Headlights changing click from High beam to low beam

merbin

I need help trying to find out why my headlights don't change from high beam to low beam... My signal switch was loose and took it apart. I put it back together and now I can't get the headlights to switch when I press up.

bill may · Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 5:07 pm Post subject:

since the mind reader is on strike around here i will guess you have a 66 or 67 with low to high changer on turn signal lever instead of 65 and older switch on the floor.
is the 9 pin box and the headlight relay in good condition? are any wires loose on /inside the turn signal switch itself?
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olliehank47 · Samba Member Joined: May 04, 2011 Posts: 1198

Agree with Bill May, you must have a 66/67 since the switch is on the turn stalk. We must assume from your post that the dimmer did work before you opened the turn switch, correct? If that's the case, retrace your steps as that is the only change you made. The wire to the headlight dimmer is a ground wire (should be brown)--look for it inside the shell of the turn switch--and check the function. When you find the wire, you can jump it to a ground and see if the dimmer relay works--if not, then the relay is probably at fault, or the 9-pin relay.

If you don't want to try that, you can touch a ground jumper directly to the dimmer relay when the lights are on and the dimmer should click. If it does, the turn switch is the likely problem. If it doesn't click, the dimmer relay is at fault.

Let us know what you find, and use the wiring diagrams on this site for help, if needed. (Oh yeah, post the year of your bus.)

orangebug60guy · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:25 pm Post subject:

having a similar problem with my 66. The high beams work and there is a click at the relay. Checked all grounds and they are fine. All turn signals work fine. my only assumption is the relay, right?
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NorCalWeekender · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:14 pm Post subject:

I had the worst time getting the hi-beams on my '67 to come on for the longest time. Finally replaced the hi-beam relay and that solved everything.

Took apart the old one and, yeah, it was pretty toasted and cruddy.
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Ian M · Samba Member Joined: August 21, 2004 Posts: 222

If the relay clicks,and the and the high/low beams switch by applying ground directly at the relay,the next thing to check is if the dimmer/signal switch itself is getting a good ground to the column. The switch is what grounds the relay. Its possible by moving it that it's in a slightly different position and now insulated by paint,etc.

The 9 pin relay doesn't have any bearing on the high/low beams.

vwSplitty67 · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 5:31 pm Post subject:

My 67 clicks when it goes from High to Low beam. Not sure if it clicks when it goes from Low to High. I have an aftermarket relay in my bus. I remember I had to put a jumper wire from one pin to another to get it working right.
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orangebug60guy · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:12 pm Post subject:

all the connections are nice and strong on the switch. I did move the entire switch itself and I did notice electrical tape around the column. That could be grounding issue there eh'y?
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Stanagon · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:26 pm Post subject:

I had this problem with a '66 bus recently. No clicking action on the high beam switch (turn signal stalk). Turns out the 6 volt high beam relay was dead, likely from all the 12 volt juice it had been getting. A good used 12 volt high beam relay solved the problem.
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orangebug60guy · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 3:28 pm Post subject:

fixed it. combination bad relay and melted fuses due to faulty relay.
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Stanagon · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:49 pm Post subject:

I talked to orangebug60guy about this today. He used a 6 volt high/low beam relay to fix the problem, in a 12 volt bus. A temporary solution that should be fixed with the correct 12 volt relay. Part # 311 941 583A, according to the one good relay I have on hand. I'll be looking for some more at the swaps.

His lights were stuck on the high beam position, just like the '66 I recently fixed with the exact same problem, although it didn't have any melted fuses. It did have melted front parking light wires though.
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My '61 Mango bus thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=110367
My '64 vert thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=386344
My '71 squareback thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=637709

Craig

1967 12 volt
My high beams failed to work - the Bosch relay was the problem

symtoms:
It started when high beams did not come on when I hit the switch and had no headlights;
there was power to everything, the switch felt normal as when power is running through it.
I cleaned the connectors, no change.

when I clicked:
1) low beams went out (no headlights at all),
2) nothing happened (remained on low, high, or out), or
3) high beams worked
In other words, it was working but the result of a click was random.

The high beam relay is a Bosch VW part number 311 941 583A
I swapped out three used ones of the SWF (same part number) variety, none of them worked;
took them apart to study the mechanism. One was crispy;
screwed around with the springs, levers, contacts several times, but I could get none of them to work.

I took the Bosch apart (mine); it was different inside;
saw that the spring was not strong enough to cause it to switch (same wrong with the SWFs?);
was able to bend gently the two upright prongs apart which pulled the switch mechanism closer to the spring;
cleaned out some crud.
It worked.

bosch high beam relay, no markings on the aluminium case, shorter and wider profile than the SWF

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

bosch high beam relay

SWF high beam relay

SWF high beam relay (burnt)


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