| SunVW |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 2:39 pm |
|
Appreciate any insight, or reference to another post (if the topic has already been covered)....
Headlights on my 1971 Bay stopped working - were working fine prior. Put in new bulbs... Nothing. Replaced fuses 3, 4, 5, and 6... Nothing.
When ignition is on and headlight switch pulled out the rear and front side lights all come on, which leads me to believe the headlight switch is fine. When the high beam button is pushed, the relay clicks fine, which leads me to believe the relay is fine.
Any ideas? Thanks! |
|
| Tom Powell |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 2:41 pm |
|
grounds
Aloha
tp |
|
| Amskeptic |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 3:30 pm |
|
SunVW wrote: Appreciate any insight, or reference to another post (if the topic has already been covered)....
Headlights on my 1971 Bay stopped working - were working fine prior. Put in new bulbs... Nothing. Replaced fuses 3, 4, 5, and 6... Nothing.
When ignition is on and headlight switch pulled out the rear and front side lights all come on, which leads me to believe the headlight switch is fine. When the high beam button is pushed, the relay clicks fine, which leads me to believe the relay is fine.
Any ideas? Thanks!
You are aware that 1971 ushered in the "sentinel" headlamps that shut off with the ignition switch. The ignition switch powers the headlamp circuit only when the ignition is on via terminal X which goes over to the light switch's own terminal "x" via a yellow/black wire. Might not be correctly plugged in. That is the only way I know of that you can lose both headlamps simultaneously.
Colin |
|
| Tcash |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:40 pm |
|
X or you lost power at terminals 56.
Sometimes the light switch comes apart. Put it back together and put a tye wrap around it.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiringt2.php
click on pic
YLVW
Tcash
This is the E-switch but you get the idea
|
|
| telford dorr |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:41 pm |
|
Disconnect the battery ground. Unscrew the retaining sleeve holding the headlight switch to the dash and drop it down where you can work on it. Loosely reconnect the battery ground.
With the key and headlight switch on, make sure you have 12 volts on the 'X' switch terminal (red/black wire). If not, the problem is likely in the ignition switch.
If power is found at 'X', check the voltage at terminal 56 (white/black wire). If it's not there, then bad headlight switch. Otherwise, likely bad headlight relay.
[edit: tcash beat me to it - again... :lol: ] |
|
| sjbartnik |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:41 pm |
|
Easy enough to test the switch, find the white/black wire that comes out of the headlight switch and runs over to the headlight relay.
Turn ignition on and pull headlight switch out 2 stops. See if you have 12v on that wire. If not, and assuming that you have 12v into the headlight switch on terminal X (red/black wire) with the ignition on, then headlight switch is bad.
If you're not getting 12v into the switch on X with ignition on, then suspect ignition switch is bad. |
|
| sjbartnik |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:42 pm |
|
| :lol: jinx! |
|
| SunVW |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:51 pm |
|
| Thanks all - will try those checks and return! |
|
| busdaddy |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:25 pm |
|
But if the relay clicks it indicates there's power getting that far, unless it has one of those Euro relays, does it click even when the switch isn't on?
I'd start with a test light on the headlight fuses, both ends of each fuse and thier respective holders. Tom's original theory sounds plausible. |
|
| SunVW |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:35 pm |
|
| Busdaddy, when the light switch is off, and the high beam button pushed, no clicking (relay only clicks when headlight switch is pulled out). |
|
| busdaddy |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:08 pm |
|
| OK, so power as far as the relay at least, now find out where downstream of there it stops. |
|
| telford dorr |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:29 pm |
|
| Watch, this will turn out to be all four headlight bulb filaments burned out, or some other highly improbable event... :roll: |
|
| kreemoweet |
Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:46 pm |
|
SunVW wrote: . . . the high beam button . . .
The '71 bus did not come stock with anything that could be called a "high beam button". Headlights were dimmed by pulling on the turn sig lever.
So waddaya got it there? Whatever it is, it's highly probable the problem is there. |
|
| SunVW |
Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:22 am |
|
Well - long story short, bad relay was the culprit! Took the advice given, pulled the switch, ensured voltage coming in and through it, all the way up to the relay. Swapped it out, works great!
The PO put aftermarket turn signal on the bus, so the high beam button is an add on...
Thanks all for the guidance... |
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|