight flasher continues to flash until the last headlight bucket is all the way open. This is just the opposite of what you've described. I completely rewired my entire car with LectricLimited harnesses this summer.Jeff
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Green Bay WI
When you raise the headlamps it breaks the ground circuit and the bulb goes off. Looks like they switches are wired together in a series circuit so both have to be either closed or opened for the bulb to operate
Thanks for all the feedback and interest. Must not be much going on this Sunday PM.
The quote above may describe part of the problem, if they are in series. I will have to check that out. I was checking for power with a test light on the gray/black stripe wire. The other is ground. Wasn't getting any indication from the gray/black wire with buckets closed and lights on.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
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I just went out and looked at my switches, when the driver side headlamp bucket is down, the y yoke stop is pushing the button on the switch, (you can hear it click when the switch is pushed in by the yoke...)which I think "closes the switch and the two leads are connected (The switch is on.... completeing the ground to the bulb and the bulb lights)
As soon as I raise the driver side bucket an inch or so the headlamp switch button is released (you can hear ot click again) and the bulb goes out, (switch is now off) way before the buckets are open.....
The passenger side bucket switch does nothing, I pull off a wire and there is no difference...the light works from the driver side only. I also noticed than when the both buckets are open fully reaised there is nothing hitting the switch buttons, does this sound correct?
Now I am wondering how these switches operate and how they should be wired..I noticed in Johns photo there looks like there are 2 wires on the driver side switch top push on connector, and only one wire on the bottom...Has Bubbah visited my car?
As soon as I raise the driver side bucket an inch or so the headlamp switch button is released (you can hear ot click again) and the bulb goes out, (switch is now off) way before the buckets are open.....
The passenger side bucket switch does nothing, I pull off a wire and there is no difference...the light works from the driver side only. I also noticed than when the both buckets are open fully reaised there is nothing hitting the switch buttons, does this sound correct?
Now I am wondering how these switches operate and how they should be wired..I noticed in Johns photo there looks like there are 2 wires on the driver side switch top push on connector, and only one wire on the bottom...Has Bubbah visited my car?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
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Long story short, my pivot assemblies were installed backwards the LH was on right side and the RH was on the left side.... Go figure?
I removed all of the motors, and pivot assemblies with the hood on and using a mirror, re-installation simply was a nightmare...Stiff neck now!! lol
I removed all of the motors, and pivot assemblies with the hood on and using a mirror, re-installation simply was a nightmare...Stiff neck now!! lol
Le Mans Master
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2018 C1 of Year Finalist
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Wires on limit switch reversed or more likely one bad limit switch. Otherwise, you have a short in the harness
Pilot Dan
Last edited by Pilot Dan; Apr 18, 2012 at 11:46 PM.
Safety Car
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From: East Central Florida
Regarding Mike's problem.....I know this is an old thread but it sounds like you may have a similar problem.
I had exactly the same issue when we got our '63. Warning light would only be powered when the buckets were in the full up position with headlights on.
Much electric troubleshooting with no problems found......then I referenced the photo in the service manual and saw the switches were not in the same physical position as on the car.
The inner pivot support housings for the buckets were reversed. Whoever reinstalled them before I got the car had swapped the left and right housings. When this is done, it repositions the switch and the stop mechanisms, completely reversing the operation of the switch.
The housings are marked L & R, but IIRC you cannot see them when installed.
edit: I just went back to re-read this thread, and bubbah had the same problem in post#5, and in post #10 described the same discovery.....reversed housings. What made it a bit confusing was that the OP had a different problem and never replied back with the fix, but likely just a bad bulb or wiring issue.
I had exactly the same issue when we got our '63. Warning light would only be powered when the buckets were in the full up position with headlights on.
Much electric troubleshooting with no problems found......then I referenced the photo in the service manual and saw the switches were not in the same physical position as on the car.
The inner pivot support housings for the buckets were reversed. Whoever reinstalled them before I got the car had swapped the left and right housings. When this is done, it repositions the switch and the stop mechanisms, completely reversing the operation of the switch.
The housings are marked L & R, but IIRC you cannot see them when installed.
edit: I just went back to re-read this thread, and bubbah had the same problem in post#5, and in post #10 described the same discovery.....reversed housings. What made it a bit confusing was that the OP had a different problem and never replied back with the fix, but likely just a bad bulb or wiring issue.
Last edited by rich5962; Apr 19, 2012 at 09:29 AM.
