Headlights driving me nuts

[ckissick]

I have the South African grill/headlights on an '83.5 Westy. I have no headlights at all on low beam, and on high beam, the highs (outer lights) turn on and only one inner light turns on.

I replaced the headlight switch but that didn't fix it. Then I replaced the ignition switch and the problem was fixed. For a few days. This evening the low beams went out again, just like before. Could the new ignition switch have gone bad already? Should I go ahead replace it again? What else could it be? The ground crowns? They are pretty shiny and clean-looking. I serviced them when I installed the SA grill about 10 years ago.
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Charlie
1950 Beetle
1983 Westfalia
1989 syncro Tristar
1966 Porsche 912
1989 Beck Spyder
2007 GTI Fahrenheit

[Steve M.]

[Paulbeard]

Or put in local grounds (sanded down to bare metal) close to the headlights.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Wildthings]

I doubt that replacing the ignition switch was what fixed your problem, more likely it was coincidental. Moving things around and bumping the harness may have "corrected" the problem temporarily. Check your voltages at the S3-S6 fuses.

Were relays added for your lights?

[ckissick]

Relays were added.
_________________
Charlie
1950 Beetle
1983 Westfalia
1989 syncro Tristar
1966 Porsche 912
1989 Beck Spyder
2007 GTI Fahrenheit

[Dampcamper]

Check at fuses to be certain voltage is going out to each bulb.
White & White/Black wires for high beams
Yellow and yellow/black wires for low beams
If voltage but no lights, then it will likely be a grounding issue.
Do you notice any funkiness with the front running lights as the headlights come and go? They share a ground return path with headlights, if they work until you turn the headlights on, there is a clue that grounds are a problem.
"Local grounds" as mentioned above will solve that. In the "some's good, more is better" category, I like to use a "butt splice" into the ground wires for each side, leaving the original ground connected and adding a short wire to local ground. Extra points for using a sealing heat-shrink splice so it won't ever corrode: https://www.westmarine.com/buy/ancor-marine--heat-shrink-butt-connectors--P009_275_004_003 or from other sources, Jay Brown includes these with his high-temp sockets.
Also do the "ground tree maintenance", plus maybe the crimp lugs on the ends of the wires have lost their springy grip and need to be replaced.
Any chance the lamp sockets are contributing to trouble? Make sure they're clean, then a thin bit of silicone grease to hold off corrosion.