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beguer
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2021
Posts: 22
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 Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 9:33 pm Post subject: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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I know this is a silly question, but could someone help me differentiate between my high beams and low beams on my 1973 Standard Beetle? I want to make sure I have the headlights wired correctly and that they are functioning properly after all these years.
I am using the stock GE headlights. What I believe to be my low beam projects light wider, but not terribly far. What I believe to be my high beam throws light a lot farther and narrower. Is this correct? This problem is definitely exacerbated by the fact that I have not properly aimed my headlights yet, so the light they project is currently all over the place.
Here is another way I can describe the situation: in my garage there's not much difference in brightness when I cycle between high beam and low beam, but I can tell one filament is lower than the other inside the bulb. Is the high beam the lower filament or the upper filament? |
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baldessariclan
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 1961
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 4:47 am Post subject: Re: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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_________________
1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver
baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt... |
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jinx758
Samba Member
Joined: October 04, 2014
Posts: 956
Location: half a bubble from plumb
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 4:58 am Post subject: Re: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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Park REAL close to a wall or garage door.
Cycle back & forth.
Does the high beam light on speedometer come on ?
Good luck ... stay safe
jinx
PS ...
On my '69 Dart and '70 Maverick :
Parked square to and about 4feet from wall. Marked center of both patterns on wall and tires with a 2x4 stop. Adjusted till driver side shined down & on center stripe of road while passenger side was about the same but up a little to help illuminate street signs.
Took a few tries but got em dialed in.
Found an old school shop that had a metering/aiming tool & was spot on to what he would've put them at.
Truth be told I woke birds up in the trees with highs on.
Lol
_________________
" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford
It's not unlike the same difference ...
My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor |
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beguer
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2021
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 10:54 am Post subject: Re: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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I can confirm the headlight sockets are wired this way. It doesnt rule out that a wiring connection might be wrong at the fuse panel but I can look into that next. Thank you for the diagram!
| jinx758 wrote: |
Park REAL close to a wall or garage door.
Cycle back & forth.
Does the high beam light on speedometer come on ? |
This is the test I was attempting when I concluded the brightness isnt too different between high beam and low beam, just that I can tell that each setting uses a different filament inside the bulb. To answer your question, the high beam light on the speedometer comes on when I activate the switch on the steering column. I can hear the relay click as well. |
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KTPhil 
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 35700
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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The brightness and current draw at low and high beams are not very different (60W vs. 55W is typical). It's the pattern that changes.
_________________
Current Fleet:
- '71 Fastback
- '69 Westfalia
Retired:
- '67 Beetle
- '65 Beetle (x2)
- '65 Bus
- '71 Squareback |
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beguer
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2021
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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| KTPhil wrote: |
| The brightness and current draw at low and high beams are not very different (60W vs. 55W is typical). It's the pattern that changes. |
Thank you! That's actually really helpful. Based on my description in the original post, would you happen to know which pattern is which? |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 35700
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 4:32 pm Post subject: Re: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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Low and wide is the low beam. High and narrow is the high beam.
_________________
Current Fleet:
- '71 Fastback
- '69 Westfalia
Retired:
- '67 Beetle
- '65 Beetle (x2)
- '65 Bus
- '71 Squareback |
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heimlich
VWNOS.com
Joined: November 20, 2016
Posts: 7410
Location: Houston, Texas
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2025 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: Cant Differentiate Between High and Low Beam |
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The problem arises when you have lights that don't work very well. Your GE should be good. Stand in front. If they blind you they are high beams. You can project them on a wall too to see the difference.
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