rrrr, Headlights again
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 1
From: SOUTH ELGIN IL
rrrr, Headlights again
OK, so I've gotten the tail lights fixed, the dashlights are fixed and LED's installed, 140A alternator in but I now have a new problem in the circuit somewhere
When I was out on Saturday night the front lights went out. Knowing what I now know about the dash switch they run off their own feed. Here's the thing, they came back on. Then when I put on the high beams they shut off but worked on the lows. Then I had to hold down the floor switch all the time to keep them lit and then they went back to working fine again. Obviously this can not stand. I am thinking that the switch on the floor is shorting. Also, in one of my previous posts on this topic I noted that the wires down there were getting pretty hot to the touch. I wonder if bumping to a larger gauge wire and/or changing out the switch would do the trick?
Thanks,
Dan
When I was out on Saturday night the front lights went out. Knowing what I now know about the dash switch they run off their own feed. Here's the thing, they came back on. Then when I put on the high beams they shut off but worked on the lows. Then I had to hold down the floor switch all the time to keep them lit and then they went back to working fine again. Obviously this can not stand. I am thinking that the switch on the floor is shorting. Also, in one of my previous posts on this topic I noted that the wires down there were getting pretty hot to the touch. I wonder if bumping to a larger gauge wire and/or changing out the switch would do the trick?
Thanks,
Dan
Last edited by Dantana; Sep 13, 2010 at 11:58 AM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
I think your right its the floor switch. You could try eliminating the switch and putting a jumper between the wires to see if that fixes the heat issue. Blue is your hot , jumper to either green or tan (not both).If the switch was going bad it could create heat.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 174
From: Fort Wayne IN
Sounds like the floor switch may be going out. There is one "input" wire to the floor switch from the headlight switch, and then there are 2 "output" wires, one for the low beams and one for the high beams. If the floor switch is messing up and energizing the high and low beams at the same time, (and it sounds like sometimes neither) it might be pumping too much current through that input wire and causing it to get hot.
The switch is only about $8 from Advance so it would be a easy / cheap thing to try.
The switch is only about $8 from Advance so it would be a easy / cheap thing to try.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
On a side note one of the younger guys here said he was going to rearrange his headlight wiring a little.
Blue coming from the headlight switch is the feed for both low and high beam. He was going to attach the blue to the tan wire low beams so the headlight switch would ONLY control the low beams.
Then he was going to run a heavy red from the back of the alt to the floor switch and use the floor switch to operate only the high beams. ( direct of course)
This would mean if the low beams were on and you tripped the floor switch all 6 lights would come on, instead of the usual 4 .
Anyone try this ? Would the 2 filaments in the low/high bulb survive being on at the same time ?
Blue coming from the headlight switch is the feed for both low and high beam. He was going to attach the blue to the tan wire low beams so the headlight switch would ONLY control the low beams.
Then he was going to run a heavy red from the back of the alt to the floor switch and use the floor switch to operate only the high beams. ( direct of course)
This would mean if the low beams were on and you tripped the floor switch all 6 lights would come on, instead of the usual 4 .
Anyone try this ? Would the 2 filaments in the low/high bulb survive being on at the same time ?
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,039
Likes: 669
From: FL
One thing that I did is rewire my headlights with relays. The relays are controlled by the stock harness and they route power directly from the alternator to the headlights via larger gauge wires. More voltage = more power. Here is one webpage about it.
http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/Wiri...ightRelays.htm
http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/Wiri...ightRelays.htm
