No Headlights

[Hooptie Love]

Before you tell me to use search I have read all the posts on headlight issues and am still having troubles.

I have a 1987 Syncro tin top. 2 weeks ago my headlights would not come on. The high beam light was on and running lights on but not my headlights. My kids had been playing in the car. I blamed them for playing with the turn signal switch and played with it a minute and the lights came back on.

Yesterday my headlights did the same thing. Blue high beam indicator is on and no headlights. All running lights work. My wipers also work. My headlight switch is fairly new and so is my ignition switch. I also have the high beam relays installed from go westy. Thus said I also have a parts van which I took what I know were good working parts from it and

replaced the headlight switch. Still nothing.
Checked the ground. Still nothing.
Replaced the ignition switch. Still nothing.
Replaced the wiper signal switch (high beam switch) and still nothing.

I have tried grounding it to different places in addition to the ground on the relays. When I ground out the wires the relays click. I am getting power to the relays. When I check the ground however with my handy little light on with good connection the light is very dim. There are 2 relays. They are about 2 years old. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to test this system and or a next step to try?

[hdenter]

Check the fuses. I had similar issue and it was a bad connection at the fuse. If I moved the fuse, the light would come back on. New fuse, cleaned contacts and all better.

Good luck

Hans
_________________
'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender

[SteveVanB]

Have you checked voltage at the bulb sockets?
_________________
91 CARAT

[Hooptie Love]

Isn't there like 4 fuses? I will check them but I was thinking that both the high and low beams would not go out together based on fuses. I have not checked the lights themselves. I will check them.

[Hooptie Love]

I checked the 2 high beam and the 2 low beam fuses. Pulled them scrapped them with my fingernails and reinstalled them. Still nothing. I will check the voltage at the headlights tomorrow morning. It is getting too dark to work tonight.

[danfromsyr]

check the ground again..
infact it's often advised to add an improved ground in the circut.
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[Hooptie Love]

I added an extremely beefy ground (4 gauge wire to the steering column) and it didn't help the problem. I also tested power to the lights themselves and I am getting power. I am wondering if I have a wire that could be grounding out somewhere. I don't know where to check first. All three of the wires going to the main headlight are producing power. All the wires to the high beam are also producing power based on my light tester. I am not very good with the electrical stuff. I know enough to check power and that is about it. Is there a way I could cut out the wire in between and wire my lights from the relays directly to the switch? Someone talked about doing a jumper on the switch to bypass the ignition circuit but I can't seem to find the post again. Which holes do I stick the paper clip in? I don't want to short out anything. I also changed the fuses entirely for new fuses. Still nothing. Help please.

[speedtek]

I had a weird issue with my headlights once (mine are relayed though) that sounds fairly similar. My high beam indicator was on, no headlights and the tach wouldn't work with the light switch on. I got it reset by unplugging the headlight switch and instrument cluster and turning the ignition switch on and then off again then reconnecting everything. You may be able to duplicate by just unplugging the light switch and doing the same thing. Give it a try, it might work.

[ragnarhairybreeks]

some things to try...

jump the relays, ie bridge the power in and power out to lights. You say you can hear the relays click, and that you have voltage out, but what if the relay contacts inside are wonky and not delivering full *current*.
Remember, jump, or bridge the power in and power out to light, not the switch power in and switch ground out.

If lights come on when jumped, then relays bad.

oh just to make sure I understand right, you did measure voltage at the light sockets right? get voltage there when light switch on?

boy its hard to do this kind of trouble shooting by text.

alistair
_________________
'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com

[thatvwbusguy]

The first thing I do when faced with headlight problems is to remove all of the 1/4" ground terminals from the grounding stars above the fuse block one at a time and inspect them for signs of corossion or oxidation. Also verify that they are making a good tight connection (you can tighten up any loose connectors by gently squeezing the outer curved part of the terminal with a pair of needle nosed pliers).

On each headlight you should only be getting 12V+ on the yellow (low beam) and white (high beam) wires. If there is voltage present at the brown wire there are some definite problems present. Try this proceedure for a test at the sockets:

Put the negative end (probably an aligator clip) of your test light on the connector for the brown wire on one of the headlight sockets. Then place the positive probe into the connector for the yellow wire.

Start the van and see what you get (should be no voltage present at the socket yet). Now turn on the headlight switch and see if the test light comes on. If it does your low beam has voltage when it should.

Next, remove the positive probe of the test light and put it into the connector for the high beam (white wire). There should be no voltage present at this point. Toggle the high beam selector lever and see if the test light comes on.

Repeat on the opposite headlight assembly.

Once you know all of these things, you at least know that you have voltage present on the correct wire at the correct time.

Inspect all of the wires going to the headlight sockets for signs of damaged insulation and repair or replace as necessary.

Let me know what you find and we can further troubleshoot from there.

If you find that you are in need of any parts (wire, sockets, relays, terminals), let me know. I have everything you will need and can ship first thing Tuesday morning.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

[Crughy]

I had something similar once.

I had running lights, I could have the high beam on when I pressed the lever, but that was it. Only for a tenth of a second.

I played with the wires in the steering column. There is white plug I think that was kind of badly plugged.

JP

[Hooptie Love]

Thanks to all who helped me. I figured out my problem. It was a ground after all. I was thinking the ground connection under the dash but forgot that the ground wires go all the way to the headlights. The PO had done some frankensteining in there years ago and I guess the bumpy roads of Moab brought said frankenstein to life. I had a wire that had come apart on one headlight between the relay and the light. What a pain in the... neck. I know enough to be dangerous. I know a lot more now. I had in my mind that it was a ground problem from the get go but when my efforts with the end of the ground didn't payoff it took me some time before I figured out that the ground is more than just the short wire from the relays. That is what happens when you have tunnel vision. At least I had the parts from the spare van to swap in and all it really cost me was a few hours of time.

[hdenter]

Good deal, glad to hear you figured it out.

Hans
_________________
'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender