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Hello, I hope this is the appropriate place to post this thread, but my headlights went out and not sure what to replace. I was driving at night and all of a sudden all 4 of the raised headlights went out. I know there isn’t a fuse in the box under the steering wheel for headlights, so is it the headlight switch next to the wheel? The **** still functions for raising and lowering the lamps, the dashboard still lights up and nothing else went out. I can still use the foot operated high beam lights but it requires me keeping the foot on the button the entire time. I preemptively ordered this part, so let me know if you think it’s the right one ! Appreciate any and all help
From your description, you are getting power to the dimmer switch so there’s nothing wrong with the headlamp switch. I would remove the connector at the dimmer switch and clean the contacts. If you have a multimeter, check the continuity between the input pin on the dimmer switch and the output pins (one for high beam, the other for low beam). Given you have high beams, albeit with the switch depressed constantly, you’ll have continuity on one and not the other. I suspect you have a faulty dimmer switch.
You said in your original post that the high beams come on when you depress the dimmer(and hold it). All power to the headlights comes through the headlight switch, then to the dimmer switch, then to the headlights - 1 circuit to the low beams and 1 to the high beams. The fact you need to continually depress the dimmer switch to get the high beams to come on strongly suggests your problem is in the dimmer switch.
Clearly you do not have a wiring schematic. You can't just guess at what may be the problem. You need to test and determine the issue. If I just threw parts at a problem at work, I wouldn't have a job for long.
First off replacement reproduction headlight switches are widely considered garbage. There are many threads on here on this topic. If indeed your headlight switch is at fault. You would be way ahead repairing your original switch.
Back to basics. Power for the headlights comes off the starter solenoid up to the horn relay on earlier cars. Then through a fuseable link to the headlight switch. There are 2 different power wires to the headlight switch. Your only concerned about the one for the headlights here. Apparently your tail lights and dash lights work. Then power out of the headlight switch to the dimmer switch. Then depending on switch position, power out for low beams or highbeams.
With a test light. Do you have power into the dimmer switch when headlight switch is pulled on? If yes. Do you have power out of the dimmer switch cycling the switch to test power on the tan and light green wires? If you have power going into the dimmer switch. But not out. Your dimmer switch is defective. If you have power out of the dimmer switch but still are not getting power to the headlights. Follow the wiring. Perhaps a problem at the bulk head connector, perhaps a break in the wire. But your symptom of having a high beam only when pressing on the switch sure sounds like a bad dimmer switch.
1969 Corvette Headlights Don’t Work
