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alg Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2006 Posts: 134 Location: Webberville, TX
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:04 pm Post subject: how does the highbeam switch work |
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Having headlight gremlins.
Got my 73 Thing from the original owner. He told me they stopped working in 2002 and he never looked into the issue.
All other lights work perfectly.
Ok, so I had 33 year-old headlight electronics, and those were the first to go. Have a new headlight switch and relay. Also got a new turn signal assembly just to be sure.
The wiring is bone-stock and nothing looks altered anywhere.
I have wiring diagrams and have rung out all the wiring.
BUT, I find that the brown wire with the white marks that runs from the headlight relay to the turnsignal assembly seems to 'do' nothing.
When you pull on the turn signal, what is supposed to happen voltage-wise on the wire that goes to the headlight relay?
Does the brown/white wire hold voltage for one setting (like lowbeams) and then no voltage for the other setting?
Is there a latch in the relay that just looks for any voltage to just 'switch' from hi to lobeam? (you pull the signal switch, there is voltage for a second and the relay rolls to the next setting?)
My issue is related to the highbeam switch or relay. Everything else checks out.
Thanks for any assistance you can offer,
alg |
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KTPhil  Samba Member

Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 35318 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know a "thing" about Things, but in most later VWs the beams are switched by grounding a relay terminal. I would guess that brown wire does the grounding, if it like other VWs.
The headlight relay is a funny kind of relay, in that it alternates two outputs (hi and low beam), rather than merely switching one output on and off.
You may have a broken wire in the steering column. Bypass it by going to the relay and look for a terminal marked S. Remove the wire on it, and use a jumper to temporarily ground the relay terminal, then disconnect your jumper. That action (ground, then release) is what switches the relay between high and low beams.
If this operates the beams correctly, then the brown and brown/white wires in the steering column should be checked.
When you move the turn signal stalk back, you are connecting that wire to ground, same as you did with the jumper above.
Last edited by KTPhil on Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:11 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Woreign Samba Member

Joined: June 04, 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: Crestview FL
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Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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Does your new relay have 4 or 5 terminals? If it has 5, you need to jump the 30 and 56 terminals, otherwise it won't work. |
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gus111 Samba Member

Joined: August 28, 2004 Posts: 215 Location: Western MI
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:04 am Post subject: |
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Have you checked the actual sealed beam to make sure they are not burned out? I had that happen years ago (both at the same time). |
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mattt Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2004 Posts: 1144
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:44 am Post subject: |
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When you pull back on the turn signal stalk, do you hear the click of the relay? If not, I would bet the little plastic tang that activates the crude point contactor in the turn signal switch has broken off. If you hear no relay click, the switch is not being made. Its a fairly loud click. Without the plastic tang, the stalk doesnt reach the contactor points. |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member

Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:57 am Post subject: |
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mattt wrote: |
When you pull back on the turn signal stalk, do you hear the click of the relay? |
Note that this only works if the ignition and lights are on. |
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alg Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2006 Posts: 134 Location: Webberville, TX
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:30 am Post subject: |
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mattt wrote: |
When you pull back on the turn signal stalk, do you hear the click of the relay? If not, I would bet the little plastic tang that activates the crude point contactor in the turn signal switch has broken off. If you hear no relay click, the switch is not being made. Its a fairly loud click. Without the plastic tang, the stalk doesnt reach the contactor points. |
The turn signal switch is brand new. I replaced the original switch for the reason you mention.
There is no click of the relay and i'm still trying to figure this out.
I have a feeling one of my new parts are bad, but since the lights didn't work when I got the car, its hard to know what the real problem is.
I do know that the two wires which come out of the relay and go to the headlights (yellow and white wires, hi and lo beams) never get power.
So, either the relay is bad, or there is something in the steering column.
The rest of the circuit is working properly, and everything is well grounded and has good/clean connections.
The one part of owning a 70's VW which is frustrating is that with just about any part you buy, you have consider that it may be bad. |
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KTPhil  Samba Member

Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 35318 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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As I piosted, the relay switches between hi and lo beam. If neither ever has power, either your relay is shot (unlikely) or the relay is not getting power.
Do you have power at terminal 56 on the relay? If so, the relay is probbly bad. If not, then you have to look further "upstream" to your headlight switch.
Do you have power at terminal 30 of the headlight switch?
Also, your headlight switch could be wired wrong.
Check the '73 Bug wiring diagram here on the Samba to see what terminal number does what. |
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Heiferman Samba Member

Joined: February 28, 2024 Posts: 205 Location: Georgia, USA
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Posted: Sun Sep 08, 2024 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: how does the highbeam switch work |
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Here are some photos of the inside of a highbeam switch relay should anyone be interested.
Mine would not click when terminal S was grounded so I took it apart just to have a look. It appears the spring has weakened over the years and the relay may be just generally worn out. When I manually operate the switch inside the relay I can get highbeams. I do not fully understand how the ground activates the switch inside but in my case, a clean ground direct from the battery does nothing.
_________________ - 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance |
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