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Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:41 pm

So since the season is changing and I am driving to work in the morning in the dark, I decided I should really aim my headlights properly. This past couple weeks is the first time I have used the lights since I have the front skin of the bus replaced.
I take a good look at the lights themselves and then start adjusting. Of course a couple of the adjusting screws are a bit stripped, so it takes some time. I drive the bus to a nearby school where I can be on level ground in front of a wall so I can dial in the adjustment.

I then think to myself "Damn these lights are bright!"
As a test, I hit the switch to turn on the high beams. The blue high-beam indicator light on the dash lights up...and the highlights dim.

I again think to myself "WTF?!"

So my thoughts turn to wiring. Now think back to when I had my accident, and the nose skin of the bus was replaced; which of course entailed the removal of the headlight wiring. The body shop had to remove the three wires from the plastic piece that connects to the headlight itself. Could they have switched the wires around when they put it back together?

I'm headed to my Bentley to scope out the wiring diagrams, but I thought I would post my issue here as well.

Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:49 pm

that sounds like the problem, Eric. wires are switched.

Sat Sep 27, 2008 8:26 pm

I can't seem to find which wires go where. The diagram in Bentley isn't helping me much; of course, I hate reading these diagrams!
I swear I took a photo of that plastic connector before I took it to the shop just in case this happened; but alas, I cannot find it now.

I'll pull the headlight out tomorrow and try to figure it out.

Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:13 pm

at least you can get your high beams to work... :lol:

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:21 am

EZ Gruv wrote: So since the season is changing and I am driving to work in the morning in the dark, I decided I should really aim my headlights properly. This past couple weeks is the first time I have used the lights since I have the front skin of the bus replaced.
I take a good look at the lights themselves and then start adjusting. Of course a couple of the adjusting screws are a bit stripped, so it takes some time. I drive the bus to a nearby school where I can be on level ground in front of a wall so I can dial in the adjustment.

I then think to myself "Damn these lights are bright!"
As a test, I hit the switch to turn on the high beams. The blue high-beam indicator light on the dash lights up...and the highlights dim.

I again think to myself "WTF?!"

So my thoughts turn to wiring. Now think back to when I had my accident, and the nose skin of the bus was replaced; which of course entailed the removal of the headlight wiring. The body shop had to remove the three wires from the plastic piece that connects to the headlight itself. Could they have switched the wires around when they put it back together?

I'm headed to my Bentley to scope out the wiring diagrams, but I thought I would post my issue here as well.

Jerome Mazier, from Toronto, Canada, had similar headlamp mis-connection problem, for which a solution to the problem, was posted on the following thread; including a diagram and picture, of where the three coloured cables (i.e. white, yellow & brown, plus white/black, yellow/black & brown, fit into the 3-position connector for headlamp bulb or headlamp sealed-beam-unit. You will also find some of my simplified headlamp-system circuit diagrams there.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3198861

I am inclined to wonder, why your headlamp aiming was not properly checked and adjusted, immediately following the replacement of the vehicle's front panel. Use of a Lucas "Beamsetter" or similar equipment, at a British MOT test centre, would have instantly identified the problem and any mis-aiming, within just a few minutes or less.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:28 am

NASkeet wrote: I am inclined to wonder, why your headlamp aiming was not properly checked and adjusted, immediately following the replacement of the vehicle's front panel. Use of a Lucas "Beamsetter" or similar equipment, at a British MOT test centre, would have instantly identified the problem and any mis-aiming, within just a few minutes or less.

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN GOD DAMNED ENGLAND. WE DO NOT HAVE MOT TESTING HERE. ENGLAND IS NOT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. Jesus Chrit Niel will you ever get it through your thick head? People like you make me ashamed of the British blood flowing through my body.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:42 am

VDubTech wrote: NASkeet wrote: I am inclined to wonder, why your headlamp aiming was not properly checked and adjusted, immediately following the replacement of the vehicle's front panel. Use of a Lucas "Beamsetter" or similar equipment, at a British MOT test centre, would have instantly identified the problem and any mis-aiming, within just a few minutes or less.

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN GOD DAMNED ENGLAND. WE DO NOT HAVE MOT TESTING HERE. ENGLAND IS NOT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. Jesus Chrit Niel will you ever get it through your thick head? People like you make me ashamed of the British blood flowing through my body.

Then use whatever appropriate equipment, is available in the country concerned, to properly do the job, at the time it should be done, which is immediately after any work which would adversely affect the headlamp alignment, irrespective of whether that country has obligatory, regular, roadwortniness tests or not!

Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:19 am

Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:34 am

Why not just put the high beam indicator wire on the other fuses?

Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:25 am

ScottK wrote:

That is what I was looking for. Thanks

Quote: I am inclined to wonder, why your headlamp aiming was not properly checked and adjusted, immediately following the replacement of the vehicle's front panel.

Because of the following:
I rarely drive in the dark. It has only happened once up until the season began changing.
I live in the United States, and I can do that kind of thing and not go to your Keystone Cop jail.

By the way, I never said they were horribly maladjusted. They were only slightly off.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:05 pm

Eric- Just change the name of it to Low Beam Indicator. 8)

There wasn't a need to pull the wires out of the plastic plug. The plug should have been pulled of the headlamp. But are you sure the wires were pulled out? (Mine ended up getting pulled out also). If that was the case, switching the white and yellow would take care of your problem. However, if both lights are backwards that makes it a little stranger. Sure, putting the wires in one plug backwards is one thing but making the same mistake on both sides is a little different. So the next question would be if any wires had been disconnected under the dash? That's a whole differerent ball of worms. With the latter type wiring diagrams- have fun!. The only solution I would have is get an early bay instead. At least then you could easily read the diagrams. Which brings up a point. There might be some portions of the early systems that are the same as yours. If so, then you might find some help in the early diagrams. I spent many years designing and drawing hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical systems and their schematics. It's pretty much impossible to describe in one diagram both the physical routing and connections (like the early bus diagrams) and the functioning of the system and components like in the later diagrams. Electrical schematics versus wiring diagrams. And with the complexity of your bus the schematic is more suited. It is better for technical troubleshooting and understanding what should be happening. And it has nothing to do with being the diagram for clearly describing the wiring. Keep that in mind and the spaghetti in Bentley starts getting helpful.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 1:03 pm

Desertbusman wrote:
There wasn't a need to pull the wires out of the plastic plug. The plug should have been pulled of the headlamp. But are you sure the wires were pulled out?

Definitely. They took them out of the plastic plug so the could be pulled back through the skin to the inside.
Its not too far fetched that they wired them both wrong. They didn't know VWs at all.

Anyway, I pulled them both, and they were both wired incorrectly. I fixed the wiring, but I'll have to wait until dark to redo the adjustment.

Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:14 pm

My adjustment is complete.

Now I would like to replace the adjuster screws, since a couple of mine are quite stripped.
After researching, it appears these screws are NLA.
Does anyone happen to know the correct length/thread size for these?

Thanks

Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:34 pm

mine are all different sizes.^^ if you want i can try and find which one i have the most of and give you those measurments.

if my high beams dont work at all, but ive got the wires that are pictured in the diagram (above), would there be a problem with the switch that the turn signals are on too? (sorry for the hijack)

Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:56 am

Most likely your hi/low relay is dead, probably full of water from a leaky windshield. Does it click when you pull the signal stalk back?

Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:02 am

Eric,

I can pull the headlight assemblies out of my '71 (need to do that anyway) and see what size screws they are. They may not be the same size for your Bus though. May take a few days, but I'll pm you.

As far as Nigel goes, don't get too aggravated with him. However, I can relate. During a pm episode with me I offered to identify European paint codes for Utility Yellow used on snow plows, as I was going to my local automotive paint supplier to get some Gorilla Hair that I needed and that I would check on paint codes. He questioned why I wouldn't get it at the Zoo :roll: They must not have Gorilla Hair across the Pond.

Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:48 pm

busdaddy wrote: Most likely your hi/low relay is dead, probably full of water from a leaky windshield. Does it click when you pull the signal stalk back?
no click for the high beams, but the turn signals work.

Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:53 pm

Remove the relay and shake it, betcha it rattles.

Eric, I'll measure the screws on a 78 for you.

Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:01 pm

is it the same relay the signal wires are plugged into?

Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:51 pm

No, it's a 1"x1" aluminum cube on the bottom of the fuse box.